Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1994

Research Demystified In 1993-94, 56 research projects initiated by CUHK staff members received grants amounting to $29.348 million from the government's Research Grants Council (RGC). In 1992-93, the figures were 44 projects and $19.264million. In 1991-92, they were 44 projects and $22,239 million. One can go all the way back to 1990, 1989, 1988, and earlier. But to the man (or woman) in the street, what do all these figures mean? Taxpayers' money being squandered by impractical academics on projects three, four or even five steps removed from everyday life? Few can decipher from the abstruse research titles what actually is going on in the research laboratories or what the researchers are after. Fewer would bother to find that out from research publications which are usually dry and studded with strange equations and technical terms. So apart from those involved in the allocation of research funds and those competing for such funds, who really cares about what kind of research is being conducted in the University? As a major recipient of public monies for research, the Chinese University feels it its duty to explain to a wider audience the significance and impact of its research activities. Its Research Committee has thus chosen a number of RGC-funded projects that can demonstrate how research is indispensable for the creation of new knowledge and how such knowledge can be directly related to our lives; and the Chinese University Bulletin has worked closely with the principal investigators of these projects to explain their research objectives, procedures, and achievements in terms comprehensible to the lay person. In this issue, the Bulletin brings to readers highlights of six research projects in six different disciplines. Some of these projects have just started, some are in the active investigation stage, and some are nearing completion. Each is related, directly or indirectly, to a specific aspect of our daily lives, and all will contribute to the improvement of the quality of education this university offers. Through this research series, which will appear regularly in future issues of the Bulletin, we try to demystify research and generate popular interest in the University's research activities. Research Projects 4