Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1999

Research News CUHK Fares Excellent in AoE Scheme The Areas o f Excellence Sub-Committee of the University Grants Committee (UGC) announced the results of the first r o u n d of the AoE scheme on 20th September 1999. 'Plant and Fungal Biotechnology', a proposal submitted by the University, was among the three projects selected for f und i ng support for fiv e years. I t is awa r d ed HK$38.8 m i l l i o n i n the f o r m of earmarked grants . Team leader of the proposa l is Prof. Samuel Sun of the Depa r tmen t of Biology. For details please refer to pp. 18-23. ' I n f o rma t i on Technology' , a j o i n t proposa l s u b m i t t e d b y The Ch i n e s e U n i v e r s i t y, t h e Un i v e r s i ty of H o n g Kong, and the H o n g K o n g Un i ve r s i ty of Science an d Technology, also w o n an allocation of HK$51 million. Prof. L i ew Soung C h a n g of t he D e p a r t m e n t of I n f o r m a t i on Engineering represents CUH K i n this joint project. C U H K thus lays claim to 44.3 per cent of the UGC's $126 m i l l i o n budget for the first ever AoE exercise i n Ho ng Kong. I n assessing projects shortlisted f r om a total of 99 submissions f r om local tertiar y institutions, the UGC pa i d special attention to the potential of the proposed Ao E i n achieving an international standard of excellence, its relevance to the social and economic development of H o n g Kong, and whether it is bu i lt on the existing strengths and achievements o f its mother institution. The concept of identifying areas of excellence i n UGC- f unded institutions was first p ut f o r wa rd b y t he U G C a n d e n d o r s e d b y t he H K S A R government i n 1997. The institutions were invited to submit applications i n early 1998. Two more 'Excellent' Research Projects Two more C U H K projects suppo r t ed b y ea rma r k ed research grants we re r a t e d ' e x c e l l e n t ' b y t he Research Gr an t s Co u n c i l, b r i n g i n g the t o t a l n umb er of C U H K projects so r a t ed since 1988 to 30. The t wo projects are: • Immunohistochemical Molecular, and Neurochemical Studies Using Neurons from Developing and Adult Cerebella of Rodents and Humans Under Normal and Pathological Conditions Principal investigator: Prof. Davi d Yew, Departmen t of Anatomy - A n Integrated Approach for Improving Urban Housing Quality in China Principal investigators: Prof. Brian D, Sullivan*, Dr. Ke Chen*, and Prof. Tunney Lee*, Department of Architecture * former staff member C h i n e sU n i v e r s i t yB u l l e t i n A u t u m n • W i n t e r 1999 32