Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1999

he pointed out, demanding very different expertise, skills, and resources. With the support of the University, and the assistance of the Research and Technology Administration Office, MoLi & ANSeRS was licensed to industry. The University provides basic training for staff of the relevant companies to use the system, but does not interfere w i th its commercialization. Significance of Technology Transfer Prof. Wong found that technology transfer can help generate ideas for improving the original system wh i l e income generated can be re-invested i n research. Increased contact w i t h i ndus t ry i n the process also benefits students when they seek jobs. In Mo L i & ANSeRS's case, it also helped to retain China's brainpower. He explained, ' A company based in Beijing has been granted the license to use MoLi & ANSeRS. They wanted to further develop the potential and uses of the system and decided to recruit Dr. Qin to do the job. This was w h y Dr. Qin has given up the opportunity to work i n the US. He's now stationed in Beijing.' That industry would pay for a license is testimony to the value of his invention. But what pleases Prof. Wong most is that more people w i ll now be able to find the websites they need w i th MoLi & ANSeRS. He also admitted that its development has exceeded his original expectations, thanks to all who helped to transfer the technology. • Dr. Qin's interest in Chinese word processing brought him to CUHK wherehedid researchunder Prof. WongWing-shing. He had never expectedMoLi & ANSeRS to havegeneratedsomuch interest. During his days at CUHK, hewas more absorbedin his doctoral thesisthan in its commercial potential. Nonetheless heis now very pleasedthat MoLi & ANSeRS is oneof thefirst technologiesto be transferred to society by the University. Upon graduation, Dr. Qin had intended to assumeduty at an American companywhich wasoffering him a job. But then his path crossedwith thatofMoLi & ANSeRS a secondtime.He now headsthetechnology development section ofa Beijing-basedcompanywhich hasobtained license for using the system. Dr. Qin realizeswhile working in that company that the results ofacademicinquiry needto hepackagedwell in order to become a usefuland valuable commercial product.A questionheoftenaskshimself now is: 'Is this product useful? Will peoplelike using it?' He also takespart in administration and management and in fact discoversthat heis quite interested in this aspectofhis job. Dr. Qin brought MoLi & ANSeRS to the world ofthe Internet, a world with endless possibilities. ConverselyMoLi & ANSeRS hasopenedup new career frontiersfor Dr. Qin.