Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2005

CUHK Launches Satellite Remote Sensing Receiving Station O n 5 t h O c t o b e r 2 0 0 5 , the Un i v e r s i ty l a u n c h ed the Satellite Remot e Sensing Receiving Station, an important facility of its n ew l y established I n s t i t u t e of Space a n d E a r th Information Science, on campus. The station collects information u s e f ul t o H o n g K o n g, S o u th C h i n a , a n d n e i g h b o u r i n g regions i n mo n i t o r i ng n a t u r al disasters, i n c l u d i n g landslides, s u b s i d e n c e , e a r t h q u a k e s, tsunamis, floods and typhoons, b y c a p t u r i ng a nd processing satellite-sourced remote sensing data. The first phase of the station is established w i t h the s u p p o rt o f the 863 H i g h T e c h n o l o g y Research a n d D e v e l o pme n t P r o g r amme of the M i n i s t ry of Science a n d Technology of the PRC and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HK S AR government. Th e second phase is supported by the Fo k Ying Tung Foundatio n w i t h a generous donation o f HK$40 million. A press conference was held o n 5th October i n w h i c h Prof. L i n H u i , director of the Institute o f Space a n d E a r t h I n f o r m a t i o n S c i e n c e , introduced the features and impac t of the station. T a k i n g place i n th e a f t e r n o o n w e re th e inauguration of M i n i s t er X u Gu a n h u a , M i n i s t er of Science a nd Technology of China, as h o n o r a ry professor of the C U H K Faculty of Engineering, a ceremony to than k the donation o f the Fok Yin g T u n g F o u n d a t i o n , a n d the i n a u g u r a t i o n of the first phase of the station and the institute. Guests i n a t t e n d a n c e i n c l u d e d D r . the H o n o u r a b le H e n r y Fok Y i n g - t u n g, Prof . X u Gu a n h u a, M r . Yang Wenchang, commissioner of the M i n i s t r y of Foreign Affairs o f the PRC i n HKSAR , Dr. He Changchui, assistant director-genera l of the Foo d a n d A g r i c u l t u r al O r g a n i z a t i o n of th e U n i t e d Nations, Prof . Lawrence J. Lau, vice-chancellor of C U H K , Prof. Yue On-ching , science adviser to the I n n o v a t i o n a n d T e c h n o l o g y C omm i s s i o n , a n d P r o f . C h e n S h u p e n g , c h a i r m a n o f t h e academic committee o f the Institute o f Space and Earth I n f o r ma t i o n Science. The c e r emo n i es w e re f o l l o w ed b y a distinguished l e c t u r e b y M i n i s t e r X u G u a n h ua (photo) entitled 'The F u t u r e o f Science a n d T e c h n o l o g y D e v e l o p m e n t i n Ch i na a n d the Role of H o n g Ko n g ' . Satellite Remote Sensing Receiving Station 5 4 Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 2005