Calendar 2002–03

ResearchInstitutes andCentres 99 Materials Science and Technology Research Centre Tel.:2609 8276 Fax.:2603 5558 E-mail: leol@phy.cuhk.edu.hk Estab lished in 199 2, the centr e p rovides a base f or interd isciplinar y and collaborativeresearch on materials. Activitiesincludethe analysis of the structure and properties of advanced materials, the development of applications for new materials, and the synthesis and processing of new materials to serve the needs of local industries. Institute of Mathematical Sciences Tel.:2609 8038 Fax.:2603 7636 E-mail: ims@ims.cuhk.edu.hk Themathematical sciences are in a period of unprecedented growth. Sophisticated mathematical and computational tools are rapidly b ridging the gap between abstract theory and applications in science, engineering an d other disciplines. The University set up the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in 1993 to promote research in relevant fields — pure and applied mathematics, large scale scientific computation,nonlinear sciences, image processing, mathematical and theoretical physics,statistics, and probability.The emphasis is on their interaction and linkage with the physical sciences, engineering, industry, and commerce. The institute’s major research projects ar e led by sen ior academics in the in stitute and the departments of mathematics, physics, and statistics. The institute also organ izes intern ation al mathematical confer ences to promote academic exch ange. The in stitute’s ob jectiv es are to pr omote and stimulate research in new frontiers, train and nurture young scientists, attract grants and contractsfrom governmental organizationsand theprivate sector,and develop into a centre of excellence. The institute now offers postgraduate study programmes for both master and doctoral degrees. It also runs a postdoctoral fellowship programme and a short-term visitor programme. The institute reg ularly organizes po stgraduate courses, academic colloquia and workshops, and lectures by academic visitors. It also publishes a series of research reports, and runs three international research journals. Activitiesin thepipeline include yearly programmesin geometrical analysis; non linear evolu tion par tial dif ferential eq uations and comp utational fluid dynamics; numerical and theoretical analysis of inverse pr oblems; harmonic functions, fractalsand wavelets. Theinstitute also plans to strengthen collaboration with institutions on the mainland and abroad, and to lead research in the region.