Calendar 2003–04

65 colleges, in turn, are responsible for student-orientated teaching and the provision of residential accommodation. All teaching staff and full-time undergraduate students are assigned to different constituent colleges. At its inception the University’s undergraduate curriculum was based on a combination of the credit unit system and the degree examination system. After a comprehensive review in the mid-80s, the University decided to adopt a pure credit-unit-based curriculum structure. From 1991–92 onwards, greater flexibility was introduced into students’ selection of courses and pace of study. F The University endeavours to provide a wide variety of major and minor programmes to meet the changing needs of society. In 2002–3 a major programme in insurance, financial and actuarial analysis under the Faculty of Business Administration was introduced; and two minor programmes in risk management science and social research respectively under the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Social Science were launched. Par The Part-time Degree Programmes were first launched in 1981–82 with classes conducted in the evening. The two part-time degree programmes currently offered are music, and primary education*. P Master’s programmes were first offered in 1966–67, and the number of programmes has, in 2003–4, increased to 135. Doctoral programmes were first introduced in 1980–81 and the number of programmes has increased to 62 in 2003–4. Research and Development CUHK fosters quality research over a broad front in all its seven faculties. It offers opportunities for significant advances in human knowledge, and provides scope for academic staff to undertake consultancy and collaborative projects with industry. The University has also established 11 major research institutes to provide faculty members with financial support and other facilities for research. While encouraging both basic and applied research in all academic areas, the University also realizes that it is important to achieve excellence and world- wide impact. In addition to two ‘Areas of Excellence’ selected by the University Grants Committee for financial support — Plant and Fungal Biotechnology, and * The Part-time Degree Programme in Primary Education is being phased out.