Calendar 2005–06

Research Institutes and Centres 109 Institute of Human Communicative Research Tel.: 2632 3288 Fax.: 2648 7908 E-mail: info@ihcr.cuhk.edu.hk Website: http://www.ihcr.cuhk.edu.hk/ The Institute of Human Communicative Research was set up in March 2004, integrating the Cochlear Implant and Hearing Rehabilitation Centre, the Communicative Disorders and Paediatric Speech Perception Centre, and the Cooperative Centre for Communicative Research. On the research team are otorhinolaryngologists, audiologists, speech therapists, and other experts from the University and the Prince of Wales Hospital. The institute aims to provide services to sufferers of hearing and speech disorders in Hong Kong and mainland China, organize educational activities, and conduct research in related areas. The three constituent centres have performed hearing restoration surgeries, organized academic exchange schemes and academic forums, and organized teaching activities in Hong Kong and mainland China. To deal with the rise in age-related hearing problems, the institute launched a research project on ‘Hearing Problems of Elderly People in Hong Kong’ in 2004. It will further investigate if provision of hearing aid contributes to better mental health of the elderly. The Institute of Human Communicative Research is constructing a ‘Hearing Aid Laboratory’ to develop practical and affordable hearing aids for Chinese- speaking patients. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences Tel.: 2609 8038 Fax.: 2603 7636 E-mail: ims@ims.cuhk.edu.hk The mathematical sciences are in a period of unprecedented growth. Sophisticated mathematical and computational tools are rapidly bridging the gap between theory and applications in science, engineering and other disciplines. The Institute of Mathematical Sciences was set up 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 are led by senior academics in the institute and the departments of mathematics, physics, and statistics. The institute also organizes international mathematical conferences to promote academic exchange. Its objectives are to promote and stimulate research in new frontiers, train and nurture young scientists, attract grants and contracts from governmental organizations and the private sector, and develop into a centre of excellence.