Facts and Figures 2015

Research Areas of Excellence The University Grants Committee (UGC)* has provided preferential funding to the local tertiary institutions to conduct research into 18 selected Areas of Excellence (AoEs). Four ongoing projects are led by researchers at CUHK: Centre for Research into Circulating Fetal Nucleic Acids The project team discovered the presence of cell-free fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women, offering new possibilities for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. The team continues to address a number of high-profile unsolved questions in the field of circulating fetal nucleic acids, including non-invasive molecular methods for the diagnosis of fetal Down syndrome. Institute of Network Coding With an aim to making Hong Kong a major centre of network coding, the world-leading Institute of Network Coding conducts forefront research on the theory of network coding and its various applications on the Internet, wireless communications, information security, data storage and bioinformatics. The Historical Anthropology of Chinese Society This project studies 15 geographic areas in China to recover the history of both how local society acquired its own characteristics, and was incorporated into the broad expanse of a unified culture. Local ritual traditions, including architectual features, literal traditions, the hagiography of local deities, and village ceremonies are documented to reconstruct the histroy of the local institutions in which they were employed. By comparing the time frame of separate local histories, this project will construct a history of China from the bottom up. Centre for Organelle Biogenesis and Function The centre focuses on understanding the biogenesis and functions of three organelles, namely, Golgi, TGN and EXPO. This research will not only address the fundamental questions concerning organelle biogenesis and functions in important biological processes, such as cell wall formation and stress signaling pathways in plants, but will also have potential applications for the biotechnology industry in Hong Kong and China. * The UGC is an advisory body responsible for advising the HKSAR Government on the development and funding needs of the higher learning institutions in Hong Kong 26