CUHK: Five Decades in Pictures

73 The Fourth Decade: 1993–2002 were in increasingly high demand. In 1998, CUHK recruited 28 undergraduate students from some Chinese provinces and municipalities, making it the first local university to tap into the talent pool on the mainland. Their quality, diligence and determination to succeed have brought about a mutually enhancing effect on local students and enriched the campus experience for all. By 2013, some 2,300 mainland students have finished their undergraduate studies at CUHK before returning home, pursuing further studies here or overseas or embarking on a variety of career paths. The Chinese University played a crucial role in the early inception and growth of the Internet in Hong Kong. In 1991, the University took the lead in establishing a satellite link with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in the US under the leadership of Professor Charles K. Kao. In 1995, the Information Technology Services Centre of the University set up the Hong Kong Internet Exchange (HKIX) to provide an interconnection point for local internet service providers (ISP). Since then inter-ISP traffic no longer needs to be routed outside Hong Kong, saving a lot of money and reducing the volume of traffic to another country, thereby speeding up data delivery between Hong Kong and the rest of the world. To this day the HKIX remains an Internet hub of the Asia-Pacific region. With increased academic and research activities on campus, the University embarked on a number of construction projects, including the Shanghai Fraternity Association Research Services Centre, the Mong Man Wai Building, the new Chung Chi College Administration Building and the Esther Lee Building, and the School of Public Health Building located at the Prince of Wales Hospital. On the other hand, the University set great store by greenery on its campus. In 2000, it completed a comprehensive environmental audit, the first of its kind ever conducted by a local educational institution. The audit confirmed that the air on our campus was fresh, the waters clean, the landscape green, and the operations of the University well planned and managed so that ecologically unsound elements were kept to a minimum. To continue keeping the campus green and to heighten environmental consciousness among the campus community, a university-wide action plan was adopted in May 2000. Since its inception, CUHK has received much help and support from its alumni, friends and benefactors. To strengthen and promote the relationship between the University and its alumni as well as the general public, theCUHKConvocationwas established. Its firstmeeting was held on 9 September 1993, paving the way for alumni participation in University affairs and policy making. Further, to recognize the significant contribution and support given by members of the community to the University over the years, the University established an honorary fellowship award scheme, and the first honorary fellowship conferment ceremony took place in May 2002.