Newsletter No. 14

CUHK Newsletter Kinetics and Dynamics: a Basis for Effective Industrial Wastewater Treatment'. The function was cosponsored by the UNESCO Bangkok Microbiological Resources Centre. The chairman of the local organizing committee was Prof. S. T. Chang of the Department of Biology, CUHK. The Hong Kong Institute of Asia- Pacific Studies (HKIAPS) Social Indicator Studies Conference 6th-7th December 1990 Cho Y iu Conference Hall The conference was jointly organized by the HKIAPS, the Social Sciences Research Centre of the University of Hong Kong, and the Department of Applied Social Studies of the Hong Kong Polytechnic. Social indicator studies are useful for measuring and assessing changes in a given society, the quality of life of the citizens and their attitudes, and the effectiveness of government policies. They also provide up-to-date and comprehensive information and analysis for social scientists and policy makers. Such studies have been conducted in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and the two-day conference provided an opportunity of intellectual exchange for academics and experts from these three places. Apart from the presentation of papers, the conference programme included a panel discussion on the ‘Prospect of Cooperation in Social Indicator Studies among Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong'. Workshop on Geography and Development in Pacific Asia in the 21st Century 9th-13th December 1990 Cho Yiu Conference Hall The workshop was organized by the Commonwealth Geographical Bureau in collaboration with the University's Department of Geography and the HKIAPS. This was also the first time the Commonwealth Geographical Bureau had held an international workshop in Hong Kong. Experts from 11 commonwealth countries and local universities attended the five-day conference and more than 20 papers were presented. Topics centred around the future development of the Asia-Pacific region in commerce, resource management, transport and communication, urbanization, and agriculture. International Conference on the Relationship among Countries of the Taiwan Straits: China, Japan, Taiwan 20th-21st December 1990 Cho Yiu Conference Hall The conference was cosponsored by the Overseas Chinese Archives of the HKIAPS and the Faculty of International Studies and Business of the Kyushu International University in Japan. The objective was to explore the economic, political, and educational relationship among mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. Scholars from the four areas and experts from official and semiofficial Japanese institutions in Hong Kong were invited to participate in the conference and present papers on the development of relationships between these countries. 4