Newsletter No. 19

CUHK Newsletter No.19 June 1991 New Course on Foreign Exchange Prac t i ces The BBA Degree Programme of the A Faculty of Business Administration will introduce a new course entitled 'Foreign Exchange Practices' in the 1991-92 academic year. Designed by the business faculty in conjunction with government officials and leading experts of foreign exchange in the private sector, the course is the first of its kind to be introduced in the territory. The main objective is to familiarize fourth-year students concentrating in business administration with the knowledge and techniques of foreign exchange operations, with a special emphasis on the Hong Kong situation. Those who teach the course have all been involved in course design. They include academics from the Faculty of Business Administration as well as directors, chief executives and managers of local banks and financial companies. Prof. Mun Kin-chok, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, is the course coordinator. Course contents include theory of monetary management of the banks in Western countries; the Hong Kong monetary framework; the Hong Kong dollar interbank and paper market; corporate dealing; treasuryriskmanagement; financial management; money market; the exchange rate system and the foreign exchange market; exchange rate determination and forecasting; the spot market and the forwardmarket; and trading games. Sympos ium on Commun i cat i on and Soc ietal Development The Department of Journalism and Communication hosted a symposium on 'Communication and Societal Development' from 29th April to 1st May to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The three-day symposium held at the Sir Cho Yiu Hall provided an opportunity for Chinese communication scholars from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and the United States to exchange views and findings about journalism and communication issues. The main themes of the symposium were communication theories and development; media in changing societies; the relationship between the media and economic, cultural and political development; as well as communication education and research. Emphasis was laid on the role of the mass media in the developme of three Chinese societies: Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan. A total of 27 papers were presented and the proceedings of the symposium will be published by the Department of Journalism and Communication in due course. Workshop on Recent Advances in Gynaecologi cal Surgery A workshop to introduce recent advances in gynaecological surgery was organized by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology on 2nd May at the Prince of Wales Hospital. The workshop featured lectures and demonstrations on LEEP (loof electrosurgical excision procedure) and endometrial ablation, and was attended by both local and overseas experts in the field. LEEP is a newly-developed method of treating premalignant cervix conditions. Cervical pathologies are precursors of cervical cancer, which may be prevented if premalignant conditions of the cervix are treated successfully. Prof. D. Townsend, a pioneer in LEEP from the University of California, demonstrated to the participants how the LEEP operation could be performed in the outpatient department and be very effective in expert hands. Endometrial ablation is a new treatment for excessive menstrual periods. Women suffering from such disorders usually require drug treatment, and if that fails, hysterectomy. Endometrial ablation may, however, be performed under local anaethesia, and no abdominal incision is required when the inner lining of the womb is removed by the surgeon. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology will continue to conduct and promote research on gynaecological surgery to improve patient care. 4