Newsletter No. 43

CUHK Newsletter -NoA3 June 1993 How Local Youths Perceive Themselves Research reveals that local young people perceive themselves as distinct from all ethnic groups relevant to Hong Kong in terms of character and values. Prof. Bond, professor of psychology, examined the sense of identity held by youths in Hong Kong in his inaugural lecture held on 21st May. Entitled 'Between the Yin and the Yang: The Identity of the Hong Kong Chinese', the lecture surveyed how Chinese youths in Hong Kong extract a viable sense of who they are from the welter of contending cultural influences surrounding them. A c c o r d i ng to P r o f. Bo n d 's research findings, youths in Hong Kong have constructed for themselves an identity which is an amalgamation of the prized aspects of the local personality, the Western personality, and the 'ideal' Chinese personality. The alloy does not, however, include elements of the 'modern' Chinese personality embodied in persons from mainland China and Taiwan. Prof. Bond also explored the implications of these findings in the light of Hong Kong's reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. A New Committee to Allocate University Resources A Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) was recently set up to take over the task of allocating University resources from the Budget Committee. The new arrangement came as a result of the University's drive to achieve excellence amidst rapid expansion. Two years ago departments and faculties were asked to draw up five- year plans to set out clearly their long- term and short-term objectives and implementation plans. A decentralization process was also introduced whereby faculties were given greater autonomy in the deployment of resources to achieve their targets. These annual f i v e - y e a r - p l an exercises and the decentralization process call for a corresponding change in the University's resource allocation mechanism. The Administrative and Planning Committee ( AAPC) subsequently approved in April the establishment of an RAC, whose terms of reference are a. To identify the internal and external funding constraints and the overall development directions of the University, and to provide guidelines for the faculties to prepare their short- and long-term development plans. b. To assess funding requests, set priorities and make tentative allocations for three to five years with reference to existing and proposed programmes. c. To decide on the annual budget for final approval by the AAPC, the Finance Committee, the Senate and the University Council. d. To identify strategic development thrusts for the University, and to allocate funds from the University's central reserve to support related endeavours. The RAC is cha i r ed by the vice-chancellor. Members include the pro-vice-chancellors, the bursar, and one to t wo senior academic staff members (who are not faculty deans) appo i n t ed by the vice- chancellor. The assistant to the vice- chancellor will serve as secretary to the committee. Eminent Mathematician Returns to Teach at CUHK World-renowned mathematician and Fields Medallist, Prof. Yau Shing-tung recently accepted a professorial appointment at the University and assumed duties last month. Aged 44, Prof. Yau was born in Guangdong and attended Pui Ching Middle School and Chung Chi College before furthering his studies at the University of California at Berkeley in 1969. He completed his doctorate in 1971, joined Stanford University in 1973, and became full professor in 1978 at the age of 29. He has been professor of mathematics at Harvard since 1987. Among his numerous academic achievements, the most well-known has been his proving of the Calabi's Con- 2