Newsletter No. 43

No.43 June 1993 CUHK Newsletter jecture in 1978. The problem had baffled leading mathematicians for 25 years. Prof. Yau's contributions have brought him many accolades. He was elected California Scientist of the Year in 1979, received an honorary degree from CUHK in 1980, was awarded the much-coveted Veblen Prize by the American Mathematical Society in 1981, and became the first Chinese to win the prestigious Fields Medal in 1982. In accepting the appointment, Prof. Yau will spend three months each year on CUHK campus to teach and oversee research. H is greatest w i sh is to help strengthen mathematical research in the territory, for he considers mathematics to be the basic foundation for other scientific research. Exhibition Agreement Signed Between Art Gallery and Tokyo Fuji Art Museum An exhibition on Japanese art will be jointly presented by the University's Art Gallery and Soka University's Tokyo Fuji Art Museum early next year. Entitled ' A rt Treasures from Japan', the exhibition w i l l be staged at the A r t Gallery from January to March 1994, and on display will be screen paintings, uk i yo -e prints, paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, lacquerware, armours and swords, all selected from the collection of the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and showing the diversity and characteristics of Japanese art from the 13th to the early 20th century. A formal agreement was signed at a ceremony held on 14th May at the exhibition hall of the Art Gallery. Speeches were delivered by Prof. S. W. Tarn, pro-vice-chancellor of the University, and Prof. Kazuo Takamatsu, rector of Soka University. Both stressed that the exhibition would add anew dimension to the existing exchange programme between the two universities, and enable the Hong Kong public to better under- stand Japanese art, history and culture. The agreement was then signed by Mr. Tatsuo Takakura, vice director of the Tokyo Fuji Museum, and Dr. Mayching Kao, curator of the Art Gallery. Also present at the ceremony were Prof. Masami Kita, chief of the International Division of Soka University; Mr. Lee Kong Sau, chairman of Soka Gakkai International of Hong Kong Ltd.; Dr. F. C. Chen, director of the University's Institute of Chinese Studies; Mr. Mark Sheldon, director of the Office of Academic Links; Mr. Lee Yun Woon, chairman of the Department of Fine Arts; and Mr. Yue Kwan Cheuk, chairman of the Department of Japanese Studies. EMSD Acquires New Classrooms The Department of Extramural Studies (EMSD) w i ll have three new classrooms at its disposal this summer. Currently housed on the 13th, 14th and 17th floors of Oriental Centre at Chatham Road South, Kowloon, EMSD has suffered from lack of classroom space for a long time. It has to rent function rooms from local schools, social service centres and hotels for various kinds of degree and diploma courses run in conjunction with overseas educational institutions. And the number of such courses is on the rise every year. EMSD finally decided early this year to purchase additional premises to serve as the permanent home for its degree, diploma and certificate courses, and a unit on the eighth floor of the Oriental Centre was chosen for the purpose. The new unit with a floor area of approximately 2,300 square feet will be converted into three classrooms. Two of them are divided by movable partitions, which, when removed, will turn the place into a sizable hall for large-scale functions such as lectures and seminars. The acquisition of new classrooms certainly marks anew page in the history of the EMSD. Workshop on Women and Community Participation On 15th May the Gender Research Programme of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (HK I APS) organized its Gender Role Workshop '93 on the theme of women participation in the community affairs. The workshop was held to promote interaction between women's groups, policy-makers, and academics. Discussions centred around the present situation of women participation in social affairs, obstacles encountered, ways of promoting participation, and case studies of women participation in the Sha T i n community. Speakers included Ms. Susie Ho, principal assistant secretary of the City and New Territories Administration; Ms. Ma Chui Fun, representative of the Hong Kong Christian Service; and Dr. Maria S. M. Tam, member of the Gender Research Programme of HKIAPS. 3