Newsletter No. 55

Vol. 5 6 No.55 June 199 4 Visitors From University of Toronto and Yale Prof. Kao presents a souvenir to President Robert Prichard of the University of Toronto. Prof. Kao welcomes President Richard Levin of Yale University. High leve l delegation s fro m the University of Toronto and Yale University visited CUH K las t mont h t o reaffirm existing academi c tie s an d foste r new linkages. Led b y thei r presiden t Prof . Robert Prichard , senio r academic s from the University of Toronto arrived in Hon g Kon g o n 9t h Ma y an d wer e warmly receive d b y CUH K Vice - Chancellor Prof. Charles Kao. The two universities signe d a n agreemen t i n 1992 t o promot e researc h collaboration and studen t exchange, and on this basis, a tripartit e lin k ha s bee n established with the Commission of Science and Technolog y i n Chin a t o facilitat e biomedical research . The thre e parties will wor k togethe r on such significan t projects a s th e mega-sequencin g o f human cardiac cDNA. Research results are likel y t o benefi t pharmaceutica l industries in the three places and bring improvement t o thei r healt h systems . During their visit, representatives from the Universit y o f Toront o als o discussed wit h senio r officer s o f thi s university ho w academi c exchang e and joint researc h coul d b e expande d to cover areas of mutual interest . Four day s late r o n 13t h May , th e president o f Yal e University , Prof . Richard Levin , visite d th e Universit y to forg e closer tie s betwee n Yal e an d CUHK. Cooperatio n betwee n th e two institutions ca n b e trace d bac k t o th e early sixtie s an d th e mos t recen t example o f suc h cooperatio n i s th e 10-year Sout h Chin a Studie s Programme. In a n addres s mad e i n a lunch receptio n hel d i n hi s honour , Prof. Levi n disclose d plan s fo r mor e joint project s i n th e pipeline : th e Yale-CUHK summe r piano institute in Hong Kong, collaboration between the art galleries of the two universities, and the Hon g Kong-Yal e initiativ e o n cancer researc h an d environmenta l studies. As Yale was moving ahead t o secure its role as a world university, he said, it 'coul d no t find a better partner in tha t effort , especially a s i t focuse s on Asia , tha n The Chinese Universit y of Hong Kong. ' Probing into East Asia'sEconomic Growt h The spectacula r performanc e o f Eas t Asian economie s ove r th e las t thre e decades ha s bee n a popular subjec t of study amon g economists . Som e hav e seen i n th e Eas t Asia n experienc e th e vindication o f market-oriente d ideas , while others have emphasized th e role of governmen t interventio n i n trad e and industry . Prof. Dan i Rodrik , currentl y professor of economic s an d internationa l affairs a t Columbi a University , wa s invited t o giv e a lecture o n 17t h Ma y as We i Lu n Visitin g Professo r t o unravel th e mysterie s o f Eas t Asia' s economic growth . Prof. Rodri k pointe d ou t i n hi s lecture tha t most Eas t Asian countrie s such a s Japan , Taiwa n an d Singapor e started of f i n th e sixtie s wit h a bette r educated labou r forc e an d a comparatively low degre e o f inequalit y i n NO.55 JUNE 199 4 1