Newsletter No. 55

CUHK NEWSLETTER income and wealth distribution. Thes e when couple d wit h th e clos e an d effective interactio n betwee n publi c bureaucracies and the private firms had con t r i bu t ed t o th e phenomena l accumulation rate s i n th e privat e sector. H e believe d tha t th e rol e o f trade polic y an d export s ha d bee n greatly exaggerate d b y bot h adherent s of libera l orthodox y an d interventionists, as sharply conflicting pictures could b e portraye d a s t o wha t suc h government trade policies consisted of, and wha t thei r consequence s wer e for growth. Accordin g t o Prof . Rodrik , trade policy was important not because it had been exercised appropriately and with grea t skill , bu t becaus e i t ha d avoided egregiou s mistakes that could choke off growth. Prof. Rodri k i s als o researc h associate of th e US Nationa l Burea u o f Economic Research , researc h fello w of th e Centr e fo r Economi c Polic y Research, progra m associat e o f th e Overseas Developmen t Council , an d senior fellow of the Institute for Policy Reform. Vice -chancellor's Trip to Australia Vice-Chancellor Prof . Charle s Ka o spent 1 0 day s i n Australi a thi s Apri l visiting Australia n institution s an d meeting CUHK alumn i in the country. Through arrangement s b y Prof . Peter Karmel , oversea s Counci l member of CUH K an d forme r vice - chancellor o f th e Nationa l Universit y of Aus t r a l i a (ANU) , Prof . Ka o addressed th e Boar d o f th e Australia n Vice-Chancellors' Committe e a t thei r headquarters i n Canberra , tryin g t o convince the m tha t Hon g Kong' s existing systems would remain in force for a t leas t 5 0 year s unde r th e Sino - British Join t Declaration , an d tha t i t CUHK Initiates Bioequivalence Studies to Ascertai n Drug Quality Prof. Kenneth Raymond (left), Mr. Donald Chid (middle), and Dr. Julian Critchley (right) on a cheque presentation ceremony As a result o f th e rapi d growt h o f th e pharmaceutical industr y i n Hon g Kong, man y brand s o f th e sam e medicine hav e appeare d o n th e loca l market, al l claimin g t o b e effectiv e and t o contai n th e sam e amoun t o f active drug . Som e claim s ma y b e unsubstantiated, and lea d t o treatmen t failures and toxicity. It is thus essential that physicians , pharmacist s an d others wh o prescribe , dispens e o r purchase drug s b e abl e t o identif y products tha t are safe and effective. To alla y doubt s abou t th e qualit y and efficac y of drug s an d t o maintai n the credibilit y o f Hon g Kong' s pharmaceutical industry, bioequivalenc e studies of local generic drugs are being initiated jointly by the Departments of Clinical Pharmacolog y an d Pharmac y of thi s university . Test s wil l b e performed to chec k tha t differen t brands of a certain medicine contain the same amount of drug as stated by the manufacturers and that the drug is in such a form a s to b e effectivel y absorbed b y the human body . This bioequivalenc e studie s programme, the firs t o f it s kin d i n th e territory, i s activel y supporte d b y th e Chemical & Pharmaceutica l Industr y Council o f Th e Federatio n o f Hon g Kong Industries , an d finance d b y a generous donatio n o f HK$500,00 0 f r om Pha rmako n Internationa l Laboratory Ltd . International Conference on Technology for the 21st Century The 'Fourt h Internationa l Conferenc e on Dat a an d Knowledg e System s fo r Manufacturing an d Engingeering' wa s held o n campu s from 2nd t o 4th May . This year's theme was 'Technology for the 21st Century' . Over 20 0 leadin g researcher s an d engineers fro m differen t part s o f th e world gathere d a t th e Universit y t o discuss th e applicatio n o f ne w technologies to manufacturin g an d engineering. Some 12 0 paper s wer e presented, coverin g a wid e rang e o f topics fro m robotics , compute r aide d design/manufacturing, artificia l intelligence, expert systems , t o databas e techniques an d technologie s t o improve product design , qualit y contro l and reduc e industria l waste . Participants also exchange d informatio n NO.55 JUNE1994 2