Newsletter No. 58

CUHK NEWSLETTER based and comprehensive. On such a sound foundation Prof. Lau plans to cultivate a Chinese approach to sociology, strengthen studies in political, economic, and industrial sociology, and promote research into Chinese social thoughts. Prof. Lau's wish-list also includes more practical elements in the sociology curriculum, in the hope that graduates may then find their education more relevant to the demands of the modemworkplace. He would also like to see a good deal of publicity addressed to secondary school students, to help them know more about sociology and to attract them to the discipline. On whether the chairman should be elected, Prof. Lau believes that an elected incumbent, having to follow the majority, may act in such a way that other considerations take precedence of the welfare of the department, the Univeristy, or even the community at large in terms of priorities. On the other hand an appointed chairman will be relatively free from problems arising from the human factor and can therefore devote his energy to the implementation of reforms and the University's overall plans. As ameans of check and balance, Prof. Lau also believes that appointment decisions should be made only after extensive, wide-ranging consultation. Prof. Wing-hung Wong, Statistics Prof. Wong is not particularly fond of administrative work. In accepting the department chairmanship, he took into account the exposure to university administration that the post would allow him, and the support he would get in helping the department to determine its research and academic goals. Prof. Wong joined The Chinese University from the University of Chicago last June. From his previous contact with the department he knows that the department is operating on a sound basis, and there are sufficient channels for staff-student communication. He hopes that, step by step, he may adapt his American experience for application in his department. Essentially this means academics will share the duties and responsibilities of decision-making and administration, so that they will all be aware of the department's goals of development and gain more satisfaction from their work. He hopes that senior teachers will take turns to be chairman: he personally intends to step down in a few years to concentrate again on statistical theories and their application. As industry in Hong Kong is becoming more and more service-oriented, graduates in statistics will be in great demand. Prof. Wong believes that his department has the potential to attract more students of high calibre. Also, since many American statisticians of Chinese origin have opted for a career in Southeast Asia in recent years, he expects a boom in statistics research in the region. Prof. Wong points out that the Statistics Department of CUHK has made significant achievement in statistical application in psychology and education. He will continue to reinforce the existing liaison between the department and other University units and outside organizations and seek further opportunities for collaborative research. Statistics, after all, is an applied science and the development of theories should go hand in hand with practical applications. Prof. Wong also notes that the next few years will be a critical moment for the development of statistics in China. He believes that, by providing training for Chinese postgraduates and interacting with Chinese statisticians, his department will make solid contribution to the study of the subject in China. Prof. Wong is aware that chancellors, presidents and department chairmen in American universities are often appointed. However, since the department chairman at CUHK has very substantial power, he would like to see wide-ranging consultation before any appointment is made. Dr. Leung Kam-wing, Mathematics Dr. Leung, a graduate of The Chinese University, took his PhD degree from Notre Dame University. He then came back to teach at CUHK and has been with the Mathematics Department for 17 years. He was appointed acting chairman of the department in January 1994 and the appointment became ipsofacto in June. However he still sees himself in an 'acting' capacity and has declined an interview. NO.58 SEPTEMBER 1994 11