Newsletter No. 86

Retiremen t o f Si rYuet-keun g Ka n a sPro-Chancello r T h e Chancellor of the University accepted the request of Sir Yuet- keung Kan to retire from the office of Pro-Chancellor o n 29th February 1996. Sir Yuet-keung w i ll continue t o serve as life member of the University Council. Sir Yuet-keung's distinguished service to the University dates back to the immediate postwar years when he played a part in gaining official recognition of Chung Chi College as a post- secondary college and the development of the college site in Ma Liu Shui which now forms a part of the University campus. Sir Yuet-keung helped to draft the first constitution of the college and later served as chairman of the College Board of Governors from 1964 to 1968. Sir Yuet-keung's involvement i n the University Council began during its inception years when he served as a Council member. From 1971 to 1982, he chaired the Council before becoming life member o f the Council and Pro- Chancellor of the University. Sir Yuet-keung has provided outstanding leadership and unfailing support t o the University, and has contributed t o the laying o f a f i rm foundation for the University's academic, infrastructural and international linkage development. Grants from Health Services Research Fund for Six Projects S i x research projects proposed by staff of the University's Faculty of Medicine have received grants totalling HK$2,636,647 from the Health Services Research Fund since the fund's inception in 1994. The six projects are: 1. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Health Care Services (HK$600,000) Principal investigator: Prof. Anthony Chan Tak-cheung, assistant professor, Department of Clinical Oncology 2. Does Intensive Rehabilitation Improve the Functional Outcome of Traumatic Brain Injury? (HK$230,000) Principal investigator: Prof. PoonWai-sang, associate professor, Department of Surgery 3. Epidemiology of Otitis Media with Effusion in Hong Kong Chinese School Children (HK$587,697) Principal investigator: Prof. Charles A. van Hasselt, professor of surgery 4. Identification of Environmental Risk Factors for Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis in Adults in Hong Kong (HK$535,050) Principal investigator: Prof. Christopher Lam Wai-kei, professor, Department of Chemical Pathology 5. Risk Factors for Primary Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee in Hong Kong Chinese —a Case-control Study (HK$614,700) Principal investigator: Prof. Edith M. C. Lau, associate professor, Department of Community and Family Medicine 6. To Use Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Intra-Abdominal and Subcutaneous Fat in Normal and Obese Children of Hong Kong (HK$69,200) Principal investigator: Dr. Chan Yu-leung, visiting senior lecturer, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Organ Imaging CU BIOLOGY PROJECT RECEIVES RGC EQUIPMENT GRANT T h e University's Department of Biology has received a grant of HK$2.9 million from the RGC Central Allocation Vote 1995-96 for the establishment of an automated molecular genetic analysis system in collaboration with the Department of Biology at Baptist University, and the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The amount granted to this project is the highest among the four projects chosen this year. The system w i l l include four components: a nucleic acid purification system, an automatic/robotic molecular biology workstation, a genetic analyser/ gene scanner, and an automatic DNA sequencer. The aim of the project is to provide state-of-the-art automated instrumentation for molecular genetic analysis. Manual operations, which are tedious, variable and sometimes technically difficult, have been the major approach in the past. With the installation of an automated system, analyses can be completed more quickly and in a standardized manner. Current projects that may benefit from the system range from studies on genes in microorganisms to mutations underlying human leukaemia. The system will be installed on CU campus but available for use by staff of the sponsoring institutions for purposes of collaborative research. The RGC Central Allocation Vote is set up to provide support to tertiary institutions in the acquisition of central facilities or equipment which will benefit the academic community of Hong Kong. Applications are now invited for the 1996-97 exercise, for which HK$5-10 m llion will be set aside. Faculty members may wish to consult the conveners of the different panels under the University's Research Committee with regard t o application guidelines. Europe Comes to Shaw Fr ench films, German dances, Spanish guitar, and Scottish bagpipes were only some of the highlights o f the Shaw College Festival of Europe held from 15th to 25th March in the Shaw College lecture theatre. Mr. É tienne Reuter, director of the Office of the European Commission in Hong Kong, spoke on 'Europe and Asia: a Promising Partnership' at the college assembly on 15th March. Other guest artists at the festival included the Alpha Beta Club (The Hong Kong Society of Western Calligraphy Art), renowned photographer Cheung Kan- chee, and ceramic artist Anissa Fung. 28 Staff Members Exhibit Works of Art T h e third CU Staff Joint Art Exhibition was held from 18th to 29th March at Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. On display were sketches, paintings, Chinese calligraphy, photography, and ceramics produced by 28 staff members from different units.

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