Newsletter No. 88

MEDICAL TEAM HEARS FOR SHANDONG TO STUDY GASTRIC CANCER A team led by Prof. Joseph Sung of the Faculty of Medicine left for Yantai in Shandong province on 21st Ap r il to participate in a joint study on gastric cancer undertaken by CUHK and Beijing Medical University. The project examines whether eradication of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori w i ll prevent the development of gastric cancer. Gastric cancer is the most common malignancy in the world and is the fourth major killer amongst cancers in Hong Kong. In 1994 alone, some 600 people died from the disease in the territory. Its cause has been largely unknown until recently when epidemiological studies show that patients infected by Helicobacter pylori have a significantly higher risk of developing this type of cancer. Much scientific and clinical research has focused on the relationship between the bacteria and the disease. Med i cal doctors, nurses and researchers from the two universities will carry out screening tests by endoscopy in the city of Yantai which is a high prevalence area for gastric cancer. Patients at high risk will be given antibiotic therapy. Four years ago the CUHK Faculty of Medicine pioneered the use of the one- week triple therapy for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori-related peptic ulcers in Hong Kong. Today this regimen has become the international standard for treating peptic ulcers. The current project is supported by the Hong Kong Society of Digestive Endoscopy. International Conference on Basic Education O v e r 400 educators gathered on Chung Chi campus on 5th and 6th April to attend an international conference on basic education jointly organized by the Faculty of Education, the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, and the Hong Kong Primary Education Research Association. The theme of the conference was 'Nurturing Competent Teachers for Basic Education'. Prof. Felice Lieh Mak, chair of the Advisory Committee on Teacher Education and Qualifications, officiated at the opening ceremony. The four keynote speakers — Prof. James Calderhead, Prof. Alan Tom, Prof. Chen Yongming, and Prof. Ou Yung-sheng — spoke on the latest developments in teacher education in the UK, USA, China and Taiwan. Seventy papers were presented at the conference. Framework Inst i tuted for Summer Classes T o provide flexibility for teaching units to offer courses in summer, the Senate has recently instituted a broad framework for a summer session for full-time credit-unit-based undergraduate programmes. The framework will create the additional space of seven weeks after the conclusion of the second term of an academic year for students to take specific courses offered by specific departments. This is one way of meeting the needs of students who have little time during regular terms for those courses, but it is also entirely up to the teaching units to decide whether to run a summer session. No additional tuition fee will be levied for the summer courses. The Senate APC has already approved the offering of a total of four courses proposed by the ELTU (ELT 1107 , 1108 and 3101) and the Physics Department (PHY 4901) in the summer of 1996. It is expected that all other teaching units will be able to offer summer courses under the framework from the summer of 1997 if they so choose. NEW PROGRAMMES FOR 1 9 9 6 - 9 7 T h e University Senate recently approved the introduction of the following new programmes in the 1996-97 academic year: • Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Nursing— a self-financed programme organized by the Department of Nursing. • Diploma Course in China Marketing — jointly organized by the Faculty of Business Administration, the CUHK Asia-Pacific Institute of Business, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. • Certificate Programmes (Elementary and Advanced) in Training of Cantonese Opera — jointly organized by the School of Continuing Studies, the Urban Council, and the Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Association. Service to the Community and International Organizations * Prof. Kenneth Young, pro-vice- chancellor, has been re-appointed by HE the Governor as a member of the University Grants Committee for two years from 1st April 1996. * Prof. Yue-man Yeung, head of Shaw College, has been re-appointed by HE the Governor to serve on the Town Planning Board and the Hong Kong Housing Authority for two years from 1st April 1996. He has also been re-appointed by the Financial Secretary as a member of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation for the same period. Prof. Yeung has also been appointed guest professor of Peking University. * Prof. Kai-ming Chan, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology, has been appointed by HE the Governor as a member of the Hong Kong Sports Development Board and chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute Management Committee for two years from 1st April 1996. * Prof. Ambrose Y. C. King, pro-vice- chancellor, has been nominated by the University to serve on the Council of the Opening Learning Institute for another year from 19th June 1996. * Dr. Chin-chin Wan, director of the School of Continuing Studies, has been nominated by the University to serve on the Committee on Management and Supervisory Training for the period up to 31st March 1998. * Mrs. Clara Lee, acting director of the Office of Student Affairs, has upon nomination by the University been appointed by the Secretary for Education and Manpower as a member of the Joint Committee on Student Finance for the period up to 30th April 1997. * Prof. Pak-wai Liu, pro-vice-chancellor, has been re-appointed by the Financial Secretary as a member of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation for two years from 1st April 1996. (All information in this section is provided by the Information and Public Relations Office. 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