Newsletter No. 88

4 No. 88 4th May 1996 CUHK Newsletter Comments from Senior Administration A New Accounting System From the University Bursar I f one looks around The Chinese University of Hong Kong today, it is difficult to imagine what it was like in its early days. With the exception of Chung Chi College, whose original buildings were constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, there was not another building on campus until 1970 when the Benjamin Franklin Centre (BFC) was completed. From its comfortable surroundings in the Hang Seng Bank Building at 677 Nathan Road, Kowloon, the University administration moved into the BFC over incomplete roads, with the sound of blasting nearby as contractors continued to shape the rest of the campus. Gongs were sounded when an explosion was due and the few staff that were around trembled accordingly. A part of the administration that moved at the time was what would now be called the Bursar's Office, with its small unsophisticated accounting system: it did possess an NCR machine which did most of the ledger work, and another small machine for the payroll, but apart from that the accounting system was rather primitive, even though it performed well according to the demands of the time. The University's growth since those days has been phenomenal, and quite naturally, the accounting system has grown and adapted accordingly. Whereas in the early 1970s it was serving 2,500 students, 800 staff, and a budget of HK$30 million, the system now serves nearly 12,000 students, over 5,000 staff, and a budget of HK$2.5 billion. In the 1970s and 1980s, the catch words were 'management accounting'. It became increasingly clear in that era that the accounting system could be used for analytical purposes in addition to its basic functions of recording financial transactions and paying staff on time. Throughout the world, there was a trend to consider universities as organizations with great impact on society. This entailed greater accountability, and therefore a need to produce more statistics, and more management accounting reports. A good and reliable accounting system was essential for achieving these objectives. The system devised in the 1970s and 1980s certainly helped to improve the University's accounting and management techniques. The Bursar's Office and the Computer Services Centre/ Information Management Unit met regularly and produced a systemwith the help of an I BM mainframe and then an AS/400 minicomputer. The Personnel Office was also involved in the project. While this new system of computerization, installed in the 1980s, solved many of the on-going problems, it was becoming increasingly out-dated by the end of the decade. The University continued to grow, new concepts and ideas were in the market and it was soon clear that a new accounting system was needed After much discussion and investigation, the University decided on an SAP R/3 system with I BM as the system integrator. In evaluating the systems under consideration, several criteria were used — business functionality, adaptability and flexibility, user interface, degree of openness, image processing capability, userbase and goodwill, costs, technology advancement, database, updatedness, reliability, compatibility with other I BM systems, application interfacing, Chinese characters handling, system managemenl, and implementation and future maintenance. The time taken for thisevaluati nearly six months — was well spent. What will the accounting system achieve for the University and what improvements w i ll result? First the University will have an excellent state- of-the-art on-line system. Secondly financial reporting will become much more streamlined — financial reports will be up-to-date and can even be produced daily if required. Thirdly the system w i ll enable the University to obtain management information necessary for analysing financial data, making management decisions, as well as projecting future budgets more clearly and concisely. The system will also facilitate the decentralization process by allowing departments to input expenditure applications and purchase orders directly. Implementing and installing a new accounting system is a very demanding process, requiring tolerance and patience on all sides for a successful conclusion. The Bursary, and the Information Technology Service Unit/Computer Services Centre are working very hard to ensure this. The challenge also generates enthusiasm and with that, the determination to ensure the new system is up and running by 1st July 1996. David A. Gilkes 宣布事項 Announcements 新任講座教授 Professorial Appointments 統計學講座教授 Professor of Statistics 大學委任李錫欽教授 爲統計學講座教授，由一 九九六年四月一日起生 效。 李教授爲本校數學系 畢業生，七二年取得理學 士學位後，負笈美國洛杉 磯加州大學進修，先後於 七四、七六及七七年獲授 文科碩士、理科碩士及哲學博士學位。 攻讀高級學位課程期間，李教授在洛杉磯加州大 學任硏究助理和硏究生物統計師。七七年加入中大數 學系任教，五年後轉投統計學系，八五年晉升高級講 師，九零年升爲教授。 Prof. Lee Sik-yum has been appointed professor of statistics from 1st April 1996. Prof. Lee graduated from CUHK with a B.Sc. in 1972, and obtained his MA, M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1974, 1976 and 1977 respectively. During his postgraduate studies at UCLA, Prof. Lee served as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology and as a research biostatistician. Prof. Lee joined the University as lecturer in the Department of Mathematics in 1977, and transferred to the Department of Statistics in 1982. He was promoted to the rank of senior lecturer in 1985, and reader in 1990. 地理講座教授 Professor of Geography 大學委任梁怡教授爲地理講座教授，由一九九六 年四月一日起生效。 梁教授爲本校校友，七二年獲授社會科學學士學 位，繼往美國科羅拉多大 學進修，七四年取得文科 碩士學位，七七年得理科 碩士和哲學博士學位。 梁教授在科羅拉多大 學進修期間曾擔任助教， 七七年返港回母校地理系 任講師，先後於八四及九 零年晉升爲高級講師和教 授。 Prof. Leung Yee has been appointed professor of geography from 1st April 1996. After graduating from CUHK with a B.S.Sc. in 1972, Prof. Leung continued his studies at the University of Colorado in the United States, where he obtained the degrees of MA in 1974, and MS and Ph.D. in 1977. Concurrent with his studies at the University of Colorado, Prof. Leung was teaching assistant in the Department of Geography and for the Population Dynamics Programme. Prof. Leung joined the University in 1977 as lecturer in the Department of Geography. He was promoted to the rank of senior lecturer in 1984, and reader in 1990. Professorial Inaugural Lecture Prof. Leslie Young, professor of finance, will deliver his professorial inaugural lecture entitled 'East Asian Development and the Dynamics of Institutions' on 17th May at 5.00 p.m. in LT4 of Wong Foo Yuan Building. All are welcome to attend. 偉倫講座 Wei Lun Lecture 英國愛丁堡大學實驗病理學講座教授 Prof. Andrew H. Wyllie 將以偉倫訪問教授身分，於五月六日下午五 時假威爾斯親王醫院臨牀醫學大樓演講廳主持公開講 座，講題爲「凋謝：生理與疾病的細胞程序死亡」。歡 迎出席。 Wei Lun Visiting Professor Andrew H. Wyllie, Professor of Experimental Pathology from the University of Edinburgh, will give a public lecture entitled 'Apoptosis: Programmed Cell Death in Health and Disease' on 6th May at 5.00 p.m. in the lecture theatre of the Clinical Sciences Building, Prince of Wales Hospital. All are welcome to attend. 兩性角色交流會 Annual Gender Role Workshop 香港亞太硏究所性別硏究計劃和新聞與傳播學系將 於五月十八日合辦一九九六年兩性角色交流會，探討傳媒 對性別角色的建構，以及傳媒教育、訓練及工作中的性別 因素。副文康廣播司劉吳惠蘭女士獲邀爲主講嘉賓。 會議假信和樓第二講堂舉行，由崇基學院贊助， 費用全免。有意出席者請向朱小姐報名（電話二六零 九八七七五或傳眞二六零三五二一五）。大會設托兒 服務，歡迎採用。 The Gender Research Programme of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies and the Department of Journalism and Communication will jointly organize the Gender Role Workshop 1996 on 18th May from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. in LT2 of the Sino Building. The theme this year is 'Gender and the Media', and the function is sponsored by Chung Chi College. For registration and enquiries, please contact Ms. Serena Chu at Ext. 8775 or fax 26035215. Child-care services will be provided.