Newsletter No. 114

2 No. 114 19th October 1997 CUHK Newsletter More Victories to Forge a Fine Rowing Tradition E ach year the Hong Kong version of the Oxford Cambridge boat race is played between The Chinese University and the University of Hong Kong on the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin. At the 11th Intervarsity Rowing Championship held on 21st September, CUHK rowers trounced their HKU counterparts in the men's coxed eight 2,500-metre race and recaptured the championship they had lost last year. The CUHK women's team also beat their opponent for the third time in three consecutive years in the coxed four 1,500-metre race and would keep the championship cup permanently. In the inter-university invitation race that followed, rowers from CUHK again proved themselves superior oarsmen and captured the invitation cup. Earlier on at the third Hong Kong Universities Rowing Championships held on 7th September, CUHK rowers also came first in the men's and women's doubles, and won the women's overall championship. The series of victories will certainly promote greater interest in the sport among CU students and build up a fine rowing tradition in the University. In fact two new shells have just been bought for the CUHK Rowing Club to better equip them for practice and competition. The two boats are donations from Dr. Thomas H.C. Cheung and were formally launched on 1st September. Symposium on Dermatology & Venereology A topic eczema and many common skin problems such as psoriasis, fungal nail, and hand wart were the topics of discussion at Hong Kong's first symposium on dermatology and venereology held on 20th and 21st September at the Prince of Wales Hospital Jointly organized by the Division of Dermatology at the University's Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, and the Social Hygiene Service of the Department of Health, the symposium also addressed the management of HIV diseases in Hong Kong. Atopic eczema is a common allergic skin disease affecting young children in Hong Kong. Medical researchers at the University conducted a survey on its prevalence and the effectiveness of various treatment methods, and released their findings in a press conference held on 19th September and in the two-day symposium that followed. It was discovered that some 20 per cent of young children aged 3 to 5 would contract the disease and that dietary restriction and Chinese herbal medicine are commonly used to treat the condition. Specialists cannot yet agree on their effects but warn that a restrictive diet can lead to serious problems of malnutrition and obsessive eating behaviours. They recommend ultraviolet treatment using a new Narrow Band UVB Phototherapy Unit, which can filter out the most harmful ultraviolet rays and emit safer rays to effectively treat eczema and other skin diseases. Investiture of Ex-VC as Fellow of The Royal Society P rof. Charles K. Kao, former vice- chancellor of the University and currently honorary professor of engineering, has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society. Founded in 1660, the Royal Society is one of the oldest and most prestigious academies of science in the Western world that promote the natural and applied sciences. The society consists of over 1,100 fellows, and Prof. Kao is the third fellow of Chinese origin linked with Hong Kong, besides Y.W. Kan and Tsui Lap Chee. Wha t theSummerGifte d Programm e is abou t One hundred and two secondary school students gathered on the CUHK campus for a week of fun and challenge from 20th to 26th July. Nominated by their schools, these gifted and talented youngsters were participants of the first summer gifted programme organized by the Faculty of Education. Gifted and talented students often have special needs that are not typically addressed in regular classrooms. Such needs include challenging instructional activities; a faster pace of learning; more abstract and conceptually complex theorizing; identification and confirmation of their talents, aptitudes, and abilities; talented and knowledgeable teachers who set high learning targets; interaction with supportive peers; exposure to diverse topics and disciplines; and opportunities for research, exploratory investigations, and creative ideas. To provide adequate challenge and enrichment for gifted students in local secondary schools, the Faculty of Education launched a specially designed summer camp for them, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. Besides providing them with stimulating learning experiences, the one-week residential programme also created an atmosphere conducive to intensive interaction among equally capable peers so that participants can improve their social skills. At the Summer Gifted Programme 97, participants were given opportunities to broaden their horizons and experience the importance of team work. Courses offered included Solving Mathematical Puzzles, Chinese Creative Writing, Creative Writing, Lab Problem Solving with PASCAL, Physics and its Application in Daily Life, Fun with Narrative — English, The Dynamics of Nucleic Acid, Leadership Training, Audio Visual Production, The Unfathomable Galaxy — Astronomy, Understanding Psychology, the Performing Arts, Creative Thinking, and Fun with Biology. There were group games that emphasized innovation and creativity and workshops on special topics conducted by special guests. Mr. Alan Chan, a former British Royal Navy Officer, spoke on leadership training; Mr. Tang Wai Kit, senior lecturer at the Academy of Performing Arts, gave a talk entitled 'Beyondthe Stage'; Mr. Yung Ho Yin, a talented Chinese calligrapher, conducted a workshop on the appreciation of Chinese calligraphy. Visits to the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Engineering, the Art Museum, and the Marine Science Laboratory were also arranged. One very popular activity was the 'Night Chat and Share' session held every evening where participants could express their opinions and feelings freely. As most participants found the summer camp experience rewarding, similar programmes will continue to be organized by the Faculty of Education. Programmes being planned include a series of training workshops for talented students, their parents, and teachers who are interested in gifted education, and a Saturday Gifted Programme organized on the campus at weekends for gifted secondary school students. For the success of the 1997 Summer Gifted Programme, thanks are due to the departments of psychology, social work, physics, chemistry, and computer science and engineering, whose faculty members and students served as course instructors, teaching assistants, and residential counsellors. Credit also goes to programme co-supervisors Profs David W. Chan and P C Cheung; programme coordinator Ms. Patricia Yeung; programme secretaries Ms. Ellie Ng and Priscilla Chan; and programme committee members Profs Cheng Pui-wan, Hau Kit-tai, Ho Kwok- keung, Ho Man-koon, Mak Se-yuen, Paul Sze, Wong Ngai-ying, and Yip Din-yan. Special acknowledgment is given to 22 local and non-local advisory committee members. Local members include Dr. Eadaoin K.P. Hui, Dr. Caroline Kwok, Prof. Lau Sing, Prof. Lee Hong Wing, Prof. Leslie N.K. Lo, Dr. Elisabeth Rudowicz, Prof. Yang Chen Ning, Prof. Yau Shing Tung, and Mr. K.K. Yung. Non-local members are Prof. Darlene Boyd, Prof. Nicholas Colangelo, Prof. John Feldhusen, Prof. Joan Freeman, Prof. David Goldstein, Prof. Miraca Gross, Prof. Robert Mulcahy, Prof. Harold O'Neil, Jr., Prof. Joseph Renzulli, Prof. Mark Runco, Prof. Wu Jing-Jyi, Prof. Wu Wu-tien, and Prof. Zha Zixiu. (Information supplied by Programmes for the Gifted and Talented, CUHK)