Newsletter No. 116

Professor of Nursing Lectures on Recovery from Stroke I n her professorial inaugural lecture entitled 'Recovery from Stroke: the Evidence for Nursing', Prof. Ann Mackenzie explored the effect of rehabilitation on stroke patients and how it may be improved by the therapeutic interventions of nurses. Evidence drawn from the ongoing research in the Department of Nursing indicates that self-esteem is an important factor in recovery and that psychological variables account for a large part in the variation in functional recovery. The highlights of the lecture included the needs of stroke patients and their family carers, as well as ways to improve nursing interventions in rehabilitation. Prof. Mackenzie, currently chair of the Department of Nursing, was appointed professor of nursing (clinical nursing) on 1st June 1995. Her inaugural lecture was delivered on 31st October at the Prince of Wales Hospital. The Classroom of the Future: Professionals Examine IT Education T he first of the lecture series 'Unexplored Treasure: Information Technology Education', launched by the Faculty of Education and the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, took place on 1 st November. The theme of the first lecture was information technology and language education. It explored the integration of information technology in the teaching of Chinese and English reading and writing, and reviewed the difficulties and obstacles in the implemention of information technology education in secondary schools and universities. The lecture was conducted by Prof. Chen Hsuan Chih of the Department of Psychology, Ms. Jose Lai Chan Sau-hing of the English Language Teaching Unit, Prof. Wong Po-choi of the Department of Information Engineering, and Mr. Yip Chee-tim of Pui Ching Middle School. Relaunch of Fight for Sight Hot l ine T h e University's Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has relaunched its 24-hour hotline in October following a successful three-month pilot scheme ending in August. Results of the scheme showed that the hotline was in high demand and was a much valued source of information on eye care, eye diseases, eye clinics, and the Fight for Sight Foundation's educational materials. The Fight for Sight Foundation was established in August 1996 to help those in the territory with eye disease and other vision impairments. The hotline 187- 8826 is its first step in providing eye care facilities to the public. Faculty of Social Science Compiles the First Dean's List E ighty-six students in the Faculty of Social Science have been selected for inclusion on the Dean's List for 1996-97. All of them are academically outstanding, and have obtained a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.60 or above for the year. They represent 4.67 per cent of the total enrolment in the faculty. The first of its kind in the University, the Dean's List for the Faculty of Social Science was compiled in response to a proposal by the Publicity Committee of the Faculty Board, who believes that the honour of being included on the list may be helpful to students in competing for scholarships and employment, and in application for further studies. The proposal was endorsed by the Faculty Board last June. Only students with year GPA 3.60 or above will be granted the honour, which is higher than the 3.50 cut-off for first class honours. The University has already been requested to consider including the honour in the students' academic transcripts. RESEARCH GRANTS FOR THREE NURSING PROJECTS T h e following three projects by staff of the Department of Nursing recently received financial support from the Action Learning Project Fund: • Promoting Independent Learning and Clinical Competence through Implementing Contract Learning in a Clinical Context (HK$72,600) Researcher: Prof. Sally Chan • Promoting Students' Critical Thinking: The Use of Videotaped Vignettes In a Baccalaureate Nursing Programme (HK$124,000) Researchers: Prof. Anne Chang, Mrs. Iris Lee, Mrs. Janita Chau, Prof. Diana Lee, Prof. Yvonne Wootton, Prof. Betty Wills, Ms. Ip Wan-yim • Telling Stories: A Strategy to Enhance Ethical Decision-making (HK$83,300) Researcher: Prof. Hilary Yung Ha-ping Medical Staff Appointed Sims Black Professor by Royal College P rof. Allan Chang Mang-zing, sub- dean (clinical) of the Faculty of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was appointed Sims Black Professor for 1997 by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Prof. Chang is the first Chinese academic to have received this prestigious appointment. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists was founded in 1929 for the promotion of the science and practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. Each year, the college appoints an outstanding obstetrician or gynaecologist from England or the British Commonwealth as Sims Black Professor. The person thus honoured is invited to give lectures in British Commonwealth countries if he/she is practising in England, and vice versa. This year, for the first time, two academics are given the appointment. The Royal College has been instrumental to the establishment of and standard-setting for the Hong Kong College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Prof. Chang was president of the Hong Kong College from 1992 to 1994.