Newsletter No. 124

Nobel Laureate in Physics Delivers Wei Lun Lecture Prof. Steven Chu, 1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics, and Theodore and Frances Geballe Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University, gave a lecture at the auditorium of the Ho Sin- Hang Engineering Building on 25th March. The lecture, entitled 'Laser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms and Particles', was presented in his capacity as Wei Lun Visiting Professor to the University. Prof. Chu gave a brief history of the laser cooling and trapping o f atoms, covering major cooling and trapping techniques that have been developed over the past 15 years. He then discussed some of the applications of cooling and trapping technology in science and engineering, e.g. in the construction of atomic clocks and atom interferometers which measure fundamental constants and inertial sensors. He concluded by giving a preview of applications in polymer science and biology. Born and brought up in the US, Prof. Chu received his AB and BS degrees from the University of Rochester, and his Ph.D. from the University o f California a t Berkeley. His major research interests are atomic physics, polymer dynamics, and biophysics with single molecules. Prof. Chu's accomplishments in laser cooling and atom trapping represent a major breakthrough for both theory and experiment in the field. By bringing atoms to a virtual standstill, these novel techniques have opened up new avenues for the study of the quantum behaviour of dilute atomic vapours a t very l ow temperatures. Prof. Chu's remarkable achievements have earned h im numerous honours, including the Science for Art Prize and the Humboldt Senior Scientist Award, the William R Meggers Award for Spectroscopy, and the K i ng Faisal International Prize for Science. He is also a Guggenheim Fellow, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Optical Society of America, and the American Physical Society. Professor of Informat ion Engineering Tackles Wireless Communicat ion Prof. Wong Wing-shing, professor o f i n f o rma t i on engineering, delivered his professorial inaugural lecture entitled 'Wireless Communication in the 21st Century' on 13th March at the auditorium of the Ho Sin-Hang Engineering Building. In the lecture, Prof. Wong discussed important trends in the development of wireless communication systems, future challenges in areas such as power control, mobility management, multiple access, and license-free protocols, as well as solutions to these technical problems. Prof. Wong obtained a combined M A B A degree from Yale University in 1976, and then an MS and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1978 and 1989 respectively. Prior to joining the Department of Information Engineering in 1992, he worked at AT&T Bell Laboratories where he managed a range of research and consultancy projects. Prof. Wong was appointed professor o f engineering in October 1996, and has been chair of the Department of Information Engineering since 1995. Scholars Worldwide Explore Directions of Translation and Interpreting Prof Susan Bassn e tt speak ing a t the seminar Two seminars on translation studies and interpreting were held by the Department of Translation and Shaw College on 13th and 27th Ma r ch respectively t o celebrate the 35th anniversary of the University, the 25th anniversary of the department, and the 10th anniversary of the college. Eminent scholars, translators, and interpreters, both local and overseas, were invited to discuss the latest developments in translation studies and interpreting. At the first seminar, Prof. Susan Bassnett, pro-vice- chancellor at the University o f Warwick and professor at the Centre for British and Comparative Cultural Studies, spoke on 'Translation Research', Dr. Basil Hatim, reader in translation and linguistics and director of the Graduate Programme in English-Arabic Translation and Interpreting at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, discussed 'Communication and Translation', and Prof. Douglas Robinson, associate professor of English at the University of Mississippi, gave a lecture entitled 'WhereAre We Going? Where Have We Been?'.Officiating at the opening ceremony was Prof. Kenneth Young, pro- vice-chancellor. The highlights of the second seminar included three lectures: 'Curriculum Design and Compilation of Teaching Materials for Interpretation Studies' by Prof. Yang Cheng-shu, director of the Graduate Institute of Translation and Interpretation Studies, College of Foreign Languages, Fu Jen University, Taiwan; 'The Work of the Conference Interpreter in the Global Village' by Ms. Elizabeth Pong Lam Shuk-lin, coordinator of Translation and Interpretation Service, The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto; and 'Techniques of Consecutive Interpretation' by Ms. L i l y King, Chief Chinese Language Officer, Putonghua Interpretation Section, Official Languages Agency. Prof. Ambrose King, pro- vice-chancellor, gave an opening address at the second seminar. Servic e t oth eCommunit y an d Internationa l Organization s • Prof. Kenneth Young, pro-vice-chancellor, has been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the University Grants Committee for a year from 1st April 1998. • Prof. Simon Ho, professor in the School of Accountancy, has been re-appointed as a member of the Public Education Committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption until 31st December 1998. • Mr. Hardy Tsoi, manager of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, has been re-appointed as a member of the Hong Kong School Drama Council for two years from 1st April 1998. • Prof. Wong Po-keung, associate professor in the Department of Biology, has been invited by the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency to be a member of its Governing Council and a member of the agency from 26th January 1998. • Prof. Sydney Chung, professor of surgery, has been nominated as a CUHK representative at the Hospital Authority's Regional Advisory Committees of the New Territories. • Prof. Arthur Li, vice-chancellor, has recently been admitted an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. • Prof. George Braine, associate professor in the English Language Teaching Unit, has been appointed a member of the Sociopolitical Concerns Committee o f the Teachers o f English to Speakers of Other Languages from 1998 to 2001. (Information in this section is provided by the Information and Public Relations Office. Contributions should be sent direct to tha t office for registration and verification before publication.)

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