Newsletter No. 124

2 No. 124 4th April 1998 CUHK Newsletter FUNDING FOR FIVE MORE RESEARCH PROJECTS The following research proposals prepared by staff of the University have attracted funding from various local sources: A Versatile Facility for Research in the Preparation and Characterization of New Materials Using Advanced Ion Beam and Laser Technologies Sponsor: Research Grants Council (central allocation) Amount awarded: HK$2.965 million Project coordinator: Prof. Leo W.M. Lau Chinese Ancient Text Database Sponsor: Research Grants Council (central allocation) Amount awarded: HK$3.0 million Project coordinator: Dr. F.C. Chen Diagnostic Kits for Early Detection of Genetic Eye Diseases for Blindness Prevention and Genetic Counselling Sponsor: Industrial Support Fund Amount awarded: HK$3,367,000 Researchers: Prof. Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, Prof. Calvin Pang Chi-pui Qualitative Study of HIV/AIDS Risk Behaviour Among Hong Kong's Teenage 'Street Roamers' and Approaches for Harm Reduction Sponsor: Council for AIDS Trust Fund Amount awarded: HK$93,556 Researchers: Prof. Cynthia Chan, Dr. Joyce Tang To Provide Gestational Age-Specific Standards of Physical Measurements for Local Chinese Newborns Sponsor: Health Services Research Fund Amount awarded: HK$629,110 Researchers: Profs. Fok Tai-fai, Joseph T.F. Lau, Ng Pak-cheung, and Allan Chang IT Educat i on Team Repor ts on Latest Deve l opments From left: Profs. Lee Fong-lok, Chung Yue-ping, Teresa Siu A press briefing by the University's Information Technology Education Team on its latest work took place on 17th March in the Ho T im Building. The team was set up last year by the Faculty of Education and the Department of Information Engineering to probe the use of IT and computers in teaching. Team members have since worked with other local educationalists to explore e f f ec t i ve ways of ca r r y i ng out I T education in primary and secondary schools, and have developed new I T education prototypes. They have also visited Singapore to study the implementation of IT education there. At the briefing, Prof. Chung Yue- ping, dean of education, gave a report of the development of the E l ec t r on ic Tutorial System, the Intelligent Classroom, and the Computer-assisted Learning Laboratory at the Faculty of Education. Prof. Teresa Siu of the Department of Cu r r i cu l um and Instruction shared with the audience her findings on IT' education in Singapore, while Prof. Lee Fong-lok of the Department of Educational Psychology gave a demonstration of new I T education prototypes. Gifte d E ucatio n Trainin g Seminar s Prof. Zha Zi Xiu and participants at the workshop A lecture and a two-day workshop on gifted education were organized by the Faculty of Education and the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research to enable those interested to gain a deeper understanding of this interesting but often controversial topic. Prof. Zha Z i Xiu, professor at the Psychology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Science, was invited to speak on both occasions. The public lecture entitled 'How to Assist Gifted Children to Develop a Healthy L i f e' was delivered on 5th Ma r c h, wh i le the wo r k s hop was conducted on 6th and 7th March. At the workshop, Prof. Zha dealt w i th four major issues: 'Gifted Education in China and Its Relevance to Hong Kong', 'How to Understand Gifted Children', 'How to Nurture Gifted Children', and 'How to Help Gifted Children Overcome Psychological Problems'. There were about 40 participants in each event. They were mainly parents of gifted children, teachers f r om local kindergartens and primary and secondary schools, and representatives from educational organizations and the Hong Kong Education Department. Staff A r tonDisplay Moon-Boat-Man, lan Wilson Calabashes after Wu Chanshuo, Tsui Chi-Yu The fourth Chinese University Staff Art Exhibition was officially opened at the foyer of the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall on 23rd March 1998. The exhibition features the works of about 20 members of staff and runs from 23rd March to 2nd April 1998.