Newsletter No. 128

2 No. 128 4th June 1998 CUHK Newsletter Compulsive Gambling Under Probe From right: Prof. Leslie Lo, Mr. Patrick Au, Mr. Tibor Barsony, Mrs. Barsony, and event participants A public forum entitled 'Confrontingthe Problem of Gambling Addiction in Our Families, Schools and Community' took place at the University on 15 th May. Organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research (HKIER), the Faculty of Education, and the Department of Social Work, the forum is the first ever in Hong Kong to address this widespread but relatively neglected social problem. Speaking at the forum were two certified compulsive gambling counsellors from Canada: Tibor Barsony, founder of the Canadian Foundation on Compulsive Gambling, and Patrick Au, executive director of Chinese Family Life Services of Metro Toronto. Both have treated compulsive gamblers from Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan —gamblers who have not received help in their home communities. Compulsive and pathological gambling was classified as a treatable disorder of impulse control by the American Psychiatric Association in 1979. In North America, there are in-patient hospital programmes and counselling services treating the disorder as an addiction with characteristics similar to alcohol and drug addiction. Hong Kong is comparatively behind in offering such services. Chaired by Prof. Leslie Lo, director of HKIER, the forum was the first of a series of public education events organized by the institute to draw attention to important social issues. TDU Workshops on Problem-based Learning D r. Philip Hallinger, director of the Vanderbilt International Institute for Principals and professor in the Department of Leadership, Organizations and Policy at Vanderbilt University, was invited by the University's Teaching Development Unit to conduct five workshops from 4th to 7th May on the theme of problem- based learning. With a total of 89 academic staff from different departments he discussed such topics as using problem-based learning in the classroom, developing problem-based learning materials, and using learning technology with problem-based learning. Dr. Hallinger is widely published and has been active in adapting problem- based learning to leadership development and educational administration. He was a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar and a fellow of the National Center for Effective Schools Research and Development, USA. Entrepreneurial Excellence for Asia 's Future The Asian Moot Corp ® The Asian Moot Corp ® Eleven leading business schools in Asia sent their best MBA teams to CUHK to compete in the first ASIAN MOOT CORP® Business Plan Competition from 7th to 9th April 1998. The MBA town Centre was the venue for the division competition, and the grand finals were held in the newly renovated Cho Yiu Conference Hall. The AS I AN MOOT CORP® Program was established by the MBA Programmes of The Chinese University of Hong Kong only this year, and will organize annual competitions in which MBA students work in teams to conceive an idea for a new business, develop the idea into a written business plan, and Participants Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The Chinese University of Hong Kong Mainland China Fudan University Tsinghua University The Philippines Asian Institute of Management De La Salle University Singapore National University of Singapore Taiwan National Chengchi University Thailand Chulalongkorn University Thammasat University present the plan to a panel of judges consisting of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other entrepreneurial support professionals including accountants, bankers, lawyers, and management consultants. The business plans are treated as if they were blueprints for real companies, and the judges choose the best new venture. The winning plan is one considered to have a great probability of success i f implemented. ASIAN MOOT CORP® aims to stimulate more Asian graduate business schools to develop entrepreneurial education in their MBA curricula. The Asia programme is affiliated with the MOOT CORP® Program of the University of Texas at Austin, and winners in the Asian competition will be invited to take part in the international Moot Corp competition. Business Schools and Companies Working Together The support of business organizations and CUMBA alumni contributed to ASIAN MOOT CORP ® 's success. Motorola New Enterprises (USA), Ernst & Young, Transpac Capital, and Chen Hsong Holdings provided financial sponsorship. They also sent their senior executives to serve as judges in both the division and grand final competitions. CUMBA alumni Simon Wong, Stephen Lo, Gabriel Yu, and members of the Hong Kong Venture Capital Association also served as judges and speakers. The students enjoyed meeting them and hearing their real-life experiences. They also met Owen Jonathan, CEO of the South China Morning Post, and Jonathan Fenby, its editor, in the SCMP plant visit. Annie Wu, managing director of Hong Kong Beijing Air Catering Ltd. hosted a luncheon at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for the participants. Winners 1998 Motorola New Enterprises was the lead sponsor this year and also provided the grand prize of US$5,000 for the Best Venture Award, which was shared by teams from The Chinese University and National University of Singapore. The former devised a business plan on manufacturing an inactivated vaccine for hepatitis A in China, and the latter on environmentally-sound building materials for the property development industry in Southeast Asia. Tsinghua University received the Chen Hsong Award for Best Innovation in Manufacturing and a cash prize of US$1,000. The Chinese University team also received the US$1,000 Transpac Capital Award for Best Potential in Asia. Valuable Learning Experience To the participants, competing with some of the best MBA teams was important, but equally important was the judges' feedback on how to improve their business plans. During the keynote speech presentations, James E. Thompson, chairman of Crown Worldwide, recounted his 'journey' to acquire entrepreneurial skills; Tan Loke Khoon, partner in Baker & Mckenzie, shared his expertise in intellectual property protection in Asia; and Edwina Lee, director of Banque Paribas, told the audience of the risks and challenges of venture capital. The event also provided a cross-cultural experience which was clearly enjoyed and highly valued by all the participants. The activities forged new friendships and facilitated interaction of participants from different regions. The University's MBA students had the opportunity to meet and interact with students from different parts of Asia and learn about their countries, lives, and culture. They also hosted an MBA Student Association Luncheon, in which each participant received a directory to help keep in touch with one another. Asia needs business leaders and managers with the entrepreneurial skills and attitudes to seize opportunities that come with a highly dynamic and changing environment. ASIAN MOOT CORP ® will help nurture an elite group of Asian entrepreneurs that have enthusiasm and courage, professional competencies, and good connection in the region. B.L. Chua Winners of the Asian Moot Corp ® Program: CUHK team (right) and National University of Singapore team (left)

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