Newsletter No. 132

35th Anniversary Photo Contest T he award presentation ceremony of the 35th anniversary photography contest took place on 17th September. Officiating at the f un c t i on was Prof. Ambrose King, pro-vice- chancellor. The photo contest was organized by the Office of Student Affairs and the CUHK Photographic Society in March and had as its theme 'Scenic Spots of The Chinese University of Hong Kong'. Close to 500 entries were received from over 60 participants from the University and 17 local secondary schools. The champion, first and second runners-up were awarded cash prizes of HK$4,000, $2,000, and $ 1,000 respectively, wh i le each of the 10 consolation prize winners received a certificate. The winning pieces were on display from 14th to 19th September at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. Details of the contest and the winning pieces will be carried in the autumn‧winter 1998 issue of the Chinese University Bulletin. Champion: Graduation by Wong Chun-wa (CUHK) Symposium Examines Developments in Molecular Biotechnology M olecular biotechnology has been w i de ly applied to agriculture, industry, the environment, and medicine in recent years and its contributions have been enormous. At the Symposium on Biotechnology for the 21st Century, organized by the University's Molecular B i o t echno l ogy Programme on 19th September, academics and industrialists explored the latest developments in the field and exchanged views. The s ympos i um was held to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the University as well as the launch of the undergraduate programme in molecular biotechnology. It was attended by over 120 experts and professionals o f molecular biotechnology. We Are the Champion At the 12th Intervarsity Rowing Championship held on 20th September on the Shing Mun River, the CUHK women's team beat their HKU counterparts for the fourth time in four consecutive years and won the coxed-four 1,500-metre race. The CUHK men's team also trounced their opponents from HKU in the coxed-eight 3,000-metre race and captured the championship trophy. Prominent Historian on Chinese-American Relations in Run-up to 21st Century T he rise of China challenges the international system dominated by the United States. How will the United States deal with the emergence of a potential rival? Is China a threat? These questions were addressed in a public lecture by Prof. Immanuel Hsü, world famous scholar of modem Chinese history and emeritus professor of history at the University of California at Santa Barbara, in his capacity as Wei Lun Visiting Professor to the University on 8th September. In his lecture entitled 'Chinese-American Relations on the Eve of the 21st Century', Prof. Hsü outlined the rapid growth in Chinese economic and military power in the 90s, pointing out that both Washington and Beijing realize there is much to gain from cooperation and much to lose from confrontation. He predicted that just as American relations with the Soviet Union defined the previous half-century, America's relations with China are likely to define the next. Born in Shanghai, Prof. Hsü received his BA from Yenching University, his MA from the University of Minnesota, and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He then joined the History Department of the University of California at Santa Barbara where he subsequently became chair of the department. In 1977 Prof. Hsü was elected as the Faculty Research Lecturer by the 900-member Academic Senate of U.C. Santa Barbara, the highest distinction at the university. He is also the recipient of many honours including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Commonwealth Literary Prize, the Senior Fulbright Fellowship in Germany, and the Distinguished Scholar to China sent by the National Academy of Science in Washington, D.C. He has held visiting professorships at well- known universities throughout the world and has also lectured widely. Prof. Hsü is the author of The Rise of Modern China which presents an intimate view of China's transformation in the past 400 years from a universal Confucian empire to a modem national state. It is one of the most influential books on the topic.