Newsletter No. 204

Seven Honoured with Vice-Chancellor's Exemplary Teaching Award 2001 Seven teachers, one f r om each o f the seven faculties o f the U n i v e r s i t y , w e r e p r esen t ed the V i c e- C h a n c e l l o r ' s Ex emp l a ry Teaching Awa rd 2001 by Prof. A r t hur K .C. L i , vice- c h a n c e l l o r o f t he U n i v e r s i t y , at a ceremony held on 28th May 2002 in the Esther Lee B u i l d i n g . T he winners of the award were Prof. Chan Hu n g - k an ( Fa c u l ty o f A r t s ), P r o f. A n d r ew Chan C h i - f ai ( Fa c u l ty o f Business Administration), Prof. A l l an Walker (Faculty o f Education), Prof. Z h a n g S h u z h o n g ( F a c u l t y o f Engineering), Prof. Gregory Cheng ( F a c u l ty o f Me d i c i n e ), P r o f. Fan Jianqing (Faculty of Science), and Prof. Gordon Mathews (Faculty o f Social Science). They each spoke f or one m i n u t e a b o ut t h e i r f e e l i n gs on receiving the award, wh i le the vice- chancellor commended them for their p e r f o r ma n ce as t eache r s. Ea ch awardee received a 24-carat-gold trophy and a certificate. The objective of the award, now i n its t h i rd year, is to give open recognition to outstanding teachers o f the University and to encourage commitment to teaching. The hundred or so guests attending the ceremony i n c l uded Un i v e r s i ty Council members, University Officers, memb e rs o f t he Sena t e, s e n i or administrative staff, and guests of the recipients. The Newsletter i n t e r v i e w e d t he awardees prior to the ceremony, and their i n t e r v i e w s a re carried on page 4 of this issue. From left: Prof. Chan Hung-kan, Prof. Andrew Chan Chi-fai, Prof. Allan Walker, Prof. Arthur K.C. Li, Prof. Zhang Shuzhong, Prof. Gregory Cheng, Prof. Fan Jianqing, and Prof. Gordon Mathews FUNDING SUPPORT FOR THREE RESEARCH-RELATED EVENTS T he following research projects and visiting scholars scheme organized by the University have attracted funding support from different quarters: • Relationship Between Postural Balance, Somatosensory Evoked Potentials and the Progression of Scoliotic Deformity in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Longitudinal Study (US$70,800) Sponsor. Scoliosis Research Society Principal investigator. Prof. Jack Cheng Chun-yiu (Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology) • Classroom Studies of Group Processes: How Do the Problem-solving Processes of Successful and Unsuccessful Groups Differ? (US$35,000) Sponsor. The Spencer Foundation Principal investigator: Prof. Chiu M i n g - m i ng (Department o f Educational Psychology) • Visiting Scholars (Mainland China) Scheme (US$74,250) Sponsor. The Ford Foundation Principal coordinator: Prof. Kuan Hsin-chi (Universities Service Centre for China Studies) Website Committed to Combating Childhood Obesity C h i l d h o od obesity can lead to adult obes i t y, ca r d i ovas cu l ar diseases, cancer, and diabetes. However treatment for the condition is ineffective, slow, difficult, and labour intensive for the young sufferers and their families. Prevention is the most effective method of tackling this epidemic. The Food and Nutritional Sciences P r o g r a m me o f t h e F a c u l t y o f S c i e n ce i n a u g u r a t e d H o n g Kong's first educational we b s i te d e d i c a t ed to bettering the nutritional w e l l - b e i n g o f t h e younger generation and c omb a t i ng c h i l d h o od obesity at C.C.C. Rotary Secondary School on 20th May 2002, which is C h i n a ' s S t u d e n t N u t r i t i o n Da y. P r o f. Georgia S. Guldan of the University's Department of Biochemistry was present to explain the content of the website. The i n t e r a c t i ve b i l i n g u al site named 'Fun-in-Seven' ( h t t p : / / www. cuhk.edu.hk/fns/fun-in-seven ) is aimed at children, their families, and teachers. It was developed f r om a yea r - l ong research project funded by the Quality Education Fund, involving 12 primary and secondary schools in a nu t r i t i on and p h y s i c al a c t i v i t y p r o m o t i on c ampa i gn led by a team o f mu l t i - d i s c i p l i n a ry experts i n n u t r i t i o n, p h y s i c al education, p u b l ic health, p a e d i a t r i c s , m i d w i f e r y , h o me economics, and education. Students, t h e ir pa r en t s, teachers, dome s t ic helpers, and other interested parties can access t he s i te and l e a r n f r om educational materials grouped under seven themes. These seven areas have been demonstrated by research to have b e en e s s s e n t i al f o r i n c r e a s i ng children's awareness of the problems o f being overweight, changing their attitudes and behaviours, and leading them to the path of a healthier lifestyle. Hong Kongers P l agued by Panic Di sorder A pproximately 120,000 people aged between 15 and 60 may suffer from panic disorder in the territory. About 4.4 per cent of 3,000 people interviewed in a telephone survey conducted by the Mood Disorders Centre in Ap r il 2002 were found to fit the diagnostic criteria of panic disorder. Sufferers are troubled by sudden attacks o f ph y s i c al and emo t i onal symptoms. They avoid potential stressful situations l i ke d r i v i ng, f l y i n g, and travelling alone by bus or MTR. About four per cent o f the sufferers have suicidal thoughts. Most people with the disorder have not received effective treatment. Eighty per cent are still worried about their health despite getting normal results from physical check-ups. The results o f the survey were released in a press conference on 20th May at the Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui.

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