Newsletter No. 206

CUHK Installs the Fastest Supercomputer in Hong Kong To mee t th e escalatin g deman d fo r hig h performance c omp u t i n g ( HPC ) i n th e University, th e HP C Suppor t Tea m o f th e Information Technolog y Service s Centr e has r e c e n t ly i n s t a l l e d a n I B M pSe r i e s supercomputer fo r supportin g computation - i n t en s i ve projects . Th e I B M pSerie s supercomputer i s a distributed-memor y parallel syste m consistin g o f 1 6 comput e nodes c on t a i n i n g a tota l o f 1 6 4 - wa y POWER3-II 37 5 MHz processor s and a high- performance S P switc h (2. 4 Gbps) . I t ca n deliver a n aggregate computing power o f 10 0 GFLOPS (gig a floating-poin t operation s per second). Equipped with a general paralle l file syste m (GPFS ) — wh i c h i s a hig h performance an d shared-dis k fil e syste m 一 it ca n provid e ver y fas t dat a acces s t o al l compute node s i n the supercomputer . This supercompute r i s th e fastes t computer i n Hon g Kon g an d a n excellen t scalable computin g system . Severa l popula r scientific researc h application s includin g Ga u s s i a n, V A S P ( V i e n n a A b - i n i t i o Simulation Package) , Fluen t an d AMB E R (Assisted Mo d e l Bu i l d i n g w i t h Energ y Refinement) hav e bee n installe d an d th e supercomputer ha s demonstrate d a n outstanding scalability performanc e with the use of parallel programs . Apart fro m the installation of the abov e applications, a parallel operating environmen t has bee n se t u p t o suppor t th e us e o f high - performance compilers , scientific engineerin g library an d job managemen t system . The HPC Support Team (hpc-help@cuhk. edu.hk ) is ready to provide staf f members wit h consultation o n th e us e o f th e system , th e installation o f programs i n the system, and the customization of such programs. HK-US-Ma i n l and Leadership Training Programme The Fift h Programm e o f th e Tuft s I n s t i t u t e f o r L e a d e r s h i p an d I n t e r n a t i o n al Pe r s p e c t i v e wa s officially launche d on 10t h July i n th e Esther Le e Building . Th e Programm e was hoste d b y Tuft s Universit y wit h The Chines e Un i v e r s i t y , Pekin g University, an d Th e Universit y o f Hong Kon g a s co-hosts. The objectiv e o f thi s one-yea r t r a i n i ng p r o g r amm e i s t o t r a i n participating student s to become futur e leaders wit h internationa l perspectiv e and sophisticate d cultura l skills . Thirteen student s fro m Tuft s woul d pair up with fou r CUHK students , six Pekin g University students , and three H KU student s to engag e i n a six-wee k internshi p an d research at 1 1 private and public organization s in Ho n g Ko n g , i n c l u d i n g th e H K S A R Education and Manpower Bureau , the Tourist Commission, PCC W Ltd. , Gre y Worldwide , Orient Oversea s Containe r Lin e Ltd. , an d Hong Kong Exchange s an d Clearing Ltd . The internshi p woul d b e followe d b y a short cultura l stud y tri p t o th e mainland . I n February 2003 , th e student s w i l l mee t agai n at Tufts University i n Boston to participate i n an internationa l symposiu m o n 'Chin a i n Transition: Development , Urbanization , Migration, an d Political Change' . Th e grou p will als o visit New Yor k an d make fiel d trip s to Columbi a University , th e United Nations , the New Yor k Stoc k Exchange , an d the U S Military Academy . Officiating a t the openin g ceremon y o f the programm e wer e Prof . Richar d Ho , Registrar o f Th e Chines e University , Prof . Ne l s on W.S . Chow , actin g p r o - v i c e - chancellor o f H K U , Ms . Heathe r Barry , associate directo r o f Globa l Institut e fo r Leadership a t Tufts, and Dr. Vera Yip, directo r of TILIP Hon g Kong . A student represen tative of Peking University presenting a souvenir to Prof. Richard Ho (right) Nobel Laureates in Physics Give Public Lec tures in Hong Kong Three public lecture s by Nobel laureate s in physics were jointly organize d by Th e Chinese University , th e Hon g Kon g University o f Scienc e an d Technology , and the Hong Kong Scienc e Museum o n 15th Jun e a t th e Hon g Kon g Scienc e Museum. The firs t lecture , entitle d 'Ho w th e Laser Happened : Th e I n t e r a c t i o n Between Scienc e an d Technology', wa s delivered by Prof. Charles Hard Townes , 1964 winne r o f th e Nobe l priz e wh o i s known as Father of the Laser. The secon d lecture, 'Atom s an d Photons', was delivere d by th e 199 7 Nobe l laureat e Prof . Claud e Cohen-Tannoudji, wh o invente d lase r cooling. Th e thir d lecture , 'Th e Univers e o f the Elementary Particles' , was given by Prof . Gerardus't Hooft , 199 9 Nobel laureat e wh o discovered a new mathematical machinery i n gauge fiel d theory . Prof. Cohen-Tannoudj i als o attende d a physics semina r a t the Science Centre of The Chinese Universit y o n 13t h June to talk wit h f a c u l ty member s an d student s o f th e Department o f Physics, an d physics teacher s from loca l secondar y schools . CUHK Students Win Accounting Case Competition Students from the School of Accountancy beat students from three other leading business school s in Greater Chin a in the Fourth Dragon League Accounting Cas e Competition hel d on 17t h and 18th May i n Taipei . The competition is an annual event to promote accountancy education . The Dragon Leagu e is a n academi c allianc e forme d b y CUHK ' s Schoo l o f Accountanc y an d th e accountin g departments o f Fuda n University , Taiwa n University , an d Pekin g Universit y t o promot e accounting educatio n and research in mainland China, Hong Kong , an d Taiwan . New Joint MPAcc Programme Launched in Shanghai The University' s Facult y o f Busines s Administration an d the Shangha i National Accountin g Institute hav e launched a brand new Maste r o f Professional Accountancy Programm e t o mee t the pressin g nee d fo r accountin g expertis e followin g China' s recen t accessio n t o th e Worl d Trade Organization . The programme , whic h commence d o n 17t h Ma y 200 2 a t th e Shangha i Nationa l Accounting Institute , i s designed to provide hig h value-added on-the-jo b trainin g t o financia l and accounting professionals. The Shanghai National Accounting Institute was set up in 2001 at the directiv e o f Premie r Zh u Rongj i t o execut e Part y Chairma n Jian g Zemin' s decisio n t o produce 300,00 0 professional accountants . I t i s directly responsibl e to the Ministry o f Finance . Mr. Xian g Huaicheng , Ministe r o f Finance, wa s guest-of-honou r a t the openin g ceremon y o f the programme o n 2nd June. The M.P.Acc . Programm e i s a two-yea r part-tim e programme . Graduate s o f thi s programme wil l be awarded Chief Financial Officer Qualifyin g Certificate s fro m the Shangha i National Accountin g Institut e an d Maste r o f Professiona l Accountanc y Degree s fro m Th e Chinese Universit y o f Hong Kong . Tripartite Collaboration t o Develop Financial Software The University i s joining force s with Hong Kong-based Cluster Technology Lt d (ClusterTech ) and th e HSB C t o appl y artificia l intelligenc e an d optimizatio n method s t o forecas t marke t movements an d capital flows i n HSBC's Internet-base d foreign exchange business . ClusterTech wil l develo p a multi-faceted system for HSBC tha t will, amon g other things , provide value-adde d analysis an d forecasting o f capital flows withi n the HSBC franchise . Th e system w i l l als o b e used fo r th e modellin g o f th e foreig n exchang e market , an d t o provid e exchange rat e forecasts . The new softwar e will b e based in part o n software componen t librarie s co-develope d b y ClusterTech and CUHK unde r a project sponsored by the Hong Kong Government's Innovatio n and Technology Fund. These software libraries are specifically targete d at financial application s and ar e writte n fo r paralle l executio n o n cluster s o f workstation s t o ensur e tha t th e mos t comprehensive analysi s ca n be produced in the shortes t possible time . The projec t i s described a s a 'great exampl e o f partnership betwee n university technica l know-how, industr y innovation , an d government sponsorship ' b y Prof . Kennet h Young, pro - vice-chancellor o f the University .

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