Newsletter No. 207

Appointment of New Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor A t its meeting held on 10th September 2002, the University Council appointed Prof. Ambrose Yeo-chi K i ng as Vice- Chancellor of the University with effect from 11th September 2002 to succeed Prof. Arthur K.C. Li, who resigned on 1st August to assume office as the Secretary for Education and Ma n p ower o f the H K S AR Gove r nmen t. Prof. K i n g 's appointment w i l l be for an interim period up to the date his successor assumes office as Vice-Chancellor or Prof. King's retirement on 31st December 2003, whichever date is the earlier. The Council has appointed Prof. Jack Chun-yiu Cheng, Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and concurrently University Dean of Students, as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University for a period of two years from 1st October 2002. Together with Prof. Kenneth Young and Prof. Liu Pak Wai, there w i ll be three Pro-Vice-Chancellors at the University. Prof. Ambrose King, Vice-Chancellor Prof. King is a renowned sociologist. After obtaining his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, in 1970, he joined the University's Department of Sociology and later became the chairman of the department. Since 1983, he has been professor of sociology at the University. Prof. K i ng is held in high esteem in academia and the community-at- large. Over a period of more than 30 years, apart from devoting himself to teaching and research, Prof. K i ng has made important contributions to the University's administration and academic developments. He was Head of New Asia College from 1977 to 1985, was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 1989, and is currently a member of the University Council and the Senate. He also chairs or serves on many other University and college committees. Prof. King has been active in community service. He has served on the Community Research Sub-Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Law Reform Commission of the Hong Kong Government, the Research Grants Council, and was a member of the Government's Central Policy Unit. In 1994, he was elected Academician of Academia Sinica, and in the same year, was appointed a Non-Official Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong. In 1998, Prof. K i ng was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prof. Jack Cheng, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Jack Cheng is professor of orthopaedics and traumatology at the University. He joined the University in 1983 and is chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and associate dean of the Faculty o f Medicine ( Educa t i on ). Prof. Cheng has served as Un i v e r s i ty Dean o f Students since 2000, and has participated actively in several major policy committees o f the University. He is a fellow/member of over 20 professional and medical organizations and has been actively involved on the editorial boards o f many academic journals. He has won numerous awards for his outstanding work in research. Mainland Teachers Visit New Asia for Moral Education Training Close to 40 primary and secondary school teachers and principals from mainland China v i s i t ed New As ia College in August for an eight-day seminar on moral education coorganized by New Asia College and the Beijing Oriental Morality Institute. Officiating at the opening ceremony of the seminar on 3rd August at the Mong Man Wai Building were Prof. Henry N. C. Wong, head of New Asia College, and Prof. C h ' i en X u n and P r o f. Wang D i anq i ng f r om the Be i j i ng Oriental Morality Institute. During their stay in Hong Kong, the participants also visited the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Central Library, as well as secondary and p r i ma ry schools. A n d to f a c i l i t a te exchange of ideas between Hong Kong and the mainland, principals from local primary and secondary schools were invited to take part in a discussion session with the participants. Support for Eight Research Projects The following eight research projects undertaken by staff members of the University have succeeded in attracting funding support from different quarters: The Scalable I n t r a c a m p u s Research Grid for Computer Science Research (US$24,000) Sponsor: University of Tennessee (subgrant from the US National Science Foundation) Principal investigator: Prof. Philip Leong (Department of Computer Science and Engineering) A Multi-centre, Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Zoledronic Acid in the Treatment of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women Taking Calcium and Vitamin D (HK$3,800,000) Sponsor: Novartis Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd. Principal investigators: Prof. Edith Lau, Prof. P.C. Leung, Prof. Jean Woo (Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control) The Prevalence of and Risk Factor for Vertebral Deformity in Asian Men and Women (HK$223,880) Sponsor: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Inc., Japan Principal investigators: Prof. Edith Lau, Dr. Samuel Wong (Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control) Speech-based Information Systems and Technologies (US$50,000) Sponsor: Microsoft Research, Microsoft Corporation Principal investigator: Prof. Helen Meng (Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management) A Knowledge Management System Based on Chinese Text Clustering and Classification Algorithm (HK$ 1,346,000) Sponsors: Innovation and Technology Fund, and Wisers Information Ltd. Principal investigator: Prof. Lam Wai (Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management) Motivation and Models of Learning Among Primary School Pupils in the Subjects of Chinese Language, English Language, and Mathematics (HK$ 1,300,000) Sponsor: Education Department, HKSAR Principal investigator: Prof. Wong H i n - wah (Department o f Cu r r i c u l um and Instruction) Co-investigators: Ms. Chui Ching-ying, Mr. Lau Ying-chuen, Prof. John Lee, Prof. Evelyn Man, Mr. Ng Mau-yuen, Mr. Sze Man-man, Mr. Tang Konming, Dr. Tong Choi-wai, Prof. Wong Ngai-ying, Mr. Yeung Chi- kwan Global Entrepreneur ship Monitor: Hong Kong Entrepreneurship Study 2002-4 (HK$ 1,400,000) Sponsors: SME Development Fund of the Trade and Industry Department, and Chinese Executives Club of the Hong Kong Management Association Principal investigator: Prof. Chua Bee-leng (Department of Management) Co-investigators: Prof. Law Cheung-kwok, Prof. David Ahlstrom, Prof. Kevin Au, Prof. L ow Chee-keong, Prof. Shige Makino, and Prof. Hugh Thomas Polymer-based MEMS Devices for Cellular Manipulation and Sensing (RMB500,000) Sponsor: Chinese National 863 Plan Principal investigator: Prof. Wen J. L i (Department of Automation and Computer- Aided Engineering)