Newsletter No. 228

N E W V I C E - C H A N C E L L O R A P P O I N T E D T O S U C C E E D P R O F . A M B R O S E K I N G I N J U L Y 2 0 0 4 The Counci l of The Chinese University o f Hong Kong at its meeting held on 13th October 2003 appointed Prof. Lawrence J. Lau as Vice-Chancellor o f the University fo r a period o f six years fro m 1s t July 2004 . The Counc i l als o extende d th e appointment o f Prof. Ambros e Yeo-chi King as Vice-Chancello r of th e Universit y fo r a further period o f six month s fro m 1st January to 30th June 2004. The Council is very pleased that Prof . Lau , a world famou s and distinguished economist and an educationalist with vision and tremendous experience , is willing to accept the appointment to lead The Chinese University int o its fifth decade of development. Prof. Lau is Kwoh-Ting Li Professor of Economic Developmen t at Stanford University . As the recommended final candidate for vice-chancellorship , Prof. La u met with undergraduat e an d postgraduate student s in four open forums in early October and attended several discussion sessions to improve mutual understanding with representatives of teachers an d staff associations, the alumni , the Senate , and the University's senio r management. On all those occasions, Prof. Lau shared his visions and aspirations with all concerned in a frank and candid manner and expressed his views on major issues affecting the University's developmen t and strategies that can be adopted. New Centr e fo r Combattin g Infectiou sDiseases T h e Centr e for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID) wa s established by the Faculty of Medicine o n 23rd September to prepare Hon g Kong fo r the possible retur n o f SARS and attacks by other emerging infectious diseases . The CEI D als o launche d its first population - based serological survey, the Blood Campaign. The centre , capitalizin g o n local and overseas expe r t i s e i n e p i d em i o l o g y , microbiology, clinica l medicine , an d healt h economies, aim s to work i n partnership wit h health authorities i n Hong Kong to strengthen the commun i t y ' s preparednes s f o r infectious diseases . Activities will includ e providing trainin g i n infectious diseas e control t o health car e professional s and researchers, conductin g researc h int o infectious diseas e epidemiology, the basic sciences an d clinical managemen t o f emerging infectious diseases, coordinating preparation wor k i n the hospital and university environment , and collaborating w i th healt h authoritie s t o deal w i t h emerging infectious diseases . To promot e th e Blood Campaign , exhibitions hav e bee n hel d i n Sha Tin, Sheung Shui, Causeway Bay, Kwai Fong , and Tsuen Wan. The campaign will try to determine th e prevalence o f relevan t antibodies i n the genera l population of Hong Kong, and examine the risk factors predisposing one to SARS infection. Over 10,00 0 households have been selected randomly to join this study . Upon receivin g th e invitation letter , eac h household i s to contact CEI D by mail, fax or phone. Basic informatio n abou t the househol d members i s collected an d one membe r fro m each household is selected for the blood test . Participants wil l b e notified of test result s by mail and the research group will arrange follow- up for those who tes t positive . Other Anti-SARS Activities •Expert Opinion • Prof . Violet a Lope z o f the Nethersole Schoo l o f Nursin g spoke o n 'Nursing Managemen t o f Patients wit h SAR S in ICU: the Hon g Kon g Experience ' at the Australian an d Ne w Zealand 28t h Ann ual Scientifi c Meetin g o n Int ensive Care held in Cairns, Australia, from 10t h to 14th September 2003 . •Publications • Hu i DS, Sun g JJ , 'Severe Acut e Respirator y Syndrome' , Chest, 2003;124:12-15 . • Lope z V, Cha n KS, Won g YCJ , 'Nursin g Car e o f Patient s with Sever e Acut e Respirator y Syndrom e i n the Intensiv e Care Unit : Cas e Report s i n Ho ng Kong' , International Journal of Nursing Studies (i n press). Two Professiorial Inaugural Lectures Delivered P r o f. Fun g Kwo k - p u i , professo r o f biochemistry, an d Prof . Davi d T . Yew, professor o f anatomy , de l i ve r e d thei r p r o f esso r i a l inaugura l lecture s o n 5th September an d 3rd October respectively . In 'Fro m DN A t o Traditional Chines e Medicine', Prof . Fun g discusse d some of his work i n improving anti-tumou r dru g targetin g systems and drug resistance, such as the use of anti-sense oligonucleotid e technolog y t o develop anti-tumou r drugs , the employment of low densit y lipoprotein as an anti-tumour dru g carrier, and devising methods to circumvent the function of p-glycoprotein in multidrug resistant tumour cells. He also highlighted findings from the Live r Cance r Expresse d Sequenc e Tag s sequencing project . I n the secon d part o f his lecture, Prof . Fung introduced the findings of his research team on the properties o f the anti - tumour component s extracte d fro m Chines e herbs, as well as the modernization of traditional Chinese medicin e i n various medica l area s including SAR S prevention . In th e lectur e entitle d 'The Evolution of Brain Science — Views of an Anatomist' , Prof . Yew introduce d th e principa l scientist s and scholars responsibl e for the major milestone s in the understanding of the brai n and the spinal cord. The names included Hippocrates, Galen , Yung San , Leonard o d a Vinci, Pau l Broca , Wong Chi n Yan, Eccles, Levi-Montalcini, an d Wiesel. H e als o described the great variety of modern technique s use d to study th e nervou s system by anatomists. Thes e include d trace r techniques, electron microscopy, immunohisto - chemistry, biochemica l techniques , and physical techniques. They were illustrated wit h examples taken from data generated by himsel f and his research collaborators . Prof. Davi d Ye w Upcoming Anniversary Celebrations • Th e Journalism Award Presentatio n Ceremony wil l be held by the Journalism an d Communication Alumn i Association of CUHK a t the Sheraton Hote l i n Tsimshatsui o n 24th October. The objective o f the award is to promote professional practices in journalism by recognizing the contributions of distinguished journalists i n the territory . • Prof . Tu Weiming, director of the Harvard-Yenchin g Institute of Harvard University , will deliver a distinguished lecture i n the Esthe r Le e Building on 29th October. Prof . Tu is an authority on Confucianism, Chines e history , an d Chinese culture . • Th e Internationa l Conferenc e o n Chinese Cultur e wil l be organized b y the Facult y o f Arts at Cho Yiu Conferenc e Hall from 30t h Octobe r t o 1s t November . Loca l an d overseas scholar s i n the humanitie s wil l presen t thei r research finding s o n the developmen t of different aspect s of Chines e culture . 1 No. 228 19thOctober 2003

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDE2NjYz