Newsletter No. 229

New Department Heads Series Flying in the Face of Adversity: Prof. Allan Walker, Department of Educational Administration and Policy T he Department of Educational Administration and Policy, like all academic departments, faces a bumpy ride over the next couple of years. Funding cuts, shrinking student numbers, and shifting societal expectations all present challenges to the way the department plans and works. Prof. Allan Walker, new chairman of the department, finds that such an unsettled environment presents an interesting challenge — how to preserve what the department is good at and values, while at the same time evolving to meet emerging expectations and to improve overall performance. 'My role is to work with colleagues to reaffirm our purpose and existing strengths as a department and then to actively use these to underpin improved individual and collective position and performance. The melding of these agendas wi ll form the basis of department planning. Our initial efforts to do this wi ll be guided through reference to five values,' he said. Defending Five Core Values The first o f these values is to raise already demanding individual and collective standards to an even higher plane. Higher standards w i l l be defined, sought, and rewarded in teaching, service, and research and publication. The department w i l l also wo rk harder at maintaining relevance, and supporting, critiquing and improving the local social and educational environment, predominantly at the school level. Second, higher standards w i l l be vigorously supported by the department through focused goal- setting and self-driven accountability. 'Goal setting w i l l be used to clarify expectations and formalize improvement agendas in areas such as teaching and research output. Personal and other support w i l l be provided to and by department members to help them achieve their goals,' said Prof. Walker. The t h i rd value i s transparency. A t the depa r tment l eve l, t r anspa r ency w i l l gu i de experimentation, decisions, and action, such as resource allocation, and ensure that members have a part in forming the expectations upon which they and their work are judged. 'Although openness may at times force people to face unwelcome issues and cause disagreement, professionals both demand an opportunity for involvement and deserve to know where they stand,' explained Prof. Walker. Given shrinking budgets, the fourth value is entrepreneurship. The department w i l l strongly support f acu l t y -w i de and other initiatives t o develop full-fee paying programmes, including Master's and Doctor of Education programmes. Prof. Walker believes that given the department's strong position in Hong Kong, the mainland, and the Asia-Pacific, there is considerable scope for increasing its presence through taught programmes. A l l five values w i ll operate under the umbrella of collective responsibility. 'Whether we excel as teachers, publish that groundbreaking article or develop an intervention that aids a disadvantaged group o f students, our actions can support and promote departmental standards and influence,' observed Prof. Walker. The bottom line is that improvement requires action and responsibility on all fronts and the department w i ll aim toward this, he said. Infusing New Job w i t h Diverse Experience Prof. Walker began his career as a teacher and school principal and has worked in higher education in the US, Australia, and Singapore. He has taught at The Chinese University for over nine years. He believes that his experience in other settings and in a variety of roles provides him with a broad and balanced picture o f what is required to guide a group of professionals to realize their own potential and, i n the process, meet the needs o f the department and the University. He feels fortunate to be able to continue working with people whose understanding of their profession and department are compatible wi th his. 'As such, I start my j ob wi th a f i rm foundation and a knowledge that the expertise exists within the department to answer the difficult questions we w i ll face over the coming years 一 something which cannot be done by one person acting alone,' he concluded. Piera Chen CUH K Mad e Centr e fo rFightin g Osteoporosi s i nA i a O steoporosis is a silent epidemic that is particularly wo r r y i ng in Asia. The University's Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control (JOCOC) has been chosen by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) to be the focal point of its Asian Osteoporosis Programme for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. This year the JOCOC is collaborating with the IOF, the Asian Pacific Osteoporosis Foundation, the Hong Kong Osteoporosis Foundation, and the Hong Kong Federation of Women to organize a large-scale osteoporosis prevention programme in Asia. The first event was the 2003 World Osteoporosis Day Health Exhibition themed 'Invest in Your Bones', held on 19th October at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin. I t featured bone mineral density test, fracture risk assessment, measurement of Body Mass Index, advice on high calcium diet, and bone health counselling. There was also an interactive 'ask an expert' session in which medical professionals offered expert advice on bone health problems to the audience. Disclosing the Health Benefits of the Soy Bean S oy may be a traditional f o od i n Ch i na w i t h a history of over 5,000 years, but data on its possible relation w i t h health outcomes in the As i an popu l a t i on are s t i ll limited. Scientific and medical studies in recent years have revealed the many beneficial health effects of soy on l i p id profiles, heart health, cognitive f u n c t i o n s, and h o r mo n al dependent conditions such as menopausal symptoms, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and possibly osteoporosis. The School of Public Health and the Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme of the University have initiated a series of studies looking into the health effects of soy and the intake profile of the population. Recent studies have observed that in early post-menopausal Chinese women, habitual high intake of soy foods is associated with higher bone mass beyond the first four post-menopausal years. Another newly completed study found that local adolescent girls receiving calcium-fortified soymilk daily for a year had a significantly higher percentage increase in hip bone mass compared to the control group. Dr. Mark Messina, a US nutritionist specializing in soy and health relationships, was invited by the researchers to discuss new findings on the health benefits of soy and the effects of its biologically active isoflavones on common conditions in Hong Kong at a seminar on 18th October. (From left) Dr. Mark Messina, Prof. Jean Woo, director of the School of Public Health, and Prof. Suzanne Ho, Department of Community and Family Medicine, at a press conference New Asians Run for Health and Charity O ver 460 alumni, staff, and students of New Asia College took part in the Happy Run on 11th October to celebrate the 54th anniversary of their College. A l l participants completed the 7.5 km run from the New Asia Concourse to the Prince of Wales Hospital. The objective of the race was to boost college spirit, to promote physical well-being, to engage all in a fun activity, and to raise funds. The record times for the male and female champions were respectively 26'10" and 32'. Prof. P.C. Leung, former college head of New Asia College, and Prof. Fok Tai-fai, acting dean of the Faculty of Medicine, presented prizes to the winners of various individual and group events, including those who had raised the highest amount of sponsorship. 3 No. 229 4th November 2003