Newsletter No. 232

A d v a n c e s in MinimallyI n v a s i v e S u r g e r y in t he S p o t l i g h t S ome 450 delegates from 1 3 countrie s attended th e 14t h I n t e r na t i ona l Surgical Symposiu m 'Ne w Frontier s i n Minimally Invasiv e Therapy ' fro m 14t h to 16 t h N o v e m b e r 200 3 i n t he University's Postgraduat e Educatio n Centre a t the Princ e o f Wale s Hospital . The even t wa s o r g a n i z e d b y the Department o f Surgery, and co-sponsored by th e Department s o f D i agnos t ic Radiology an d Organ Imaging, Obstetric s and Gynaecology, an d Orthopaedics an d Traumatology. M i n i ma l ly invasiv e surger y ha s been w i d e l y r ega r de d a s a ma j o r b r e a k t h r o u g h i n medicine o f th e 20t h century an d th e three - day s ymp o s i u m wa s carefully designe d to a d d r e s s r e c e n t advances i n thi s field . Over 10 0 academic s and 2 7 leadin g expert s f r om th e w o r l d ove r presented paper s on v a r i o u s t o p i c s , i n c l u d i n g r o b o t i c surgery, foetoscopi c surgery , and virtua l reality trainin g modules. There was als o a l i v e demon s t r a t i o n o f ope r a t i ve procedures an d a debate session . In addition t o th e plenar y sessions , ther e were 1 5 paralle l session s o n differen t specialties, wher e specialist s engaged i n i n - d e p th discussion s o f the lates t developments i n thei r fields . A t a l un ch s ymp o s i u m o n th e changing rol e o f femal e surgeon s i n a traditionally male-dominate d specialt y (photo), th e speaker s wer e al l femal e surgeons wh o share d with th e audienc e their experience in pursuing the specialty . PIS A Internationa l Conferenc D eveloped b y th e Organization fo r Economic Cooperatio n a n d D e v e l o p m e n t ( O E C D ) , t h e P r o g r a m m e f o r International Studen t As s e s sment ( P I S A ) compares an d evaluates the e f f ec t i venes s of education system s b y assessing th e leve l of knowledge an d skills o f 15-year-old students . I n Ho n g Ko n g , ove r 5,000 student s t o o k part i n PIS A an d thei r achievements wer e reviewed i n relatio n to those of about 200,000 student s fro m over 6,00 0 school s aroun d th e world . The H o n g K o n g Ce n t r e f or I n t e r n a t i o n al Studen t Assessmen t (HKPISA Centre ) under the Hong Kon g Institute o f Educational Researc h of the University joined hands with the OEC D and th e Edu c a t i o n an d Ma n p owe r Bureau o f th e HKSA R t o organiz e th e PISA Internationa l Conference , 'Wha t Do th e PIS A Result s Tel l U s abou t th e Education Qualit y an d Equalit y i n th e P a c i f i c R i m ' , o n 21st an d 2 2 n d November. Th e conference , whic h too k place i n th e Esthe r Le e Building , wa s attended by mor e than 300 participants . It serve d as a platform fo r internationa l experts an d investigator s fro m variou s P I SA p a r t i c i p a t i n g c o u n t r i e s t o exchange idea s and address the finding s of their respective regions from a global perspective. Keynote addresse s wer e delivere d by Mr . Andrea s Schleicher , hea d o f th e Indicator an d Analysis Divisio n o f th e OECD's Directorat e fo r Education , an d Prof. Dougla s Willms , directo r o f th e Canadian Researc h Institut e fo r Socia l Policy, Universit y o f New Brunswick . Topics fo r discussio n include d readin g p e r f o r ma n c e, s i g n i f i c a n c e o f the school's disciplinar y environmen t an d achievement o n studen t performance , cultural contex t and reading literacy, the relationship betwee n readin g habits , r e a d i n g a t t i t u d e a n d l i t e r a c y performance, an d strategies tha t may b e employed t o cop e w i t h student s w i t h poor academi c performance . The gues t o f honou r a t the openin g ceremony wa s Mrs . Fann y La w (photo, s t and i ng ) , Permanent Secretar y o f th e Education an d Manpower Bureau . German Scholar Becomes First Tang Chun-I Visiting Professor in Department of Philosophy P rof. Klau s Hel d (seated, middle), professor emeritu s o f philosophy a t the Bergisch e Universit ä t Wuppertal , Ge rmany, v i s i t e d C U H K f r o m 5t h October t o 4t h Novembe r a s th e firs t holder o f the Tan g Chun - I V i s i t i n g Professorship i n the Departmen t of Philosophy. Durin g his month-long stay , Prof. Hel d taugh t a special graduat e seminar cours e o n 'Th e Phenomenolog y of th e Politica l World' , gav e a publi c lecture o n 'Strength s an d Weaknesses o f the Power o f Judgment', an d presented a seminar pape r entitle d 'Etho s an d th e C h r i s t i an E x p e r i e n c e o f God: A Contribution t o th e Phenomenolog y o f Religion'. I n his lecture series, Prof. Hel d drew o n source s f r o m ancien t Gree k p h i l o s o p h y a n d c o n t e m p o r a r y phenomenology t o develo p a distinctiv e and original elucidatio n o f basic huma n rights an d democracy , a s w e l l a s the t h e o r e t i c a l foundations o f intercultura l understanding. A phenomenologis t o f international standing , Prof . Held wa s presiden t o f th e G e r m a n S o c i e t y f o r Phenomenological Researc h for three terms, and serves on the e d i t o r i a l b o a r d o f numerous p h i l o s o p h i c a l journals an d book series . I n 2002, h e wa s awarde d th e ' Bu n d e s v e r d i e n s t k r e u z' (order o f the Federa l Repub l i c of G e r ma n y) i n r e c o g n i t i on o f h is con t r i bu t i on t o higher educatio n in Germany. T h e T a n g C h u n - I V i s i t i n g Professorship honour s th e memor y an d contributions of Prof. Tang Chun-I (1909 - 1978), th e foundin g chairma n an d firs t chair professo r o f th e Departmen t of Philosophy an d a major figur e i n 20t h century Chines e thought . Th e visitin g professorship i s anew programm e established this year through the graciou s suppo rt o f Ga t eway Managemen t Services, Ltd . Th e programm e aim s t o enrich th e department' s curriculum , stimulate interes t i n philosoph y i n th e local commun i t y , an d provid e loca l students an d faculty with the opportunit y for extende d contac t wit h distinguishe d scholars from around the world . When Ducks Talk with Chickens P rof. Hug h D.R . Baker , professo r emeritus of Chinese at the Universit y of London, delivere d a public lectur e o n ' Du c ks Ta l k i n g w i t h Ch i c kens ' in Cantonese i n his capacit y a s Wilson T.S . Wang -New Metho d Colleg e Visitin g Professor i n Languag e Education . Th e lecture too k plac e o n 28th November i n the Esther Lee Building . I n hi s lectur e Prof . Bake r urge d H o ng K o n g peop l e t o t a c k le th e 'relatively simpl e matter ' o f speakin g intelligibly a language o f wh i c h the y have mastere d th e vocabular y an d th e grammar, tha t is , putonghua . H e sai d that i t is 'absur d tha t a t the star t o f the 21s t c e n t u r y, H o n g K o n g should stil l no t b e f u l l y capable o f conve r s i ng with Chin a and the rest o f the Ch i n e s e - s p e a k i n g world' an d that 'it canno t be expecte d tha t duck s a n d c h i c k e n s w i l l c o o p e r a t e a n d l i v e together ha rmon i ous l y w h e n t h e y c a n n o t p r ope r ly commun i ca t e w i th on e another' . Prof . Baker als o outline d th e h i s t o r y o f p a n - Ch i na communication, contrastin g it with th e course o f event s i n Europe . Prof. Hug h wa s lecture r i n Chines e at th e Londo n Un i ve r s i t y Schoo l of Or i en t al an d A f r i c a n Studies , the n reader i n moder n Chinese , an d finall y professor o f Chines e un t i l 2002 . Hi s research interest s i nc l ud e mode r n Chinese (Cantones e an d Mandarin) , social an t h r opo l og y o f China w i t h special referenc e t o large-scal e kinshi p organization, th e history , cultur e an d society o f Hong Kong , Chines e cultur e and society , an d Chines e religion s an d Chinese customar y law . Prof. Chan Hung Kan presenting a souveni r toProf . Hugh Baker 3 No. 232 19th December 2003