Newsletter No. 234

The 40th Anniversary Concert H armony an d j oy resounde d a t th e Hong Kon g Cultura l Centr e on the evening o f 11t h January 200 4 whe n th e 40th Anniversary Concer t was staged by the Departmen t o f Music . Title d 'Th e Sound o f Harmony , th e Voice s o f Joy' , the concer t feature d th e Chun g Ch i Choir, th e CUH K Studen t Chorus , th e Hong Kon g Oratori o Society , th e Hon g Kong Sinfonietta , an d a numbe r o f outstanding soloists . The concer t opene d wit h th e worl d premiere o f th e Menuha Overture b y Prof. Danie l Law , CUH K alumnu s an d current dea n of the Faculty o f Arts. Thi s was followe d b y artist-in-residenc e Dr . M a r y W u a t t h e p i a n o w i t h Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. B e e t h o v e n ' s Ninth Symphony 'Od e t o Joy ' brough t th e evening t o a climax. I t wa s performe d by ove r 20 0 singers from the Chung Ch i Choir, th e CUH K Studen t Chorus , an d the Hong Kon g Oratori o Society . The conductor s o f the evening wer e Prof. Cha n Wing-wah, CUH K alumnu s and chairma n o f th e Departmen t o f Music, an d Ms. Carme n Koon , anothe r C U H K a l umnus . Th e H o n g K o n g Sinfonietta ha s enjoyed a long and close r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h T h e C h i n e s e University. Man y o f it s player s an d administrative staf f ar e a l umn i an d teachers o f th e Department o f Music . Anniversary Celebration Exhibition: Objects for the Scholar's Desk Date: 17t h January to 2nd Ma y 200 4 Venue: West-win g galleries , Art Museu m For the me n of letters i n traditional China , objects for the scholar' s des k were a reflection o f artistic ideals , taste, an d academic leanings . This exhibition features a great variety o f studio objects , rangin g from brushes , ink, in k stone, brus h holders , pape r weights an d table screens , to zither, roc k an d bronze, from bot h private and Art Museum collections . Please visit http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/40thanniversary fo r the latest information. Experts Examine Different Facets of Contemporary China Notable scholars i n th e stud y o f contemporary Chin a f r o m th e w o r l d ove r c on v ene d a t th e 4 0 t h anniversary conferenc e 'Th e Stat e o f Contemporary China ' organize d b y th e Universities Servic e Centr e fo r Chin a Studies fro m 6t h to 7t h January 200 4 i n the Esther Lee Building. The conference , co-sponsored b y th e Sout h Ch i n a Programme o f th e Hong Kon g Institut e of Asia-Pacific Studie s of the University , and th e Chian g Ching-ku o Foundatio n for Internationa l Scholarl y Exchange , evaluated th e stat e o f researc h an d knowledge abou t contemporar y China , mainly o f the last two decades . Thirteen theme s wer e addresse d i n panel discussio n sessions : th e Cultura l Revolution, th e rul e o f law , Chin a i n transition, politica l development, famil y and society , th e economy , labour , th e rural economy , regiona l development , cross-straits relations , educatio n an d science, rura l politic s an d society , an d China an d the world . Welcoming remark s wer e delivere d by Prof . Ambros e King . Th e keynot e speech wa s give n b y Prof . Ezr a Vogel , famed sociologis t an d Henr y For d I I Research Professor in the Social Sciences of Harvar d University . Then o n 8t h January , ther e wa s a screening o f Morning Sun, th e lates t work o f documentarist Carma Hinton o n the Cultura l Revolutio n i n Chin a a t Si r Run Ru n Shaw Hall . The Universitie s Service s Centr e was es t ab l i she d i n 196 3 t o assis t Western scholar s t o pursu e researc h into contemporar y China . I t becam e part o f The Chinese University o f Hon g Kong i n 1988 . Sinc e then , th e centre' s service ha s expande d t o includ e loca l scholars an d thos e f r o m bot h side s o f the Taiwan Strait . Today th e centr e i s a vibrant, f o r wa r d - l oo k i n g i ns t i t u t i o n renowned fo r it s extensiv e collectio n of researc h materials , professiona l competence, an d academic atmosphere . T h e c e n t r e wa s r e n a m e d T h e Universities Service s Centr e fo r Chin a Studies i n 2001 . CUHK Biologist Honoured byChinese Academy ofEngineering P rof. Samue l Sun , chairma n o f th e Department o f Biology an d professor of biology , ha s bee n electe d a membe r of the Chinese Academy o f Engineering . Prof. Su n is the firs t scientis t i n th e world to clone a plant gene, which he di d with phaseolin in 1980 . In 1989 , he made history whe n he succeeded, using genetic transfer, in raising the level of amino aci d in see d protein. I n 198 8 he and his tea m cloned a pest-resistant gen e Arcelin . P r o f. Su n heade d a n A r e a o f Excellence projec t wit h a research team spanning 2 0 laboratorie s an d fundin g support worth a total of HK$38.8 millio n over a five-year period . 'I'mparticularl y please d because I didn't ente r the election mysel f bu t wa s nominated b y m y mainlan d colleagues . And receivin g thi s honou r i n thi s stag e of m y caree r whe n I ' m abou t t o retir e makes i t especiall y meaningful, ' Prof . Sun says . 'If I ha d been working oversea s al l this time , I migh t no t hav e bee n give n the honour. I t wa s because I returne d t o Hong Kon g t o serv e my alm a mater tha t I ' v e bee n abl e t o ma i n t a i n a clos e working relationshi p wit h academi a o n t he m a i n l a n d , w h i c h ma d e t h e recognition I no w receiv e possible. ' 'For th e University, it's a good thin g to have a member thu s honoured. ' Founded i n 1994 , th e Chines e Academy o f Engineerin g i s China' s t o pmo st a c a d em i c an d a d v i s o r y i n s t i t u t i o n i n e n g i n e e r i n g a n d technological sciences . It s missio n a s a n a t i o n al a c adem y i s t o p r omo t e ad v an c ement i n e n g i n e e r i n g an d technological sciences , foster the growt h of outstandin g talen t i n collaboratio n with th e engineerin g an d technologica l community, an d enhancing internationa l cooperation t o facilitat e sustainabl e socio-economic developmen t i n China . The resul t o f it s membe r electio n 2003 wa s announce d o n 5t h Januar y 2004. CUHK Mathematician 48th Most Frequently Cited P rof. We i Juncheng , professo r i n th e Department o f Mathematics , i s on e of t w o mathematician s f r o m As i a n universities wh o hav e bee n ranke d among th e to p 5 0 o f th e world' s mos t frequently cite d mathematicians durin g 1993-2003. The rankin g wa s reflecte d b y th e Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E ) which i s compile d b y th e Institut e fo r Sc i ence I n f o r m a t i o n an d cove r s 5,900 o f th e world' s leadin g scholarl y science an d technical journals coverin g more that 15 0 disciplines. SC I - E i s no t o n l y a reference tool for research but als o a n indicato r o f research achievement . Prof. Wei was ranked 48th among mathematician s worldwide. P r o f. We i j o i n e d CUHK i n 199 5 an d his primary researc h interest i s nonlinea r partia l differentia l equations, i n particular equation s arisin g from the physical and biological sciences . 1 No. 234 19th January 2004