Newsletter No. 239

Honours and Awards for Members of the Universi ty • P r o f . Yau Sh i ng Tung, d i s t i ngu i shed professor-at-large and d i r ec t or o f the Institute of Mathematical Sciences of the Un i v e r s i t y, is a r ec i p i ent o f the State Council's 2003 International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Award. The prestigious award was presented to him at a ceremony held on 24th March in Beijing. Prof. Yau, Fields Medallist and one of the first few foreign academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a speech on 'Mathematics and Its Role in Science and Technology' at the ceremony. The I n t e r n a t i o n al S c i e n t i f ic and Technological Cooperation Award is one of the five most prestigious state science and technology awards organized by the State Council. It is conferred on distinguished scientists who have made s i gn i f i c ant con t r i bu t i ons to the fields of science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine in China. • P r o f . A g n es S u i - y i n C h a n o f the Department of Psychology was awarded the E a r l y C a r e e r A w a r d i n C l i n i c a l Neuropsychology by the American P s y c h o l o g i c al A s s o c i a t i o n ( APA) D i v i s i on 40 in 2004. The APA is one of the most prestigious associations with a long history in t h e f i e l d o f psychology, and Division 40 is the second largest division in the association. This award is given annually to a psychologist at the early stage of his/her career who has made d i s t i n g u i s h ed c o n t r i b u t i o ns to neuropsychology. Prof. Chan was honoured for her research on neuroanatomical analysis of memory and her pioneering work on the effect of life experience on the development of memory and language. The award also recognized Prof. Chan's contribution to the development of neuropsychology in China. Prof. Chan is the first Chinese to have received this award. University Council Approves Restructuring of Departments and Programmes T he University Council approved last month the proposal for the restructuring of departments and programmes submitted by the University Senate. In the face of a huge funding cut in 2004-5 and possibly more in 2005—8, the University is determined to maintain and improve the quality of its academic activities. To do so, it must focus resources on areas where strength meets opportunities and demands. The University has critically reviewed its position and assessed the changes needed so as to come out of the funding reduction better and stronger. Restructuring helps CUHK to cope with the funding cut, and more importantly, provides an opportunity to reprioritize resources for long-term development. In the early stages of the restructuring exercise, the Vice- Chancellor and his special task force went through several rounds of consultations with all faculty deans, department chairmen, and directors of studies concerned. A l l teachers affected were also consulted. There was support for the overall strategic approach, and a consensus was reached on the way forward. Preliminary proposals were then drawn up and communicated to students for feedback. They were then modified based on new input and on account of circumstantial changes before being presented to the Senate for consideration. The Senate unanimously approved the proposals, as outlined in the following paragraphs: Faculty of Arts To achieve synergy in teaching and research for programmes and teachers concerned, the Department of History and the Department of Anthropology will operate in closer collaboration beginning in 2005—6. The two undergraduate major programmes in History and Anthropology will continue to be offered but overlapping courses will be streamlined with each major programme being supported by course offerings of the other major programme. The Department of Anthropology will be put under the Faculty of Arts. A l l existing and future teachers of the two departments will be appointed Category 2 members of the board of the other department. The two department boards w i ll share the same membership and hold joint meetings to decide on matters relating to the two programmes. These arrangement s w i l l be reviewed in 2007-8. The Department of Religion and the Intercultural Studies Section of the Department of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies (MLIS) will merge to become the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies in 2004-5. It will offer two undergraduate major programmes, i.e. Cultural Studies and Religious Studies. Also in 2004-5, a new Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages will be set up incorporating the Linguistics Section and the Modern Languages Section of the ML IS Department. It w i ll offer a new undergraduate major programme in linguistics and minor programmes in modern languages. With all its activities absorbed by other units, the MLIS Department will be abolished. The present major programme in MLIS will be phased out and there w i ll be no student intake from 2004-5. Faculty of Engineering The Internet Engineering Programme and the Innovation and Design Engineering Programme w i ll be subsumed under existing programmes in order to achieve synergy and provide greater breadth in studies. There w i ll be no student intake from 2004-5. Faculty of Science The Applied Chemistry with Management Studies Programme will be merged back to the Chemistry Programme, and students can take a minor in Business Administration for more trainin g in management. There will be no student intake from 2004-5. In line with trends elsewhere, studies in materials science and engineering will be upgraded to the postgraduate level. There will be no intake to the undergraduate Materials Science and Engineering Programme from 2004—5 and the establishment of an M.Sc. Programme in materials science is being considered. Faculty of Social Science The Department of Anthropology will be detached from the Faculty of Social Science and placed under the Faculty of Arts. New Centre for Promoting High-tech Spatial Information Research T he Yuen Yuen Research Centre for Satellite Remote Sensing was officially set up at the U n i v e r s i t y ' s J o i n t L a b o r a t o r y f o r Geoinformation Science (JLGIS) thanks to a generous donation from the Yuen Yuen Institute. The centre will build and operate on campus the first high-resolution ground receiving station for remote sensing satellites in Southern China. The station w i ll capture and process satellite- sourced remote sensing data and information on Hong Kong, throughout Southern China and the neighbouring regions. It will form a new spatial i n f o rma t i o n i n f r as t r uc t u re to foster the development of remote sensing data processing, software development, and other value-added professional services. It w i l l also serve to accelerate the g r owth of remote sensing industries in the greater Pearl River Delta region. The cheque presentation ceremony and naming ceremony of the centre were held on 24th March at Cho Yiu Hall with Mr. Tong Wai- ki, chairman of the Yuen Yuen Institute, and Prof. Amb r o se K i n g , v i c e - c han c e l l or o f the University, as officiating guests. The latest technological developments of the JLGIS were also presented on the occasion. 2 No. 239 19th April 2004