Newsletter No. 239

First CUHK Speech Contest T he first CUHK speech contest was h e ld on 11th March at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. It was coorganized by the Centre for Research and Development of Putonghua Education, the Depa r tment o f Chinese Language and L i t e r a t u r e , t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f English, the English Language Teaching Unit, the New As i a- Yale-in-China Chinese Language Centre, and the Office of the Arts Administrator to enhance language p r o f i c i ency and promote the art of public speaking. The contest comprised a total of six sections, two each for native and non- native speakers of Cantonese, putonghua, and English. A l l contestants were required to speak at an impromptu section on top of delivering a prepared speech on the topic 'The Chinese University of Hong Kong in the 21st Century'. Putonghua (Non-Native) Section (left to right): Mr. Kwan Wing-kay, retail director of Commercial Press (HK) Ltd., Ms. Akiko Matsuura, Ms. Tse Chui- ting, and Ms. Wan Wing Employee Assistance Programme In the face of rapid social changes and the new challenges of a knowledge e c o n o m y, t he U n i v e r s i ty s e e s t he n e ed to p ay g r e a t er a t t e n t i on to t he psychological health and well-being of its staff. To help staff memb e rs cope with the changing d ema n ds of work and the pressures of e v e r y d ay life, an Emp l o y ee As s i s t a n ce P r o g r amme (EAP) was launched on 1st December 2003. Through the provision of counselling, training and education programmes, the University hopes to build up a productive and healthy workforce that can contribute effectively towards the University's goals. The University has engaged the Employee Development Service (EDS) of the Hong Kong Christian Service to render a range of services to CUHK staff free of charge. Professional personal counselling and consultation ( PPCC) is a core EAP service. It offers professional advice and counselling to staff in times of personal, family or wo rk difficulties. The service is provided by a t e am of e x p e r i e n c ed p r o f e s s i o n a ls with qualifications in social wo r k, ma n a g eme n t, a nd clinical psychology. Staff memb e rs can call the PPCC hotline (2721 3 9 3 9) or ma ke appointments for in-person consultation or counselling with the professionals of EDS even after office hours. EAP also includes employee development p r o g r ammes on topics such as interpersonal communication, lifestyle ma n a g eme nt etc. For details of the EAP, please visit the Personnel Office homepage at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/personnel/ r e s / p p c c . h tm or c o n t a ct t he E DS of t h e H o n g K o n g C h r i s t i an S e r v i ce ( http://eds.hkcs.org/) at 7/F, 33 Granville Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon. Service to the Community and International Organizations • Prof. Kan Wing Kay, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as an appointed member of the Sha Tin District Council for four years from 1st January 2004. • Prof. Chau Kwai Cheong, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Resource Management, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Town Planning Appeal Board panel for two years from 19th December 2003. • Prof. Leung Ping Chung, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology, has been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the University Grants Committee for two years from 1st April 2004. He has also been appointed by the Head of Central Policy Unit as a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit for one year from 1st January 2004. • Prof. Joseph Lau, director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Task Force on Continuing Development and Employment-related Training for Youth of the Education and Manpower Bureau for two years from 1st March 2004. He has also been invited by the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong to provide professional opinion on the registration of proprietary Chinese medicine for one year until 11th February 2005. • Prof. Chan Kai Ming Cavor, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology, has been re-appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Hong Kong Sports Development Board and as the chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute Management Committee from 1st April 2004 to 30th September 2004. • Prof. Hui King Man Michael, professor in the Department of Marketing, has been appointed by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR as a member of the Vetting Committee of the Professional Services Development Assistance Scheme for two years from 1st April 2004. • Prof. Tung Ho Suk Ching, professor in the Department of Marketing, has been appointed by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food as a member of the Marketing Advisory Board for one year from 15th February 2004; and as a member of the Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee for one year from 1st April 2004. She has also been appointed by the Financial Secretary as a member of the Fish Marketing Advisory Board for one year from 1st January 2004. • Prof. Wong Tze Wai, professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works as a member of the Air Pollution Control Appeal Board Panel for three years from 1st February 2004. • Prof. Wong Chack Kie, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been re-appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs as the vice-chairman of the Award Council of the Hong Kong Award for Young People from 1st January 2004 to 31st January 2006. • Dr. Law Cheung Kwok, administrative director of the Faculty of Business Administration, has been invited by the Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong for two years from 30th December 2003. He has also been invited by the Government of the People's Republic of China to serve as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference during the period January 2003 to the end of 2007. • Prof. Ho Kwok Keung Walter, managing director of Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology Limited, has been appointed by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food as a member of the Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Advisory Committee for two years from 1st April 2004. • Prof. So York Kee Clement, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Communication, has been appointed by the Secretary for Education and Manpower as a member of the Mass Communications Training Board of the Vocational Training Council for one year from 1st April 2004. • Prof. Liew Soung Chang, professor in the Department of Information Engineering, has been appointed by the Secretary for Education and Manpower as a member of the Committee on Information Technology Training and Development of the Vocational Training Council for one year from 1st April 2004. • Prof. Au Yuk Fai Kevin, associate professor in the Department of Management, has been appointed by the Secretary for Education and Manpower as a member of the Committee on Management and Supervisory Training of the Vocational Training Council for one year from 1st April 2004. • Prof. Tam Man Kwan, professor in the Department of Educational Administration and Policy, has been invited by the Education and Manpower Bureau of the HKSAR Government as a member of the Task Force on Continuing Development and Employment-related Training for Youth for two years from 1st March 2004. • Prof. Yeung Chung Kwong, professor of surgery, has been invited by the Hospital Authority to serve as a member of the Expert Panel in Surgery Specialty from March 2004 to June 2007. He has also been appointed by the Chinese Medical Association as a member of the seventh editorial board of 《中華小兒外科雜誌》 , and elected as the president of the International Paediatric Endosurgery Group for 2003-4 and the International Children's Continence Society for 2003-7. • Prof. Yeung Yue Man, director of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, has been re-appointed as the chairman of the Pearl River Delta Panel of the Central Policy Unit for the term until the end of January 2005. • Prof. Brian Tomlinson, head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, has been appointed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board Hong Kong as a member of the Pharmacy and Poisons (Registration of Pharmaceutical Products and Substances; Certificate of Clinical Trial/Medicinal Test) Committee for two years from 1st January 2004. • Prof. Lu Lie Dan Tracey, assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology, has been appointed as a co-opted member of the Education and Publicity Committee of the Antiquities Advisory Board for the 2003-4 term. • Prof. Tsou Jin Yen, professor in the Department of Architecture, has been appointed by the Building Authority as a member of the Authorized Persons Registration Committee Panel and as a member of Registration Committee A of the Authorized Persons Registration Committees of the Building Department for two years from 3rd January 2004. • Prof. Ma Lai-Chong Joyce, professor in the Department of Social Work, has been elected as a member of the Social Workers Registration Board for three years from 16th January 2004. • Prof. Jia Jianmin Jamie, professor in the Department of Marketing, has been appointed by the Ministry of Education and the Degree Office of the State Council as a member of the National MBA Education Supervisory Committee. • Prof. Cheung Chi Keung Peter, associate professor in the Department of Biology, has been appointed as a member of the Nominations Advisory Committee of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) for the term ending October 2006. • Prof. Jack Cheng Chun Yiu, professor of orthopaedics and traumatology, has been appointed as a member of the seventh editorial board of The Chinese Journal of Paediatric Surgery from 13th October 2003. Award • Prof. Hu Shiu Ying, honorary professor of Chinese Medicine, was awarded the Leader of the Year 2003 Award in the Education/Academic Category by Sing Tao Newspaper Group on 26th February 2004. ( I n f o rma t i o n in this section is provided by the Information and Public Relations Office. Contributions should be sent direct to that office for registration and verification before publication.) 4 No. 239 19th April 2004