Newsletter No. 247

Four Distinguished Persons to Be Honoured by CUHK TheChinese University of Hong Kong will confer honorary doctorates on four distinguished persons at its congregation to be held on Thursday, 9th December 2004. The four honorary graduands and the degrees to be conferred are: Prof. Lao Yung Wei (Lao Sze Kwang), renowned philosopher, professor of philosophy at Huafan University in Taiwan, and academician of Academia Sinica, wi ll be conferred the degree of Doctor of Literature, honoris causa. Mr. Yang Liwei, the Chinese astronaut who commanded China's first manned space flight, will be conferred the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. Prof. Sir James A. Mirrlees, Nobel laureate in economic sciences 1996, and distinguished professor-at-large of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, wi ll be conferred the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa. Dr. William M.W. Mong, Chairman and Senior Managing Director of Shun Hing Group, wi ll be conferred the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa. Prof. Lao Yung Wei taught at The Chinese University from 1964 to 1985, becoming an honorary senior research fellow after his retirement. He is a prolific writer and is particularly well known for his three-volume publication on Chinese philosophy ( 《新編中國哲學史》), published in 1984. He has been visiting scholar/professor in institutions such as Harvard University and Princeton University in the US, and Tsing Hua University and Chengchi University in Taiwan. Mr. Yang Liwei is the first Chinese astronaut to go into space, and the commander of China's first manned space flight. Mr. Yang received his bachelor's degree from No. 8 Aviation College of the People's Liberation Army. He became a member of the national astronaut team in 1998. Aboard Shenzhou- 5 on 15th October 2003, Mr. Yang flew round the earth 14 times, traversing a distance of about 600,000 km. On 16th October 2003, Mr. Yang landed in Inner Mongolia with great precision. With his perseverance and courage, Mr. Yang realized China's dream of manned space flights. He has also made important contributions towards the development of space mission and space science. Prof. Sir James A. Mirrlees was awarded a Nobel prize in economic sciences in 1996 for his 'fundamental contributions to the economic theory of incentives under asymmetric information'. He received his MA in mathematics and natural philosophy from Edinburgh University in the UK and a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge. He subsequently taught at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge for 35 years. Dr. William M.W. Mong is a distinguished entrepreneur who founded Shun Hing Hong in 1953, which became the sole agent in Hong Kong and Macau for the National brand of products manufactured in Japan, and the first company to import Japanese home electrical appliances into Hong Kong. In 1984, Dr. Mong established the Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund. He has been bestowed many honours, including the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette, and honorary doctorates from institutions around the world for his contributions towards the promotion of industry and commerce, and the advancement of education, medical services, and welfare. CUHK Students andGraduates Honoured for Teaching Excellence • Seven alumni and students of the University's Faculty of Education were bestowed the first ever Chief Executive's Award for Teaching Excellence 2003—4 at a ceremony held on 10th September 2004. The award recipients were Ho Yin-ping (Master of Education, 2003), Chow Fu-hung (Master of Education, expected in 2005), Cheung Yin (Postgraduate Diploma in Education, 2001), Cham Yuen-mei (Postgraduate Diploma in Education, 1985), Ng Kit-chee (Master of Education, 2003), Pearl Chan Pui-yee (Postgraduate Diploma in Education, 1991), and Tang Mei-kwan (Postgraduate Diploma in Education, 2000). The Chief Executive's Award for Teaching Excellence Scheme aims at recognizing accomplished teachers who demonstrate exemplary teaching practices, forming an assembly of accomplished teachers to share good practices and foster change in teaching culture, and nurturing a culture of excellence in the teaching profession. The scheme is open to teachers of subjects under the Chinese Language Education Key Learning Area and the English Language Education Key Learning Area in primary and secondary schools, as well as teachers involved in language teaching in kindergartens and special schools. Individual winners each receive a scholarship of HK$25,000, to be used for professional development purposes and sharing at schools in Hong Kong and elsewhere. • In a similar vein, Leung Tim (photo), who graduated from the Postgraduate Diploma in Education Programme in 1996 and the Master of Education Programme in 2004. was one of 10 recipients of the Outstanding Science and Technology Teacher Award, a nation-wide competition held in Chendu, Sichuan last summer. CUHK Canoe Club Bags Three Trophies From left: Mr. Chee Chi-kin, Ms. Tam Mei-ling, and Mr. Lui Tak-kei with Paul Timothy Cuthbert, CUHK Water Sports Centre supervisor A n alumna of the University Ms. Tam Mei-ling clinched the championship title in the mixed doubles class of the annual Tolo Channel Harbour Canoe Race, while CUHK students Mr. Chee Chi-kin and Mr. Lui Tak-kei were second-runners-up in the men's doubles. The race is jointly organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Outward Bound (Alumni) Association of Hong Kong. It is the largest canoe and kayak race in the territory with over 250 entries this year. Ms. Tam is a canoeing coach at the CUHK Water Sports Centre and Mr. Chee is the president of the CUHK Student Canoe Club. 1 No. 247 19th October 2004