Newsletter No. 258

World-class Philosopher Sheds Light on Equality P rof. Thoma s M . Scanlon, Jr. , A l f o rd Professo r o f Natural Religion, Moral Philosophy and Civil Polity , Harvard University , delivere d a public lectur e title d 'When Doe s Equalit y Matter? ' i n his capacit y a s We i Lun Visiting Professor to the University. The lecture took place o n 14t h March in Cho Y iu Hall . In the lecture, Prof. Scanlo n considers four reason s for reducin g inequality : e l imi na t i n g h um i l i a t i n g differences in status; reducing the power that some have over others ; making political an d economic institution s fair b y equalizing startin g places ; an d meetin g the identical claim s o f different peopl e o n their politica l institutions. I n the light o f these reasons , h e then considered question s suc h as equality o f opportunity in economics an d politics, equality in education, and highly unequal executiv e compensation . Prof. Scanlon also spoke on blame and responsibility at th e Departmen t o f Philosophy o n 21st March , and discussed philosophy an d studies with student s on 17t h March. And on 19t h March, 'Theme s from Scanlon : An International Conferenc e o n Mo r al an d Po l i t i cal Philosophy' wa s held in honour o f Prof. Scanlon . Prof. Scanlo n completed his undergraduate studie s in philosophy a t Princeton University an d his graduat e studies at Oxford University — as a Fulbright Schola r — and Harvard University. H e has taught a t Princeton an d Harvard. Among hi s numerous honour s an d awards ar e the National Endowment fo r the Humanities Fellowship ; Visiting Fellowshi p o f A ll Soul' s College , Oxford ; Guggenheim Fellowship ; Ma cA r t hu r Fellowship ; Fellowship o f the America n Academ y o f Arts and Sciences; an d Corresponding Fellowshi p o f the Britis h Academy. Prof . Scanlo n i s considered on e o f the top philosophers living today. His book What We Owe to Each Other i s hailed by Oxford philosophe r Dere k Parfi t a s 'the best book on ethics of the twentieth century' an d 'one of the best books on ethics that has yet been written'. E - N EWSLETTE R A BSTRAC T Volume 2 No. 8 Sir T.L. Yang and Dr. An t hony Neoh S C a tt h e Helm o fthe CUHK Law School The Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kon g ha s appointe d Dr. the Honourable Sir T.L. Yang and Dr. Anthony Neo h SC as the Chairma n an d Vice-Chairma n respectivel y of the Executive Committee of the School of Law. Prof . Liu Pa k Wai, pro-vice-chancellor , i s the third member . The Executiv e Committe e w i l l provid e strategi c leadership to the School of Law and be responsible for its initia l phas e of operation. Volume 2 No. 9 Professorial Appointments The Chines e Universit y o f Hong Kon g ha s appointe d Dr. Le e Shui Shan , Prof . Win g C . Suen, an d Prof. Michael J. McConville a s chair professors . For details, please visit http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/enews/ . New Clinic Encourages Marriage of Western and Chinese Medicine T he Research Clinic fo r Integrated Medicine was established on 23rd March to foste r research project s tha t adop t a n integrated approac h o f mainline medicin e and traditional Chines e medicine (TCM) . Th e clini c i s in line with the Hospital Authority' s initiative o f introducing T CM servic e int o publi c hospitals . The Clinical Trial Section of the Institute of Chinese Medicine was set up four year s ago at the Schoo l of Public Healt h Building o f the Princ e o f Wales Hospital . Ove r 30 clinical an d related trials involving the combination treatment of mainline medicine an d T CM ar e currently underway . With the suppor t of the CUHK Facult y of Medicine, th e Institute of Chinese Medicine, and the Hospital Authority, the clinic will further its clinica l research, suppor t an d consultatio n service s involvin g th e use o f T CM fo r clinical departments a t four othe r publi c hospitals , namel y Kwon g Wa h Hospital , Yan Cha i Hospital, Alice H o M iu Lin g Nethersole Hospital , an d Pok Oi Hospital. (From left) Prof. K.S. Woo. Prof. P.C. Leung, Prof. T.F. Fok and Prof. Ellis Hon announcing the establishment o f the new clinic Supplementary Presentation of Long Service Award A supplementary presentatio n o f the Long Servic e Award 2004 was held in the lobb y loung e a t Cho Y iu Hal l o n 23rd March 2005 . Prof . Lawrenc e J . Lau, vice - chancellor o f the University, honoure d fiv e more staf f member s fo r their dedicate d service to CUHK. The y wer e Prof . Chian g Ying-ho, professo r i n the Departmen t o f Chinese Languag e an d Literature , Prof . Dav id T.W . Yew , professo r o f anatomy , Prof. Leung Chi-ying, associate professor in the Departmen t o f Statistics, Dr . Pete r J.L . Man, senio r assistant secretary of New Asi a College, an d Mr. Lee Kwo k - on, senio r library assistan t of the University Library . Support for Five More Projects T he following fiv e researc h projects undertaken by faculty member s of the University hav e attracte d fundin g support fro m various quarters : • Functional Bowel Disorders in Chinese Medicine (US$128,000) Sponsor: Nationa l Institutes o f Health, USA Principal investigator: Prof . Joseph Sung (Department o f Medicine an d Therapeutics) • Development o fInterfering RNA Agents t oInhibit SARS Associated Coronavirus Infectio n an d Replication (HK$804,572) Sponsor: Researc h Fund for the Control of Infectious Disease s Principal investigator: Dr . He Mingliang (Centr e for Emerging Infectious Diseases ) • Teaching Intensive Care to Non-intensive Care Doctors (HK$150,000) Sponsor: Professiona l Service s Development Assistance Scheme (Commerce, Industry an d Technology Bureau ) Principal investigator: Prof . Charles Gomersall (Department o f Anaesthesia and Intensive Care ) • Programme of Training Professionals i nEvaluation o fMedicine and Biomaterials Developed fo rPrevention and Treatment o fOsteoporosis, Osteoporotic Fractures, and Osteonecrosis (HK$98,000) Sponsor: Professiona l Service s Development Assistance Schem e (Commerce, Industry an d Technology Bureau ) Principal investigator: Prof . Qi n Ling (Department of Orthopaedics an d Traumatology) • Wearabl e Medical Devices fo rE-healthcare (HK$5,487,217) Sponsor: Innovatio n and Technology Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Zhang Yuanting (Department o f Electronic Engineering ) Other CUHK investigators: Prof . K.S. Leung and Prof. Jack Cheng 1 No. 258 19thApril 2005