Bulletin No. 1, 2024

Since Professor Kenneth Young came to CUHK in the summer of 1973, he has devoted himself to teaching and research. Retirement has not stopped the educator from imparting his knowledge. On campus, one would find the emeritus professor teaching not only quantum field theory and other topics of theoretical physics in his department, but also the history of CUHK in general education classes. In those classes, he would show photos of New Asia College, one of the three founding Colleges of CUHK, in its early days on Kweilin Street, Sham Shui Po. The students would be momentarily awed, but it was just that—a fleeting response. “When I spoke about the verse ‘Nothing left, in my hands’ (from the college anthem), I myself was touched, but their reaction was mild.” He then thought it was best to let young people know about the humble beginnings of the University, so they would come to cherish what they have now. Professor Young came aboard after conducting post-doctoral research in the US for a year. The three founding Colleges of CUHK had already set up their own academic departments and moved their science faculties to the Science Centre on the new Sha Tin campus in order to share laboratories and equipment. “In the same corridor, it was totally possible for one to bump into three physics department chairpersons,” he jokes. Humble beginnings   27