Newsletter No. 226

Youn g Cance r Survivor s Hel p Brighte n Hon g Kon g The Little Life Warrior Society held their first annual general meeting on 23rd August and hosted a party for over 300 childhood cancer survivors and their family members at the School of Public Health Building of the Faculty of Medicine. The Little Life Warriors Choir, consisting of 30 members of the society, sang songs of encouragement and glorification of life. The participants also made drawings together with members of the BrightenHK Campaign, which were then converted into e-cards and uploaded to the campaign webpage to boost Hong Kong's morale and restore confidence in Hong Kongers. Dr. Shing Mi ng Kong, chairman of the society, related how the Children's Cancer Centre, located within the Prince of Wales Hospital compound, came under great threat during the SARS epidemic. Fortunately the centre managed to weather it through without a single case of infection. Doctors and nurses from the centre joined other frontline medical staff in helping to fight the disease and look after young SARS patients. The Little Life Warrior Society was founded in 2002 to inform the public about children cancers through various activities. Members are drawn mainly from the medical staff of Lady Pao Children's Cancer Centre of the Prince of Wales Hospital and the CUHK Department of Paediatrics. The BrightenHK Campaign was initiated by the Internet Professionals Association, the Outstanding Young Persons' Association, the Better Hong Kong Foundation, and the World Trade Centres Association. It aims at uniting Hong Kong people and raising their confidence in the fight against SARS. Introducin g th e 40t h Anniversar y Fai r O n 15th September, five days before the official opening of the 40th Anniversary Fair, a press conference was held at the Cho Y i u Conference Hall to introduce the features of the fair. Prof. Ambrose King, vice-chancellor, and the three pro-vice-chancellors Prof. Kenneth Young, Prof. P.W. Liu, and Prof. Jack Cheng also outlined CUHK 's blueprint for development in the next 10 years, and the highlights of the anniversary celebrations from September to December 2003. A sculpture of the 40th anniversary logo has been erected at the University Ma l l near Pi Ch ' iu Bu i l d i ng in anticipation o f the Anniversary Fair. Finance Chief and Chair of Tour ism Board Share Their Insight into Hong Kong Mr. Henry Tang, now Financial Secretary of the HKSAR, and Mrs. Selina Chow, chair of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, spoke to students and alumni of the University's EMBA and M B A Programmes last July in Talking to CEOs. The programme is jointly organized by the University's EMBA Programme and RTHK. Mr. Tang's programme was broadcast on 6th July and Mrs. Chow's on 29th June on RTHK. Mr. Tang said he lives by one important principle: Don't push too hard on profit, do what's right for your employees and they w i ll walk that extra mile for you. It was this piece of advice from his father which had guided him for 25 years while he ran his family business. I t continues to guide him in his service to the HKSAR. After a year on the job as Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, he said the government should not be judged solely on one dimension and that he discovered a lot o f committed people in the civil service. He believes that the success of any organization hinges on striking the right balance between its 'shareholders' and employees. Mr. Tang urges people in Hong Kong to take a macro view and think beyond their geographical boundaries. China has abundant technological and other resources which are complementary to the territory. Hong Kong should also recognize its competitive advantage rather than try to copy other cities. Intensifying regional competition and the double blows of a sagging economy and SARS have not intimidated Mrs. Selina Chow who believes whole-heartedly that Hong Kong is a superior 'product' and a multi-faceted one historically and culturally. Similarly regional competition is nothing new, she said. The challenge is to find someone with thorough knowledge of the product and the marketplace, and a good understanding of Hong Kong's position in the competition, who can show it o ff in the best light. Mrs. Chow's advice to CEO hopefuls is to be proactive, to make themselves visible instead of waiting to be noticed. For those with political aspirations, serving voluntary organizations is an effective way to get noticed. 'And above all, focus on your goal and soldier on. Hong Kong's people's shortcoming is often giving up too soon,' she observed. Upcoming Anniversary Celebrations 21s t to 26th September (Sunday to Friday) 40th Anniversary Fair The theme of the 40th Anniversary Fair is 'Advance and Excel' . The Fair will capture the University's development as contextualized in that of Hong Kong over the last four decades, and look forward to advancements in the next decade. It will project the vision and mission of the University through multi-media exhibitions while its impact on education and society, its innovations and inventions will also be presented. Academic disciplines will be introduced through interactive games and there will be student performances. The Fair's four pavilions will feature four themes: Heritage and Vision (Sir Run Run Shaw Auditorium, open from 20th to 25th September), Impact on Education and Society (University Mall), Innovations and Inventions (Ground floor, University Library), and Fun and Games (University Mall). A series of interesting lectures by distinguished alumni and faculty members have also been organized from 19th September to 13th October. All lectures will take place at 7.30 p.m. on campus and will be delivered mostly in Cantonese. For details, please visit http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/fair. 1 No. 226 19th September 2003