Newsletter No. 158

Vice-Chancel lor Re-elected V P of AUPC and Honoured by Soka University P rof. Arthur K.C. L i was re-elected t he v i c e - p r e s i d e nt o f t he Association of University Presidents of China (AUPC) for another two-year term by the Council o f the AUPC at its t h i rd meeting on 5th December 1999. The other vice-president is Prof. Wang Shenghong of Fudan University and the new president is Prof. Wang Dazhong of Tsinghua University. Founded in November 1997 as a l eague o f p r e s i d e n ts and v i c e - chancellors f r om 10 well-established universities on the mainland and in Hong Kong, the AUPC is dedicated to t he d e v e l o p m e nt o f h i g h e r education in China in the 21st century. It is expected to enhance exchange a n d c o o p e r a t i o n a m o n g t o p universities in China and serve as a think-tank that can lend its expertise to local and central governments in p l a n n i ng Ch i n a 's t e c h n o l o g i c a l, e c o n o m i c , a n d e d u c a t i o n a l development. T h e o f f i c e s o f t h e A U P C s e c r e t a r i at are set up i n B e i j i n g , Shanghai, and H o n g K o n g, located respectively at Tsinghua Un i v e r s i t y, Fudan Un i v e r s i t y, and The Chinese University. An i n t e r n a t i o n al c o n f e r e n ce e n t i t l ed ' V i c e - C h a n c e l l o rs and Presidents Forum on Global Tertiary E d u c a t i o n D e v e l o p m e n t ' was organized on the Chinese University campus under the name of AUPC last Ap r i l. And then on 20th December 1999 Prof. L i was conferred an honorary doctorate by Soka University in Japan i n r e c o g n i t i on o f his d i s t i n g u i s h ed a c h i e v eme n ts i n ' t he f o s t e r i ng o f values f or the p r omo t i on o f cu l t u re and education on a g l obal scale'. He was lauded as a 'peerless surgeon who has c o n t r i b u t e d, t h r o u gh r i g o r o us research, to the progress of the natural sciences and medical education on a g l obal scale', f or h a v i ng led The Chinese Un i ve r s i ty 'to rapid progress by introducing h i gh t echno l ogy ', and f o r h a v i n g m a d e ' i m m e n s e c o n t r i b u t i on to the p r o m o t i o n o f higher education i n H o ng K o n g and Ma i n l a nd Ch i na '. On the same day, Prof. L i was presented the Ce r t i f i c a te o f Soka Friendship by the student union o f Soka University as an expression o f their deep respect f or his passion toward education and to mark the long f r i endsh ip between Soka and The C h i n e s e U n i v e r s i t y . T he t w o universities launched their exchange programme 25 years ago in 1975, just four years after Soka University had been founded. (From left) Top: Prof. Xu Tongmo, Xi'an Jiaotong University; Prof. Xie Shengwu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Prof. Cheng Yiu-chung, University of Hong Kong; Prof. Woo Chia-wei, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Mr. Chen Wannian, chairman of the Jiangsu Education Committee Bottom: Prof. Jiang Shushang, Nanjing University; Prof. Chen Jiaer, former president of Peking University, now president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Prof. Wang Dazhong, Tsinghua University; Mr. Wang Min, deputy governor of Jiangsu Province; Prof. Arthur K.C. Li, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Pan Yunhe, Zhejiang Unviersity; Prof. Wang Shenghong, Fudan University Computer Staff Won Outstanding Disabled Employee Award M r. Frankie Ng Chu-shing (right), assistant computer officer of the Faculty of Medicine, has been selected a winner o f the Outstanding Disabled Employee Award 1999. The event was organized by the Selective Placement Division of the Labour Department of the HKSAR government to give recognition to disabled employees w i t h o u t s t a n d i n g p e r f o r m a n ce i n t he territory. The award was presented to Mr. Ng and 11 other winners by Mr. Joseph Wong Wing-ping, Secretary for Education and Manpower, at a presentation ceremony on 3rd December. M r . Ng j o i n ed the University in 1993 and is c u r r e n t l y a s s i s t a nt computer officer in the Pathology Labo r a t o ry Computer System of the Faculty of Medicine. He is responsible for developing computer applications and maintaining computer systems for the clinical departments. His excellent mastery and application o f computer knowledge and technique, s t r ong c omm i t me nt to w o r k , and extraordinary diligence prompted his supervisor to nominate him for the award. CU Staff and Students in Need of Exercise C lose to 300 s t a ff and students participated in the second physical fitness evaluation project organized by the Physical Education Un it in the John Fulton Centre last September. Results o f the evaluation indicated that the body mass index, body fat, muscular strength, flexibility, and stress l e v el o f p a r t i c i p a n ts were similar to those o f the general population ( f corresponding age and gender) i n H o ng Kong. However it was found that the muscular endurance of the female participants was weaker than their counterparts, a n d t h e cardiorespiratory fitness o f both male and female participants was also weaker. The results o f the evaluation revealed that staff and students o f the University should e n g a g e i n m o r e p h y s i c al a c t i v i t y, i n p a r t i c u l a r t h o s e activities that involve cardio-respiratory training such as jogging and swimming. Muscular endurance training such as curl- ups and push - ups w o u l d also be beneficial. Details of the report are summarized in the table below. Analysis of Valid Data Collected Gender Male Level Female Level Number of Participants 45 101 Age 20.5+4 20.2±5 Height (cm) 170.42±7.90 159.47±4.87 Weight (kg) 61.06±9.83 48.10±5.13 Body Mass Index (BMI) 20.98+2.59 Optimal 18.88±1.88 Optimal Fat (%) 10.83±5.30 Optimal 21.55±3.86 Optimal Cardio-respiratory Fitness (Step test/ Recovery heart rate) 123.12±19.84 Below Average 133.11±20.63 Below Average Muscular Strength (Hand Grip-left/kg) 37.97±7.48 Average 23.56±4.40 Good Muscular Strength (Hand Grip-right/kg) 40.09±8.36 Average 24.92±4.34 Good Abdominal Endurance (Curl-up/rep) 45.34±24.83 Average 28.43±12.80 Below Average Flexibility (left) (sit-reach/cm) 54.66±11.71 Average 57.63±11.76 Average Flexibility (right) (sit-reach/cm) 55.84±11.29 Average 58.49±11.56 Average Stress score 11.92+3.66 Average 10.95±3.30 Average