Newsletter No. 165

More Researc h Suppor t T he outstanding performance o f CUHK researcher s has continued to attract grant s f r om variou s sources . Recentl y thre e researc h project s an d tw o academi c conferences propose d b y Universit y staf f member s hav e succeede d i n obtainin g external financia l support ; a senior researc h fellowship ha s als o been awarded to a n academic: • I n t e r n a t i o n al Sympo s i um on Sma rt S t r uc t u r es and Mi c r os y s t ems 2000 (HK$100,000) Sponsor: Th e Crouche r Foundatio n Principal organizer: Prof . W.J . L i (Departmen t o f Mechanica l an d Automatio n Engineering) • T h i r d Join t Meetin g o f Chines e Physicist s Wo r l d -w i d e o n 'Rol e o f Physic s i n the New Mi l l enn i um: Research, Education, and Society ' (HK $ 100,000) Sponsor: Th e Crouche r Foundatio n Principal organizer: Prof . H.M. La i (Departmen t o f Physics ) • A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of the Treatment of Pain Following L i mb Injury in an Emergency Department: a Comparison Between Intravenous Ketorolac Tromethamine and Mo r ph i ne Sulphate (HK$404,680) Sponsor: Healt h Service s Researc h Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Timothy H . Raine r (Acciden t & Emergency Medicin e Academic Unit ) • Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Paediatric Intensive Care Un it (HK$78,742) Sponsor: Healt h Service s Researc h Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Bernar d M.C. Yam (Departmen t o f Nursing ) • D N A F i n g e r p r i n t i ng Technology f or Detection of Gene t i ca l ly Mo d i f i ed Organisms and Identification of Chinese Population (HK$2,192,000 ) Sponsor: Innovatio n an d Technology Fun d Principal investigator: Prof . Ju n Wang (Departmen t o f Biochemistry ) • Croucher Senior Research Fellowship Awa rd 2000-2001 Awardee: Prof . Raymond Yeung Wai-ho (Departmen t o f Information Engineering ) CUHK Task Force to Examin e Education Reform s A Task Forc e o n Education Refor m was r e c en t l y f o u n d e d o n th e campus, w i t h member s bein g draw n f r om th e Facult y o f Education, th e Departments o f Psychology, Economics , Architecture, Anthropology , Government and Public Administration, an d the School o f Journalis m an d Communication. The task force w i ll respond to the government's educatio n r e f o r m proposals as well as make recommendation s based on research findings . Convener o f th e tas k forc e Prof . Fanny Cheun g o f th e Departmen t of Psychology said , referring to the proposal of eliminatin g th e Academi c Aptitud e Test fo r Fo r m On e allocation , tha t students' all-roun d developmen t shoul d be th e focu s throughou t th e educatio n system, beginnin g w i t h kindergarte n t h r ough u n i v e r s i t y an d c o n t i n u i n g education. Preliminary researc h finding s of Prof. Giovann i Monet a o f th e Department o f Ps y c ho l og y reveale d tha t scholastic result s and intrinsic motivatio n are no t closel y l i nke d i n universit y students. Creativ e thinker s w i t h a n independent mind ar e no t rewarde d w i t h higher grade s i n the curren t educationa l system. And drawin g from thei r experienc e o f designin g schoo l buildings , Profs . Bernard L i m an d Freeman Cha n o f th e Department o f Architecture expresse d the vie w tha t a n integrativ e approac h involving th e participatio n o f students , parents, communit y leaders , th e schoo l authority, an d the architec t i s essentia l from the early planning stage if they wan t to creat e a n ideal physical environmen t for learning . The tas k forc e w i l l com e forwar d with mor e recommendation s i n the nex t few months . MOREVISITORS FROM FRANCE F ollowing th e visit b y a delegation from the French Nationa l Centr e for Scientifi c Researc h (CNRS) i n lat e March , closer interactio n an d mo re f o r ma l collaboration b e t we en th e Un i ve r s i ty an d Frenc h universities an d research centres ca n be expected . On 15t h Ap r i l , fo r example, a delegatio n f r om anothe r F r en c h institute, th e Universit y of Loui s Pasteu r Strasbour g (ULP) , le d by it s presiden t Jean-Yve s Merindol , visited th e Universit y campu s an d wer e introduced to members o f the Institute o f Chinese Me d i c i n e ( I CM ) . Chines e medicine o r natura l substance s cam e t o the forefron t a s a n are a fo r possibl e collaboration, bu t accordin g t o Prof . P . C. Leung , chairma n o f the managemen t committee o f ICM, detail s have yet to be worked out . 'We welcom e partnershi p w i t h U L P a n d C N R S . . . . D r u g d e v e l o pme n t, c l i n i c a l t r i a l , an d s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n / a u t h e n t i c a t i on o f Chinese medicine coul d form the core o f the joint-research project, but we have to visit thei r laboratorie s firs t an d discus s w i th th e Frenc h researcher s detail s o f s p e c i f ic t o p i c s an d p r o j e c t s f or collaboration,' h e said . The ULP delegatio n also visited the Faculty o f Engineering , th e Princ e o f Wales Hospital , an d the Departmen t o f Chemistry. 'We hav e invite d Prof. Jean - François B i e l l man n (membe r o f th e delegation) t o visi t ou r departmen t late r this yea r t o delive r seminar s t o ou r staf f and students. We w i ll als o discuss detail s of further collaboration,' sai d Prof. Henr y Wong o f th e Departmen t o f Chemistr y after th e UL P visit . I n fact , seed s of collaboration w i t h UL P wer e sow n a s early as 1995 , when Nobel laureate Prof . Jean-Marie Leh n from ULP firs t visite d the department . Prof . Wong himself w i l l visit ULP i n October . Situated a t th e hear t o f th e uppe r Rhine region , UL P i s amon g th e mos t important scientific , technological , an d medical universitie s i n France . Wit h 5 9 laboratories associate d wit h CNR S an d the Frenc h Institut e o f Hea l th an d Medical Research , it is home t o Nobe l Prize winne r (Chemistry ) Prof . Jean - Marie Leh n an d Field s medallis t Prof . Rene Thom . Delegates from ULP visiting the Orthopaedic Learning Centre at the Prince of Wales Hospital Youn g Compose r Win s Internationa l Competitio n Ng Cheuk Y i n , a student o f th e Master o f Music programme , wo n the Hon g Kon g Them e Award wit h hi s composition The City That Never Sleeps in th e Hon g Kon g Chines e Orchestr a International Competitio n fo r Chines e Orchestral Compositio n hel d i n mid - March. There wer e som e 8 0 entrie s i n th e preliminary round , submitte d mostly b y composers f r o m ma i n l a n d Ch i na , Ma l ay s i a, an d Taiwan . On l y eigh t compositions wer e selecte d to ente r th e finals. Mr . Ng , wh o ha s writte n an d arranged over 20 works sinc e secondar y school, was the only representative fro m Hong Kon g i n the finals .