Newsletter No. 108

CUHK Newsletter No. 108 19th May 1997 3 HOW THEY WORK THEIR WAY TO EXCELLENCE Prof. K .S. Leung (left) and Prof. Leung Yee (right) From time to time the Research Grants Council (RGC) conducts assessments of research projects undertaken by local tertiary institutions with RGC financial support and gives them ratings. In the most recent assessment exercise, five projects were rated 'excellent'. Of the five, three were conducted by staff of the University. The CUHK Newsletter has talked to the investigators of one 'excellent' project—'Development of an Intelligent Spatial Decision Support System'. Prof. Leung Yee (principal investigator) and Prof. K.S. Leung ( co - i nves t i ga t o r) have successfully developed a fully integrated spatial decision support system. Unlike conventional Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which have a limited capacity for analysis, it can provide high-level analyses and sophisticated interpretation of remotely-sensed data, which can help decision ma k i ng in t own - p l ann i ng, economic development, and environmental protection. This spatial decision support system is developed out of a powerful fuzzy-logic-based expert system shell designed by the two researchers, and can imitate the decision-making processes of the human brain. The list of abstract- sounding adjectives may indeed leave the brain hovering in space, but in actual fact the system is used for fairly down-to-earth purposes. These include the classification of climates and natural resources, gauging the suitability of land for agriculture, the assessment of floods, typhoons, pollution, and their effects on the environment. Whereas traditional GIS displays and interpretations are crude and too clear-cut, this system captures transition zones and produces detailed interpretations of environmental changes. In short, the system gives 'intelligence' to GIS. The project, which was given the go-ahead by the RGC in 1991, marks a cooperation between the researchers which stretches back for almost a decade. What brought the two men from the Department of Geography (Prof. Leung Yee) and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (Prof. K.S. Leung) together in the first place was their common interest in fuzzy logic. As Prof. K.S. Leung puts it: 'At the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, I have at my disposal state-of-the-art technology: multi-media database, graphic display, and artificial intelligence. Being a system with very complex needs, GIS is a suitable target for the application of such technology.' So what do the researchers think is 'excellent' about their project? And what are the RGC's criteria for judging 'excellence' and otherwise? While the two researchers do not profess to have a thorough understanding of the assessment process, they believe one criterion to be academic merit, i.e., whether the research findings have been published in top-class international journals. And this they have indeed accomplished, having published all theoretical and systems investigations of their study in key journals in the field, such as the International Journal of Geographical Information Science, a nd the International Journal of Geographical Systems, as w e l l as in conference proceedings and book chapters. Another criterion is whether the project has achieved the objectives stated in the original proposal. In this respect, their project enjoys a surplus, having successfully investigated areas beyond those originally proposed. 'Originality is another criterion,' says Prof. Leung Yee, 'and it can be assessed in terms of theory, system, and application. Our theory employs the latest inference methods in fuzzy logic and artificial intelligence to do spatial analysis. We have produced a truly novel and full-fledged system, capable of inference, analysis, and decision-making, besides display. The system also has wide, real-life applications.' A spin-off of the project is the training it has given to many students, both graduate and undergraduate. By involving students in their work, the investigators have given them a chance to be exposed to valuable knowledge and experience outside the classroom. Both investigators also emphasize a good balance between research and teaching. 'Neglect research and no knowledge will be created; neglect teaching and no knowledge can be imparted,' Prof. Leung Yee says. To them, research is no excuse for neglecting teaching. Do they have a word of advice for less experienced researchers? 'Keep yourself up-to-date,' Prof. K.S. Leung points out. 'When applying for a grant, be sure your research is in a current and significant area. And always deliver the promises you made in your proposal. If you can't, explain.' Prof. Leung Yee fully agrees that the choice of research topic is of critical importance in applying for research grants and generating excellent research results. Piera Chen Shaw College Tennis Tournament Results Here are the winners at the first Shaw College staff association tennis tournament held on 2nd April 1997: Men' s Si ngles (champion) Mr. Lau Wing-chung (first runner-up) Mr. Ho Kwok-tai (second runner-up) Prof. Michael Tam Men's Doubles: (champions) Mr. Raymond Sum and Mr. Kwok Wing-cheong (first runner-up) Prof. Michael Tam and Prof. Roy Chan (second runner-up) Prof. John Buswell and Mr. Lau Wing-chung 中大通訊 CUHK NEWSLETTER 1.本刊逢四日及十九日出版。 2. 來函或投稿請寄沙田香港中文大學秘書處出版事務處《中大通訊》 編輯部（電話 2609 7297 ，圖文傳眞 2603 6864 ，電子郵遞 pub2@uab.msmail.cuhk.edu.hk )。 3. 投稿者須附眞實姓名、地址及聯絡電話，文章則可用筆名發表。 4. 編輯有權刪改及決定是否刊登來稿，不欲稿件被刪者請預先聲明。 5. 本刊所載文章只反映作者之觀點和意見，並不代表校方或本刊立 場。 6.所有內容未經編者書面准許，不得轉載。 7. 本刊每期發行三千八百份，免費供校內教職員索閱，部分郵寄本地 教育機構及與大學有關人士。私人索閱，請致函本刊查詢。 1. The Newsletter is published on the 4th and 19th of each month. 2. All contributions and suggestions should be sent to theEditor,CUH K Newsletter, Publication Office, University Secretariat, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (tel. 2609 7297; fax. 2603 6864; e-mail pub2@uab.msmail.cuhk.edu.hk) . 3. Contributions should bear the writer's name and contact telephone number, and may be published under pseudonyms. No anonymous letters will be published. 4. The Editor reserves the right to reject contributions and to edit all articles for reasons of clarity, length or grammar. Those who do not want to have their articles amended should indicate clearly in writing. 5. The views expressed in the CUHK Newsletter are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of the University or the Editor. 6. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor. 7. This publication has a circulation of 3,800 and is primarily intended for staff members of CUHK. Copies are also sent to local educational institutions and individuals associated with the University. Those who wish to be included on the mailing list please contact the Newsletter direct. 截 稿 日 期 Deadlines for Contributions 期數 Issue no. 出版日期 Issue date 截稿日期 Deadline for contributions 109 4.6.97 16.5.97 110 19.6.97 29.5.97 (七月停刊；八月十九日出版暑朋特 刊，報導人事動態及宣布事項；九月 四日復刊） (No publication in July and August. A special supplement will be published on 19th August for Personalia and Announcements.) 香港中文大學出版事務處出版 編輯：梁其汝 助理編輯：蔡世彬 李琪 陳偉珠 製作：林綺媚 黎寶翠 Published by the Publication Office, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Editor: Amy K. Y. Leung Assistant Editors: Lawrence Choi, Piera Chen, Shalini Bahadur Graphic Designers: Stella P. C. Lai, Ada Lam 印刷：鮑思高印刷有限公司 Printing: Don Bosco Printing Co. Ltd.