Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 2006

Chinese University Bulletin Autumn · Winter 2006 14 ‘Of course, the University had very good reason to be confident,’ they continue, ‘We have a group of interdisciplinary professionals with a strong track record of securing competitive grants. And 16 among our emeritus, honorary and current professors, are IEEE Fellows.’ Network Coding The major area will spearhead the establishment of a Network Coding and Information Research Centre. The centre is a key effort by the University to beef up research in information theory and related areas. Network coding, a field of information theory and coding theory, was founded by professors at the Faculty of Engineering. It is a method of attainingmaximum information flow in a network with wide application in wireless networks. The term ‘network coding’ was also coined at the faculty. It is a flourishing field that has attracted a lot of attention globally. In 2008, the faculty will organize the Annual Network Coding Workshop at CUHK. Previous workshops have been held in Trieste, Boston and San Diego. The centre has received seed money from Microsoft in Seattle and HK$2.9 million from the Research Grants Council (RGC). Microsoft ResearchAsia Lab (MSRA) Beijing has also invited the faculty to submit a proposal for funding support. The centre will need further support to recruit eminent postdoctoral researchers and to invite famous scholars to give short courses, seminars, and to interact with the students. Theoretical Computing Another aim of the major area is to build the region’s strongest Theoretical Computer Centre within the Department of Computer Science &Engineering. Theoretical computer science are computer science topics that focus on the more abstract, logical and mathematical aspects of computing, such as the theory of computation and semantics of programming languages, with work in this field often distinguished by an emphasis on mathematical technique. The Theoretical Computer Science Programme of the Faculty of Engineering, one of the most acclaimed in the region, was established under the