Bulletin Summer 1988

News in Brief The 36th Congregation The University has announced that the 36th Congregation to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the University and to confer honorary degrees and higher degrees will be held on 6th October, 1988 at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall. His Excellency the Governor and Chancellor of the University, Sir David Wilson, will officiate at the ceremony. Six distinguished persons will be awarded honorary degrees at the congregation. They are Sir David Akers-Jones, the Hon. Peter Poon Wing Cheung, Professor Paul C.W. Chu, Professor Zhao Zhong Xian, Mrs. Esther Lee, and Mr. Yu Zhen Fei. Sir David Akers-Jones, KBE, CMG, DCL (University of Kent), JP, has had a long and distinguished career as a senior administrator in the Hong Kong Government and his contribution towards the development of local administration and representative government in recent years is well known. He joined the civil service in 1957 and in the 30 years that followed, he served at different times as secretary for the New Territories, secretary for district administration, chief secretary, acting governor, and adviser to the governor. A hardworking and sympathetic administrator, he is fondly respected, particularly by the people of the New Territories. He retired from the civil service last September and is now chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Sir David is also actively engaged in a wide range of other community services. He will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. The Hon. Peter W.C. Poon, MBE, JP, is a prominent public figure and a highly respected professional. He was instrumental in the formation of the Hong Kong Society of Accountants. A legislative councillor since 1983 ， Mr. Poon has contributed his expertise in accountancy and financial matters to the work of the University Council. He sits on many advisory boards and committees appointed by the government including his directorship on governor- appointed boards of several local banks, and has made important contributions to the development and the sound running of the local economy. He was appointed by the governor to the Securities Review Committee in late 1987. Mr. Poon's association with The Chinese University began in 1972 when he joined the United College Board of Trustees. He became vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the United College in 1983 and a member of the University Council in the same year. He was appointed the University's treasurer in 1985. He has generously given the University much of his time and wise counsel. Mr. Poon will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Professor Paul C.W. Chu is TLL Temple chair professor of science and MD Anderson professor of physics at the University of Houston, USA. He is a distinguished physicist famous for his contributions to the fields of superconductivity, magnetism, and dielectrics. Last year he and his colleagues at the University of Houston astonished scientists all over the world by creating new kinds of superconducting materials that lose electrical resistance at cold, rather than ultra cold temperatures. The discovery is one of the most important in physics in recent years and opens up the possibility of a wide range of industrial and commercial applications in computing, communication, power transmission and transport. Professor Chu has received numerous awards for his outstanding achievements in this field. He will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. Professor Zhao is a research physicist born and educated in China. He specializes in low-termperature physics and has been research scientist in the Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica since mid-1960. His research on high critical temperature superconductors began in 1976 and an important breakthrough was achieved in early 1987 when he and his colleagues obtained stable superconductivity at 90°K (-183°C) and above. He was hailed by the American Physical Society as one of the world's most distinguished physicists and in the same year he was awarded the Third World Physics Prize by the Third World 13