Beta Gamma Sigma awards
The CityU chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma conferred Honouree Awards on Dr John Chan Chun-tung, Chairman of Chaifa Holdings, and Dr Dennis Sun Tai-lun, Chairman and Managing Director of China-Hongkong Photo Products Holdings Ltd, in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the business world.

Dr Chan and Dr Sun are both staunch supporters of CityU with strong ties to the campus community. Dr Chan was the recipient of CityU’s first Distinguished Alumni Award and one of the lecture theatres on campus was named in his honour. Dr Sun served as Chairman of the Community Relations Committee during his eight-year term as a council member.

Dr Chan and Dr Sun received their awards at the 3rd Induction Ceremony of the CityU chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma where, in addition, 148 outstanding CityU students and graduates were inducted into the honour society as lifetime members.

Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a business programme accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

Naming ceremonies to honour benefactors
A naming ceremony will be held on 17 March for the Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, the iconic building designed by leading architect Mr Daniel Libeskind, in recognition of the donation of $100 million from The Shaw Foundation. The gift will be used to sponsor the University’s development. The new Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre will help develop talent for local and overseas creative industries and provide a new platform for creative media professionals from all over the world, foster exchanges between academics and industrial practitioners, and promote the development of the creative media industry.

To honour the staunch support and generous contributions of Ms Jenny Chan Pik-ha, a distinguished CityU alumna, the College of Business’ Studio will be named after Ms Chan’s late father. The new name will be the Chan Hok Yan Multimedia Studio. Professor Way Kuo, University President, will officiate at a reception to mark the occasion on 30 March.

New professional development award
The newly launched Interdisciplinary Professional Development Awards (IPDAs) have been set up by the Office of the Provost to promote new interdisciplinary education and research initiatives. The IPDAs will provide for an “in-house sabbatical” that allows teams of full-time faculty and teaching grade staff to have the time, space, and resources to develop cutting-edge interdisciplinary research initiatives and/or associated signature CityU Gateway Education (GE) courses that emphasise Discovery and Innovation. Full details can be found at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/provost/IPDAs/.

Scholarship ceremony
More than 500 scholarships worth about $10 million will be presented to outstanding students at a ceremony on 17 March. The funds were donated by individuals, professional bodies, charitable funds, private firms, the CityU Staff Giving Club and alumni. Donors and CityU President, Professor Way Kuo, are expected to attend the ceremony.

Research fellowship
The Google Policy Fellowship, offered for the first time in the Asia Pacific region and hosted by the Department of Media and Communication, offers successful applicants the opportunity to research and debate freedom of expression issues for a minimum of 10 weeks from June to August 2011. Google will provide each successful Hong Kong applicant with a US$7,500-stipend. Fellows will be selected from Australia, Hong Kong and India. For details, please visit http://www6.cityu.edu.hk/com/en_student_google.aspx .

Shaping your future
More than 100 secondary school teachers and students will enhance their understanding of the University on the “Be a CityU Student for a Day” programme on 26 March. They will attend talks given by the Hon Leung Chun-ying, Council Chairman, Professor Way Kuo, University President, and prominent figures from the public and commercial sectors. In addition, they will visit research and teaching facilities and attend a careers talk given by college/school representatives.

Chinese calligraphy exhibition
More than 70 works of Chinese calligraphy by Dr Sze Chi-ching, JP, Chairman of Hang Tung Resources Holding Limited, are on display at CityU Gallery. The exhibition is titled “Enchanting styles of the scholar’s script—Calligraphy works by Dr Sze Chi-ching” and will run until 23 March. To further enhance students’ understanding of Chinese calligraphy, CityU’s Library will host a series of learning activities during the exhibition period under the theme “Calligraphy and Literature”. Professor Yu Kuo-ching, Associate Curator at Taipei’s National Palace Museum, will conclude the events on 22 March with a seminar on Chinese calligraphy and literature.

Commitment to care
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service has awarded CityU its Caring Organisation Logo in recognition of our commitment to corporate social responsibility over the past year. The council is an umbrella organisation of more than 370 non-governmental organisations providing over 90% of the social welfare services in Hong Kong.

Bach, maths and digital art
Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of Media Art and Dean of the School of Creative Media at CityU, is presenting “Sketches of Utopia – Experience the Architecture of Bach” at the Hong Kong Arts Festival this year. The installation, which he designed with his collaborator Professor Bernd Lintermann, provides a 3D interactive digital audio visual experience of the complex mathematics that underpin Bach’s Mass in B minor.

Kudos
Dr Li Qiusheng, Associate Professor in the Department of Building and Construction, has received a First Class Award at the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) in the category of Technological Innovation Award from the Ministry of Education. Dr Li is the principal investigator of the project, “Wind Effects on Super Tall Buildings: Field Monitoring, Wind Tunnel Testing and Numerical Stimulation”, which is partnered with Hunan University. Dr Li Youfu, Associate Professor in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management received a Second Class Award in the category of Natural Science Award together with researchers in Zhejiang University of Technology and the Institute of Automation in the Chinese Academy of Sciences with the project “Three-dimensional computer modeling of active vision theory”.

Six students from the School of Creative Media took home five awards at Taiwan’s 6th Golden Sugarcane Film Festival this year. Man Pui-ki and Lo Chun-yip won Best Cinematography and Best Actor, respectively, for their short film Bo Ring’s Short Film. They also won Best Production. Wong Luk-ho and Wong Chun, Lam Kit-hang and Ng Ka-wa won Best Editing and Best Sound for their short film Two Peanuts.