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• 20th Anniversary celebration reaches its peak
• Fostering relations with US partners
• Joint institutions project to promote e-learning
• First Korean major in Hong Kong
• Senior staff appointment
• Kudos
• External appointment
• Good People Management Award

20th Anniversary celebration reaches its peak
Hundreds of staff, students, alumni and friends of CityU gathered at the University Circle at noon, 20 December, to celebrate the University's 20th anniversary. The Anniversary Celebration, which brought the anniversary year to a climax, was officiated by Dr Alice Lam, Chairman of the University Grants Committee (UGC). The event kicked off with congratulatory messages by staff and students from 20 different countries. It also marked the completion of the largest handprint painting which broke the Guinness World Records. The 330 square metre painting of a dragon is composed of handprints made by staff, students, alumni and friends, and reflects the solidarity of the CityU community. Following performances by the CityU Philharmonic Orchestra, CityU alumnus and pop singer Mr Edwin Siu, as well as the cutting of the cake and a ceremonial toast, participants were treated to a light buffet.

In appreciation of the support of staff to the "Turn One to Five" staff fundraising campaign, Mr Michael Kao, one of the matching donors for the campaign; and Dr Dennis Sun, Council member and matching donor, presented awards for the Top Departmental Staff Donation, Best Participation, Highest Average Departmental Staff Donation, and outstanding departmental fundraising ambassador. Professor H K Chang, President, presented prizes to the winning and cheering teams of the inter-hall tug-of-war competition, a programme held before the celebration.

The 20th anniversary commemorative album titled Celebrating 20 Years—University of a World City was launched on the same day. The publication, which adds to the list of 20th anniversary souvenirs, is now available at the Cut Price Shop at HK$100 per copy.

Fostering relations with US partners
A Presidential-led delegation to the US, 3-11 December, has successfully established a partnership with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) which agreed to sign a general academic exchange agreement and a student exchange agreement with CityU. Dr Richard Herman, Chancellor of UIUC will visit Hong Kong in January 2005 to conclude the signing of the agreement.

Professor H K Chang, joined by Professor Ian Holliday, Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Professor Chan Chi-hou, Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Professor James Moy, Dean, School of Creative Media; and Dr Zhu Guobin, Director, External Liaison and Cooperation Office, also visited the City University of New York, Vanderbilt University, and Washington University. The trip, which aimed to expand CityU's academic and student exchange linkages with reputable universities in the US and attract incoming exchange students, has achieved fruitful discussions with senior faculty of the partner institutions on new initiatives in the areas of student internship programmes, summer schools in humanities and social sciences taught on the mainland, and an English version of the Chinese Civilization course.

Joint institutions project to promote e-learning
CityU joins hands with the Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Lingnan University, the University of Hong Kong, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in a project to establish a Hong Kong Virtual University Campus (HKVUC). The project, which aims to establish a common, networked virtual campus for connecting local tertiary institutions through an e-Learning Open Platform, has received a HK$7m grant from UGC's Restructuring and Collaboration Fund.

The participating institutions will develop on-line courseware in four areas: General Education, Information Technology (IT), Language Learning, and Science and Education. Chair Professor Horace Ip, Department of Computer Science (CS), who is in the project team, will be the co-ordinator for the IT part. In addition to the CS Department, the Departments of Applied Social Studies, and English and Communication will be involved in the production of on-line courseware in Language Learning and General Education.

First Korean major in Hong Kong
The Division of Language Studies will offer Korean programmes as a major in the AA Bilingual Communication Studies programme starting September 2005. The award-bearing Korean programme, which aims to provide graduates with professional communication skills to mediate and develop stronger business relationships and provide cross-cultural links in Hong Kong, China's mainland and Korea, is the first of its kind in Hong Kong.

Senior staff appointment
Mr Fung Keung, Victor, has been appointed Director of the Communications Office, and Mrs Betty Chan, currently Acting Director, will serve as Associate Director of Communications with effect from 5 January 2005.

Kudos
Prof Li Ping, Department of Electronic Engineering, received the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship 2005-2006 awarded by the Croucher Foundation.

Dr Jonathan Li Qiusheng, Associate Professor, Department of Building and Construction, received the State Natural Science Award, Grade Two.

Chair Professor Czeslaw Rudowicz, Department of Physics and Materials Science, has been elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

The Reprographics Section of the CityU Press won a Silver Award in the Combined Printing Category and a Bronze Award in the Electrostatic Printing Category in the Second Digital Printing Awards organized by the Hong Kong Digital Printing Association.

External appointment
Professor Wong Yuk-shan, Vice-President (Administration) and Professor (Chair) of Biological Sciences in the Department of Biology and Chemistry, has been appointed Advisor of Science and Technology Development by the Shenzhen Government.

Good People Management Award
CityU received a Certificate of Commendation from the Labour Department in recognition of its efforts in pursuring good people management and in appreciation of its participation in the Good People Management Award 2004.