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No. 84 19 March 2007
 

 

CityU raises $120m under the Third Matching Grant Scheme
Thanks to the hard work of the University community and the generosity of donors, CityU had raised about $123m since June 2006, of which $120m can be used to apply for the Government's Third Matching Grant worth $82m. The total fund raised from donation and the Matching Grant will be $205m, setting a new record for the University. The fund raised will be spent on research and other departmental functions, student development, general University development and capital projects.

 

Strong gains in Research Assessment Exercise
The results of the 2006 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) clearly demonstrate CityU's strengths in research. The overall Research Index of the University has risen to 75.66, according to figures released by the University Grants Committee (UGC) earlier this month. Its Index was 66.20 (excluding the former College of Higher Vocational Studies) in the last RAE conducted in 1999.

In the RAE, academic departments are grouped into different "cost centres" under a common classification system and are assessed by separate panels. CityUˇ¦s research activities fall into 12 panels and our performance in six of these panels is ranked within the top three places among all UGC-funded institutions.

Ten cost centres at CityU, namely biological sciences, physics and astronomy, chemistry, materials science, earth sciences, mathematics and statistics, civil engineering, public administration, communication and media studies, and other arts/humanities, have Research Indices at or above 85%. Among them, four cost centres scored 100%.

Our physical sciences panel, with cost centres including physics and astronomy, chemistry, materials science, earth sciences, and mathematics and statistics, scored 98.96%, the highest score achieved among all institutions and panels.

 

Re-planning library space
The Run Run Shaw Library is dedicated to providing better quality service to library users, and its renovation plans announced recently aim to do just that. At the Library Renovation Consultation Forum on 13 February, the University Librarian gave a talk on the challenges the Library is facing and proposed several strategies for space management, details of which are on display in the lobby of the Library until 28 March. In addition, the Library is conducting a survey on the use of library facilities, preferences about future renovation and current levels of customer satisfaction. Staff and students can express their views by filling out a questionnaire obtainable from the Library or the Library website.

 

City Literary Festival
The City Literary Festival, jointly organized by CityU and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, will kick off on 30 March with a symposium. Nine celebrated Chinese writers will exchange ideas and pass on valuable experiences to budding writers. The prominent speakers include Mr Chang Ta-chuan, Mr Chen Yizhi, Professor Cheng Chou-yu, Mr Dong Qiao, Professor Lau Shiu-ming, Ms Mao Jian, Professor Pai Hsien-yung, Mr Yip Fai and Ms Zhang Yihe. They will discuss different literary genres, including non-fiction prose, short stories and poetry.

In addition, they will adjudicate the City Literary Award, one of the highlights of the Festival. This writing competition is open to all local and Macau young writers. The festival will include an exchange forum with some of these celebrated writers, to be held on campus on 31 March, and a closing seminar to be held in Macau on 2 April.

 

Sports achievements
CityU sports teams have performed strongly once again in the inter-collegiate sports competitions organized by the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong (USFHK). The women's squash team clinched the championship title while the men's rugby team came second. At the 46th USFHK Annual Athletic Meet on 11 March, CityU's athletic team also performed very well, winning the women's division and coming second in the menˇ¦s division. The team brought home the Overall Champion title.

 

Kudos
I see I cannot see, a final-year video project by Ms Kim Chim Lok-man, a 2006 graduate of the School of Creative Media, was a Selected Work at the 29th Tokyo Video Festival. Ms Chimˇ¦s work was one of 100 prize-winning videos to receive either an Excellence Award or a Selected Work title. There were over 3,400 entries from 55 countries and regions this year, including 150 from Hong Kong.

Dr Yue Xiaodong, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Social Studies, has received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the Chinese Association for Mental Health in recognition of his long-serving contributions. The Chinese Association for Mental Health is a national non-governmental organization with 26 provincial branch associations. Its members are professionals from mental health, psychology, clinical practice, education and related fields.

 

A cultural journey celebrated through music
The CityU Choir, CityU Chinese Orchestra and CityU Philharmonic Orchestra will hold their first joint concert at Hong Kong City Hall on 20 April. "Cultural Journey Revisited" will take you on a musical journey with a world traveller. You will experience where he started, what he went through and how he revisited the culture to which he belongs. Details will be announced soon.

 

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