IN THIS ISSUE Outstanding Scholars Honoured in the CityU ... · Merit Award, bestowed on just one...

Results of the first round of the CityU Research Excellence

Awards were announced in January 2008. The Grand

Award was given to Prof Zhang Longxi, Chair Professor of the

Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, and the

Award of Excellence

w a s w o n b y P r o f

P a u l C h u K i m - h o ,

Chair Professor of the

Department of Physics

and Materials Science. A

presentation ceremony

will take place later in

the year.

A t o t a l o f 2 3

applications were assessed by a seven-person judging

panel, chaired by Vice-President (Research) Prof Roderick

Wong Sue-cheun and including both internal and external

experts. Six applicants were shortlisted for interviews in

early December 2007.

Internationally Renowned Cross-cultural ScholarProf Zhang i s a world-renowned scholar in the

humanities. His research and publications focus on

promoting cross-cultural understanding between China and

the West from the perspective of East-West comparative

cultural and literary studies. His publications have received

high acclaim internationally. Being widely respected for his

outstanding achievements, Prof Zhang is the recipient of

numerous prestigious honours and appointments worldwide.

He received his MA in English from Peking University

in 1981 and his PhD in Comparative Literature from Harvard

University in 1989. He taught at Peking, Harvard, and the

University of California, Riverside, before joining CityU in

1998.

Prof Zhang has authored many

articles and books, including The Tao

and the Logos: Literary Hermeneutics,

East and West (Duke), which won an

Honourable Mention in the Joseph

Levenson Book Prize and has been

translated into Chinese and Korean;

Mighty Opposites: From Dichotomies to

Differences in the Comparative Study of

China (Stanford); Out of the Cultural

Ghetto (Commercial Press, in Chinese);

Newsletter Advisory Board

Prof David Tong, Deputy President • Prof Roderick Wong, Vice President (Research) / Dean of Graduate Studies • Prof Y V Hui, Associate Dean, Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies • Prof K K Wei, Dean of Faculty of Business • Dr Robert Neather, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics • Dr Bruce Richardson, Department of Biology and Chemistry • Dr John Ho, School of Law • Mr Tai Hon Sum, Vincent, representative from CityU Postgraduate Association

Editorial Board

Mrs Linda Cheng, Research Grants Office • Ms Vicki Geall, Research Grants Office • Ms Millie Mark, Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies • Mr H Y Wong, Technology Transfer Office

The Editorial Board welcomes articles,photos and ideas. Please send yourcontributions to Ms Millie Mark c/o Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies (Fax: 2788-7097; E-mail: [email protected]).

FEATUR

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IN TH

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P.6 P.14 P.20 • Research

• Recent Events

• Technology Transfer

• Graduate Studies

• CUPA

1

9

11

16

24

Marine Environmental Research

Licensing Streamlined

Graduates Reflect on Congregation

Volume 33March 2008

Outstanding Scholars Honoured in the CityU Research Excellence AwardsOutstanding Scholars Honoured in the CityU Research Excellence Awards

(continued on next page)

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter�

and Allegoresis: Reading Canonical

Literature East and West (Cornell).

His most recent book is titled

Unexpected Affinities (Toronto),

the launch of which at CityU on 6

February 2007 kicked off a series

of four lectures by Prof Zhang on

Chinese and Western literature.

“By comparing literatures, we

achieve a different perspective

and acquire a new sensibility

that allows us greater insight and

something more than just a single

point of view,” Prof Zhang said.

From 2001 to 2006, Prof Zhang was Director of the

University’s Centre for Cross-Cultural Studies (CCS). He has

organised many international conferences and symposiums

at CityU, including the recent “International Conference on

Ideas of Humanity in the Age of Globalisation” in November

2007 (see page 10); an “International Conference on

Translation, Literature, and Cross-Cultural Understanding” in

2005; and “Matteo Ricci and After: Four Centuries of Cultural

Interactions between China and the West” in 2001.

In 2005, Prof Zhang became the first Chinese scholar,

indeed the first non-Westerner, to deliver the University of

Toronto’s Alexander Lectures. Like the Norton Lectures at

Harvard, the Alexander Lectures series is one of the most

prestigious lectureships in literary studies in Europe and

North America. Prof Zhang delivered four lectures under the

general theme of “Textual Encounters/Cultural Encounters”.

Word-class Materials ScientistProf Chu, who has an MS and a PhD in Chemistry from

Cornell University, is a leading scientist in plasma science and

materials engineering. Since joining CityU in 1996, he has

been committed to researching the basic theories of plasma

and plasma ion implantation and deposition (PII&D) and

applications in semiconductors as well as biomedical and

other functional materials. His team has developed a range

of advanced technologies, including silicon-on-insulator and

plasma-based orthopaedic shape memory alloys for correcting

spinal deformities. He holds concurrent professorships in 10

universities and research institutes in China and collaborates

closely with scientists locally and abroad. For example, he

works with the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese

Academy of Sciences on projects using plasma technology

to encourage cells to grow on ceramic, a material used for

producing artificial hip joints.

In the ISI Thomson Essential Science Indicators, Prof

Chu is ranked as one of the top 0.1% scientists in materials

science and 0.5% in engineering and all fields. He has

contributed significantly to applied research, and has been

granted eight United States and five Chinese patents. “CityU

encourages academics to conduct applied research and transfer

the outcomes to society,” Prof Chu said. “This makes our work

more meaningful and motivates us to make further progress.”

He also has an impressive track record of attracting

external funding, obtaining more than 40 research grants

worth over $50 million in the past 10 years. He led an inter-

institutional team to secure $2.8 million in the 2006/07 Central

Allocation Vote grants exercise to upgrade major equipment

essential for PII&D research in Hong Kong. This expands

and updates one of the old plasma implanters in the Plasma

Laboratory at CityU designed and built by Prof Chu’s team over

12 years ago. The technology arising from this research has

wide applications such as in industrial cutting blades, artificial

hip joints and heart valves, microelectronics, optoelectronics,

and nanotechnology.

Prof Chu has received many prestigious awards. In 2007,

he won the IEEE/NPSS (Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society)

Merit Award, bestowed on just one person each year, for his

outstanding technical contributions to the field of plasma

science. He was the first academic from an Asian institute to

win this award since it was established in 1972.

Recognising and Rewarding Excellence in ResearchCityU introduced the Awards to recognise and reward research

excellence, emphasise the University’s commitment to creating

an environment conducive to high quality research at an

internationally competitive level, and enhance the University’s

role-related performance in the delivery of its research agenda.

The Awards, which will be held every two years, take

over from the previous Applied Research Excellence Awards,

and expand eligibility to encompass academic and applied

research projects, along with contract research projects,

consultancies, or other applied work. The selection process

for the next round will begin in 2009.

— Vicki Geall

Research

�March 2008 Volume 33

Research

At the end of 2007, the Liu Bie Ju Centre for Mathematical

Sciences (LBJ)—based in the Department of Mathematics

and one of CityU’s five University Research Centres—

celebrated its tenth anniversary. It was named after the mother

o f a d o n o r w h o s e

g e n e r o u s s u p p o r t

helped found the Centre

in 1997.

L B J w a s

established to conduct

first-class research in

applied mathematics

and in computational

m a t h e m a t i c s . T h e

C e n t r e h o l d s j o i n t

a c t i v i t i e s w i t h t o p

international institutions, attracting eminent

visiting scientists from all over the world, and

organises international mathematics conferences

and workshops, half-year programmes, and weekly

colloquia. In 2005, LBJ initiated the William Benter

Distinguished Lecture Series, in honour of donor Mr

William Benter, as a series of invited lectures at CityU

by prominent mathematicians.

“The Centre is becoming very well known in the

mathematics community,” said Prof Roderick Wong Sue-cheun,

Professor (Chair) of the Department of Mathematics, Vice-

President (Research), and Director of LBJ. “The sheer number

of famous mathematicians visiting is a strong indicator of its

international standing and the University’s growing reputation

in applied and computational mathematics. For example, four

past Presidents of the International Mathematical Union and

three Fields Medallists have visited the Centre over the past

ten years.”

The research conducted by the Centre is applied in

nature, including fluid mechanics, mathematical finance,

elasticity, control theory, and non-linear wave propagation.

The Centre also organises activities related to applied

mathematics, such as a series of industrial workshops. For

example, the 2nd Workshop on Industrial Applications was

held in December 2006, with the aims of helping to enhance

collaboration between academics and industry, and providing

an opportunity for applied mathematicians to be exposed to

problems of direct industrial importance. The Centre also

plays a significant role in attracting outside funding and

donations for strengthening research in applied mathematical

sciences.

Over the past ten years, the Centre has developed

strong links with a number of other prestigious mathematics

departments and institutions around the world.

An agreement of cooperation was recently

formed between LBJ and the Fields Institute for

Research in Mathematical Sciences, Canada.

As part of the anniversary celebrations,

CityU hosted the Fourth Pacific Rim Conference

on Mathematics from 7 to 11 December 2007.

As a high profile mathematics event, the

conference aimed to present the

latest trends in mathematical

research to a wider audience and

develop stronger ties between

mathematicians in the Pacific

Rim region. It comprised eight

focus sessions, each including a

plenary lecture and several invited

lectures.

The conference was co-

chaired by Prof Wong and Prof Philippe G Ciarlet, Professor

(Chair) of the Department of Mathematics and Deputy

Director of LBJ. In his opening remarks at the conference, Prof

Wong highlighted the development of the conference and the

involvement by relevant organisations from around the Pacific

Rim.

Prof Wong also reserved special praise for the role LBJ

has played in bolstering CityU’s standing in the international

mathematics community. “The Liu Bie Ju Centre has been

running many conferences, workshops and distinguished

lectures and hosting many very eminent visitors, all of

which add greatly to CityU’s own respected position in the

international academic and mathematics community.”

A formal dinner to commemorate this important ten-year

milestone and to thank the donor and the donor’s family was held

during the conference on 8 December. The conference finished on

11 December with a lecture on “Geometry on Probability Spaces”

by Prof Stephen Smale, 1966 winner of the Fields Medal, former

Distinguished Professor of CityU’s Department of Mathematics

(1995–2001), and current Honorary Professor of the University

and Adviser to LBJ.

—Vicki Geall

Research Centre Celebrates 10th Anniversary


Research

Dr Chin Kwai-sang, Associate Professor in the

Department of Manufacturing Engineering

and Engineering Management, was elected a

Fellow of the American Society for Quality

(ASQ) in November 2007 in recognition of his

contribution to the research and promotion of

quality engineering and management. He is the

third scholar from the Greater China Region to

have earned this prestigious honour.

The ASQ is one of the leading quality

organisations in the world, with more than 100,000 individual

and corporate members and about 600 fellows. The Society

Scholar Elected Fellow of the American Society for Quality

recognised Dr Chin’s exceptional international

service to the Chinese quality community as a

representative of the ASQ. It also highlighted his

dedicated academic research into manufacturing

applications of the theory and practice of quality in

Hong Kong and his inspiring leadership of national

quality management initiatives throughout the

entire Asia-Pacific region.

Dr Chin has been conducting research related

to quality for more than 20 years. He is also a

Fellow of the Hong Kong Society for Quality and the Hong

Kong Quality Management Association.

EE Professor and PhD Student Excel in Symposium

A professor and his PhD student from the Department

of Electronic Engineering (EE) received the best paper

award at the Microwave and Millimetre-wave Symposium of

China, held in Ningbo in October 2007.

In the best paper “Out-of-phase power divider based

on double-sided parallel strip line”, Dr Xue Quan, Associate

Professor of EE, and his PhD student, Chen Jianxin, presented

their novel solution in the development of an out-of-phase

power divider. Power dividers are widely used in various

communication systems, for example in mobile phone signal

transmission base stations. Unlike other out-of-phase power

dividers using microstrip line as the transmission medium,

parallel strip line is used instead in their design, resulting in

wider bandwidth and more accurate performance.

Since the power divider can operate in a wide bandwidth,

it can satisfy the requirements of various communication

systems, such as Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, and Wireless LAN. This

brings added convenience and cost-saving solutions to the

communications industry. Dr Xue and Chen Jianxin plan to

patent their invention and convert it into a product catering

for the needs of industry.

The biennial Microwave and Millimetre-wave Symposium

of China is organised by the Microwave Sector of the Chinese

Institute of Electronics and has a 20-year history.

Honours and AwardsPresident-designate Prof Way Kuo Named Foreign Member of CAE in China

Prof Way Kuo, President-designate of CityU, has been

elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy

of Engineering (CAE). The election recognises Prof

Kuo’s “contribution to the field of reliability design for

microelectronics products and systems,” according to

President Xu Kuangdi of CAE.

Prof Kuo is one of three Foreign Members on CAE’s 2007 new

members’ list announced on 29 December 2007. Membership

of CAE is the highest academic title in engineering science

and technology in China. Currently, CAE has a total of 721

Members with six from Hong Kong and 34 worldwide Foreign

Members. Prof Kuo is also an elected

member of the US National Academy of

Engineering, the International Academy

for Quality, and Academia Sinica in

Taiwan.

“Prof Kuo’s election to the academy

is a great honour for CityU as Prof Kuo,

an internationally recognised professional

and academic, will lead our university to

meet new challenges and scale new heights in the next five to

ten years,” said Prof Richard Ho Yan-ki, Acting President.


Research

CityU Rises in the Ranking of World Universities

CityU jumped five places from 154th in 2006 to 149th in

2007 among the world’s top universities according to

The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) 2007 survey.

CityU is one of four Hong Kong universities listed in the top

200.

CityU broke into the world’s top 200 universities in the

first survey in 2004 (ranked 198th) and has continued to

climb ever since. It was ranked 178th and 154th in 2005 and

2006, respectively. “With the hard work and devotion of the

CityU community, I am confident we will continue to improve

in the years to come,” said Prof Richard Ho Yan-ki, Acting

President.

The improvement in the rank ings re f l ec t s the

achievements of CityU staff, students, and graduates. Prof Ho

called on the CityU community to thank supporters, donors,

the University Grants Committee, and the Government

for their unfailing support, while celebrating its proud

achievements and success. “Without their contribution and

dedication, we would not have been able to come this far in

such a short history,” he said.

“Together and united, we will work hard to nurture

graduates to become professionals with a globalised outlook,

and we will continue to scale new heights and make CityU a

great university,” said Prof Ho.

The annual THES survey is based on six criteria: peer

review by academics, comments from graduate recruiters,

citations of academic papers, staff-to-student ratios, the

percentage of overseas staff members, and the percentage of

non-local students.

Adapted from an article by CityU NewsCentre

External Research Funding News

Competitive Earmarked Research Grants Applications For the 2008/09 funding round, CityU submitted 314 project

proposals from across its faculties, schools, and research

centres. All applications were submitted to the Research

Grants Council electronically. Applicants will be contacted

by the CityU Research Grants Office (RO) in April 2008 with

information on procedures for updates or significant changes to

proposals. Results of this 2008/09 exercise will be announced

at the end of June 2008.

One-off Funding for Special Research Equipment

GrantIn January 2008, the University Grants Council (UGC) invited

applications for a one-off non-recurrent grant to buy, replace,

and upgrade research equipment for communal or shared

usage/collaborative research by multiple users within or across

institutions. The internal deadline for applications was 18

February 2008 to ensure submission by the UGC’s end of

February deadline.

Hong Kong Applications for Establishing State Key

LaboratoriesHong Kong’s Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC)

has been invited by the Mainland’s Ministry of Science and

Technology (MOST) to coordinate applications for setting up

State Key Laboratories in the HKSAR. The deadline for the

first round of applications was December 2007, with CityU

submitting one application. Results are expected in October

2008.

UK/Hong Kong Joint Research SchemeThe Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong has signed

an agreement with the Economic and Social Research Council

(ESRC) of the UK to develop joint initiatives between the

two bodies. One such initiative is a pilot scheme to support

projects from researchers in the UK and Hong Kong in 2007/08

and 2008/09. This new scheme will be coordinated and

administered by the ESRC.

The scheme is now inviting applications for the 2007/08

exercise. Applications must be submitted by the UK partners

of the joint project teams to the ESRC by 25 March 2008.

Detailed information is available from the ESRC website at

www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/

international/hkbilateral.aspx.

Any enquiries about this exercise should be emailed

directly to the ESRC at [email protected]. Enquiries

relating to institutional endorsement and research ethics

approval for CityU applicants can be directed to RO at 3442

6213/6832.


Research

The work of CityU researchers, along with local and

international collaborators, under the umbrella of the

Centre for Marine Environmental Research and Innovative

Technology (MERIT), is going from strength to strength,

garnering support and recognition from a wide range of

stakeholders.

MERIT was set up with $45 million awarded to the

CityU-led project by the University Grants Committee (UGC)

in the third round of its Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme in

January 2004. Under the leadership of Prof Rudolf Wu, Chair

Professor of CityU’s Department of Biology and Chemistry,

MERIT focuses on the development of innovative technologies

for monitoring, assessing, and controlling the effects of human

activities on the marine environment.

“Marine pollution is a pressing worldwide problem that

poses a major threat to Hong Kong and the Mainland, as one-

third of our gross domestic product comes from the utilisation

of coastal resources,” Prof Wu said. “The work of MERIT is

highly relevant to the socioeconomic growth, sustainable

development, and the protection of public and ecosystem

health in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region.”

Novel Science Leading to Practical ApplicationsMERIT encompasses a wide range of projects under four

interlinked programmes: novel

technologies for environmental

diagnosis; ecosystem recovery;

impact and risk assessments;

and po l lu t ion contro l and

bioremediation technologies.

One diagnosis project is the

development of a novel device,

the “Art i f i c ia l Musse l” , to

monitor heavy metals in marine

environments and overcome

the problems faced by using

live mussels as bioindicators.

The a r t i f i c i a l musse l , the

first of its kind in the world, traps heavy metal complexes

during field deployment for analysis back in the laboratory.

The team has recently instigated a “Global Artificial Mussel

Watch” programme to assess the device’s applicability around

the world with collaborators in Australia, Mainland China,

CityU-led Marine Environmental Research Making a Local, Regional, and International Impact

South Africa, Portugal, the UK, Iceland, and the USA. This

initiative will, for the first time, enable a comparison of metal

contamination worldwide.

To detect the presence of another group of pollutants

in water—endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), which

include a broad range of chemicals that can, at very low

levels, interfere with the normal functioning of metabolic,

growth, and reproductive hormones—the team has developed

another worldwide first: the transgenic marine Medaka and

its use for EDC detection. Through this technique, a gene for

synthesising fluorescence protein is introduced to a specific

location of the genome of the Medaka. If the fish encounters

EDC pollutants, the gene will respond, triggering the synthesis

of green fluorescence, and thus becoming an easy-to-identify

and cost-effective marker of pollution.

The MERIT team has also been the first in the world to

identify the effects of hypoxia, the lack of oxygen in water

caused by pollution, on the hormonal balance of fish, leading

to reproductive impairment and skewing populations towards

a male bias. “Ecologically this is very significant because it

means populations would crash,” Prof Wu said, “and hypoxia

affects more than a million square kilometres of marine waters

all over the globe.” This research has attracted attention

worldwide, and has been widely reported by the mass media,

in high-profile academic journals, and on the internet.

Another project has developed a fish bioassay for

drug screening and environmental toxicity testing, which

won a gold award at the 35th International Exhibition of

Inventions, New Techniques and Products in Geneva in

2007. The fish bioassay innovatively combines screening

and toxicology in a two-tier system, using the embryos

of zebrafish to look at the potential positive and adverse

effects on humans of pollutants as well as western drugs and

traditional Chinese medicine.

(continued on next page)


Research

Many of these novel technologies are moving into the

validation stage, which aims to bring technologies developed

in the laboratory to the field to gauge their effectiveness in

real-world situations. The team is also examining the recovery

of marine ecosystems. Although thousands of papers have

been published on pollution in marine waters and the effects

caused, only a handful have looked

at how soon and the ways in which

marine ecosystems may recover

after pollution abatement. Hong

Kong offers a unique opportunity

as it is undergoing a $27 billion

Harbour Area Treatment Scheme

to curb pollution from sewage.

The MERIT team is exploring

water quality, bacteria, intertidal

communities, organisms such

as miniscule plants and bottom

dwellers, and the biochemical

changes in mussels and fish to discover how recovery occurs,

and to understand recovery patterns and resulting effects on

the rest of the ecosystem. “This is very basic research,” Prof

Wu said, “which at the same time has great applied value

that may potentially save taxpayers in Hong Kong billions of

dollars in sewage treatment.”

Through the impact and risk assessments programme,

MERIT i s deve loping a range o f models to pred ic t

environmental risks, including the carrying capacity model

(to assess how much pollutant can be accommodated before

adverse environmental effects would occur), the biokinetic

model (to trace how toxins and pollutants are transferred

along the food chain), and the risk assessment model (to

assess the risks posed by different pollutants to the ecosystem

and to public health).

Control l ing and remediat ing pol lut ion is being

addressed by the fourth task team. Measures include using

polymers, microalgae, biosorbents, and wetland plants to

remove nutrients and toxic pollutants from wastewater; the

bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

and PAH-contaminated sediment using microbes; controlling,

mitigating, and tracking harmful algal blooms (HABs); and

controlling red tides using clay application.

Disseminating Groundbreaking ResearchThe Centre’s work has been discussed and disseminated

through a series of large international conferences on marine

pollution and ecotoxicology. In the fifth conference at CityU in

June 2007, over 250 marine environmental experts discussed

crucial issues and technologies in marine environmental

protection. Members of the team have published over 120

articles on the work of MERIT in leading journals. The project

also plays an important role in training research students and

post-doctoral fellows.

Various workshops have been held to introduce relevant

bodies to the new technologies,

such as a two-day workshop for

about 30 government officials

and green group representatives

in Hong Kong, held on 19–20

November 2007. “We hope to

make use of our research to benefit

the community by sharing our

expertise with the Government

and other relevant organisations,

t r a n s f e r r i n g t o t h e m t h e

technologies we have developed,

and providing vital management

information for policy formulation,” Prof Wu said.

At the inv i t a t ion o f PEMSEA (Partnersh ips in

Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, a GEF/

UNDP/IMO Regional Programme), in 2006 MERIT introduced

its work at a one-day forum to the East Asia Seas Congress,

attended by ministers and high-ranking officials from the

region. MERIT has since been recognised by PEMSEA as the

“Regional Centre of Excellence in Marine Pollution”, with

the remit to offer expert advice to countries in the region and

disseminate the novel technologies developed for practical

use.

An Area of ExcellenceIn addition to the recognition of its exciting achievements by

PEMSEA, relevant local and regional bodies, the international

academic community, and the international press, MERIT

has received acclaim in the last three annual reviews by the

external reviewers appointed by the UGC. The team also

received very positive feedback when visited by the review

panel in December 2007.

“Every year since the inception of MERIT we have

received excellent ratings and commendations from the UGC

and external reviewers,” Prof Wu said. Indeed, one such

review cites the panel as commending MERIT as probably “one

of the best examples of an AoE in nurturing and facilitating

the emergence of an internationally renowned activity in Hong

Kong”.

— Vicki Geall


Research

External Grants

ActivityApplication period for the Conference Grant and ResearchActivities Fund, 1st Round 2008Seed Funding Scheme of Health Care and PromotionFund (HCPF)Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)/RGCJoint Research SchemePhD Student Workshop 2008 (Suzhou)Application period for the Research Tuition Scholarshipand Outstanding Academic Performance Award,2nd Round 2008France/Hong Kong Joint Research SchemeGermany/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme

Date1–31 March 2008

16 March 2008

25 March 2008

25–26 March 200814 April–10 May 2008

May 2008June 2008

Responsible PartySGS

RO

ESRC

SGSSGS

RORO

Upcoming Deadlines/Activities

Funding BodyEC 7th Framework Programme (FP7)

Entrix, Inc

France/HK Joint Research Scheme

Germany/HK Joint Research Scheme

HKSAR Government

International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc

Movimento Catolico de Apoio a Familia

NSFC/RGC

PAOC Ka Chi Secondary School

Paterich Industrial Group Ltd

United Nations Development Fund for Women

Private Funding

Project TitleWireless Hybrid Enhanced Mobile Radio Estimates

Standardisation and Refinement of the H295R Cell Based Assay to Identify Chemical Modulators of Steroidogenesis and Aromatase Activity

Lanthanide-based Phosphors for Mercury-free Lighting and Bio-labelling

Transceiver Optimisation for Multiple-antenna Systems in Correlated Rician and Nakagami Fading with Generic Average Channel Feedback

Antecedents and Consequences of Trust in Relational Service Exchange: Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Cultures

A Study on Effect of Biofilter Deployment on the Water Quality, Sediment and Benthic Community at Sham Wan Fish Culture Zone

Research and Development of a Provably Secure and Highly Efficient Two-factor Authentication System

Attitude and Attitude Change toward Sexuality and Sexual Behaviour among Chinese Children/Youth in Macau

Dynamical Analysis and Global Control of Internet Data Traffic

An Intelligent Agent Based Multi-criteria Group Decision Making Methodology and Its Applications to Enterprise Risk Analysis in Hong Kong and Mainland China

Strategy and Implementation Plan for PAOC Ka Chi Secondary School

Identity-based Cryptography

Culture, Women, Violence: Debunking and Rejecting ‘Cultural’ Justifications of Violence against Women

Water Leakage and Concrete Structure Diagnostics

PI (Dept)Prof Ping Li (EE)

Prof Rudolf Shiu-sun Wu (BCH)

Prof Peter A Tanner (BCH)

Prof Keith Qitu Zhang (EE)

Dr Zhilin Yang (MKT)

Dr Paul Kam-shing Shin (BCH)

Prof Xiaotie Deng (CS)

Dr Siu-fung Lin (SS)

Prof Guanrong Chen (EE)

Prof Kin-keung Lai (MS)

Dr Angel Mei-yi Lin (EN)

Dr Duncan Shek Wong (CS)

Dr Vivienne Wee (AIS)

Dr Bing-Lam Luk (MEEM)

Amount$679,919

US$50,000

$28,000

$21,800

$29,200

$100,000

$54,742

$35,000

$404,000

$519,000

$883,337

$60,000

US$35,000

$49,900

`

March 2008 Volume 33 �

International Experts Gather at CityU to Discuss Terrorism

The School of Law at CityU opened the “International

Conference on Terror i sm, Human Secur i ty and

Development: Human Rights Perspective” on 16 October

2007. The two-day conference, organised in collaboration

with the United Nations University (UNU), Japan, is

the first of its kind in Hong Kong. It brought together

more than 25 experts in law and policy issues relating to

terrorism, public law, comparative and international law,

human rights, and development from around the world.

The mission of the UNU is to contribute, through research and education, to efforts to resolve pressing global problems that

are of concern to the United Nations, its peoples, and member states.

Lecture by Nobel Prize-winning Chemist

A full-house audience of almost 200 people was treated on 30 October 2007 to an

illuminating journey into the world of chemistry, and taken on a guided tour of the

milestones in its history, by 1987 Nobel Prize-winning chemist Prof Jean-Marie Lehn.

Prof Lehn’s lecture at CityU was part of the France–Hong Kong Distinguished

Lecture Series co-organised by the French Academy of Sciences, the Consulate General

of France in Hong Kong, and CityU. Prof Lehn is regarded as one of the founding

fathers of supramolecular chemistry. His lecture, titled “From Matter to Life: Chemistry?

Chemistry!”, was an exciting, entertaining, and highly informative look into the realm of chemistry that links the inanimate to the

living.

Applied Research Showcased at China Hi-Tech Fair

Fifteen CityU applied research projects were showcased at the 9th China Hi-Tech Fair,

held at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre, 12–17 October 2007. This is

one of the largest and most influential science and technology fairs in China. The 2007

event attracted delegations from 30 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany,

Italy, Russia, the UK, and the US, and more than 40 famous multinationals such as British

Telecommunications, Ericsson, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, Philips, Samsung, SAP, Siemens,

and Sony.

CityU’s exhibits came from a range of departments: Physics and Materials Science, Biology and Chemistry, Computer Science,

Electronic Engineering, and Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management.

Chinese Academy of Sciences Delegation Visits CityU

On 13 November 2007, Prof Lu Yongxiang, President of the Chinese Academy of

Sciences (CAS), led a six-member delegation to CityU. In his welcoming speech to

the delegation, Prof David Tong Shuk-yin, Deputy President of CityU, said that as an

applied research-oriented university, CityU strives to convert its research outcomes

into applications and has won acclaim from the business and industrial sectors.

Five distinguished research scholars at CityU then presented to the delegation

the University’s achievements in the research areas of the marine environment, bio-

chip technology, plasma, green energy, and artificial intelligence. Prof Lu commended the University’s research development.

Recent Events

10 Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter

CityU Holds Conference on Globalisation and Humanity

The first “International Conference on Ideas of Humanity in the Age of Globalisation” in Hong Kong,

organised by the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics (CTL) of CityU, was held from

18 to 21 November 2007. More than a dozen distinguished scholars from Europe, the USA, and Asia

gathered to discuss the impact of globalisation on humanity from the perspectives of history, culture,

sociology and philosophy, and to examine ways of promoting cross-cultural exchanges. The four-day

conference was divided into eight sessions.

Prof Zhang Longxi, Professor (Chair) of Comparative Literature and Translation, CTL, and

conference organiser, said the impacts of globalisation—partly good and partly bad, partly encouraging

and partly threatening—had wider implications in the areas of economics, political science, sociology, and cultural studies.

World Languages Discussed

The Halliday Centre for Intelligent Applications of Language Studies (HCLS) of CityU

held an international conference on “Becoming a World Language: The Growth of

Chinese, English and Spanish” from 5 to 7 December 2007.

More than 50 plenary addresses and lectures comprised the event, exploring the

significance of a language transforming into a world language. Linguistics experts

from all over the world assembled to address some of the little-known effects of this

phenomenon on the world’s speakers, speech communities, and language systems.

Speaking during his opening plenary address, Prof M A K Halliday said, “Chinese, English, and Spanish are the three languages

that have grown largest in terms of their deployment in the world today. The conditions that have brought about this growth are

social and economic: people have moved into new regions and taken their language with them.”

Workshop Explores Ethics in the Face of Biotech Breakthroughs

International and local experts in bioethics participated in a three-day workshop from

6 to 8 December 2007 to explore critical issues relating to human nature amid the

rapid development of biotechnologies in the 21st century. About 40 distinguished

scholars in the fields of philosophy, politics, and public policy from the UK, the US,

Sweden, Hong Kong, and the Chinese mainland gathered at CityU for an East-West

dialogue to debate critical issues on "Human Nature and Bioethics".

The workshop was co-organised by CityU's Governance in Asia Research Centre

and Oxford University's Programme on the Ethics of the New Biosciences at their James Martin 21st Century School, Faculty of

Philosophy, in the UK. The event was also supported by a grant from the British Academy.

Recent Events

CityU Hosts Mainland–HK Symposium on Marine Research

About 150 marine environmental scientists, academics, and students from Hong Kong

and the Mainland attended a symposium on climate change and marine pollution at

CityU from 9 to 10 January 2008.

The symposium was a joint effort between the Centre for Marine Environmental

Research and Innovative Technology (MERIT) led by CityU and the State Key Laboratory

of Marine Environmental Science (MEL), Xiamen University. It provided a forum for

scientific exchange and technical communication between scientists in Hong Kong

and the Mainland, with a view to providing useful information for formulating policies and devising cost-effective environmental

solutions.

March 2008 Volume 33 11

“Research and Technology Transfer in Nanoelectronics

and Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)”, the

latest in a forum series on emerging technologies organised by

CityU, was held on 18 December 2007. The event combined a

presentation by Prof Rebecca Cheung, an eminent researcher

in this field from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and a panel

discussion. The full-house audience included industrialists,

academics, and research students.

“CityU organises Emerging Technologies Forums

regularly to keep our staff and students as well as our

industrial partners abreast of the latest trends in the world of

technology,” said Prof Matthew Lee in his welcoming address

on behalf of the Vice-President (Research).

The event—presided over by Dr Daniel Lau, Senior

Technology Transfer Officer at CityU—was jointly organised

by the CityU Business and Industrial Club (CUBIC) and

the University’s Applied Strategic

Development Centre for Electronic

Packaging and Assemblies, Failure

Analysis and Reliability Engineering

(EPA Centre).

Prof Cheung is internationally

renowned for her contribution in the

development and application of micro

and nano fabrications. She joined the

University of Edinburgh’s School of

Engineering and Electronics in 2000,

where she is currently Chair Professor of Nanoelectronics and

Head of the Graduate School.

Research and Technology TransferIn her talk, Prof Cheung first outlined the work of Edinburgh

Research and Innovation (ERI), a wholly owned company

of the University. ERI activities include pre-award research

support, consultancies, technology evaluation, licensing,

company formation, and incubation.

Prof Cheung moved on to look specifically at research

and technology transfer in nanoelectronics and MEMS at

the Scottish Microelectronics Centre (SMC), based in the

Integrated Micro and Nano Systems Institute within her

School. The Centre has two sides: academic research and

commercialisation. It focuses on analytical, processing,

incubation, and assembly work, and partners with academics

and industries to facilitate innovative technology. “People

come to us because we have a whole range of processing

capabilities as well as know-how in novel techniques in this

field,” Prof Cheung said. SMC has an established track record

of supporting successful start-ups in industry.

“Technology transfer and commercialisation have to be

underpinned by good research,” Prof Cheung said. “Good

research spawns good ideas, and these ideas could be nurtured

into a commercialisation project.”

Prof Cheung then gave an insight into three areas of

SMC’s research and development: silicon carbide MEMS,

whose super-hardness makes them suitable for harsh

environments such as in airplane jet engines; bio-inspired

wind sensors (modelling the sensing crickets achieve through

their hairs); and carbon nanotubes and their applications.

Present and FutureIn the panel discussion that followed, Prof Cheung was joined

by Dr Tom Chung, Vice-President and R&D Director of the

Applied Science and Technology

Research Institute (ASTRI), who

chaired the panel; Prof Y C Chan, EPA

Centre Director and Chair Professor

of Electronic Engineering at CityU;

Prof Ricky S W Lee, Chief Technology

Officer, Nano and Advanced Materials

Institute; and Prof Y K Lee, Associate

Professor, Department of Mechanical

Engineering, Hong Kong University of

Science and Technology.

Each gave a brief overview, covering issues such as the

history of MEMS and current and future trends; the prevalence

of research on MEMS around East Asia, and general global

growth in research and output; the importance of integrating

devices; the emphasis of MEMS-related projects by ASTRI,

such as 3D packaging, miniature projectors, and display

systems; the EPA Centre’s focus on the manufacturability,

robustness, and reliability of MEMS; and market forecasts

and potential applications of MEMS, particularly those that

are suitable for harsh environments and bio-MEMS and

microfluidics.

The audience then joined in the discussion, with

questions raised including the integration of materials and

devices, the potential for collaboration in Hong Kong to

become a leader in Asia, and the relationship between research

and commercialisation.

— Vicki Geall

Emerging Technologies Forum

Technology Transfer

1� Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter

Technology Transfer

New Intellectual Property Policy for ITC Hong Kong R&D Centres

The Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC)

introduced in October 2007 new intellectual property (IP)

arrangements governing the Hong Kong R&D Centres that

could make collaborative research a more appealing option for

both academia and industry.

The Hong Kong R&D Centre Programme was launched

by ITC to foster applied research development in selected

technology areas of strategic importance to Hong Kong. There

are six centres under the programme: Automotive Parts and

Accessory Systems R&D Centre; Hong Kong Jockey Club

Institute of Chinese Medicine; Hong Kong R&D Centre for

Information and Communications Technologies; Hong Kong

R&D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Enabling Technologies; Hong Kong Research Institute of

Textiles and Apparel; and Nano and Advanced Materials

Institute Limited.

Old Policy

IP ownership Benefits for universities

Benefits for industry

New Policy

• IP generated through the project belongs to the centre concerned.

• If a university puts background IP or other contribution into the project as input without charging the relevant cost to the project account, it is entitled to share benefits arising from commercialisation of project results.

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are not counted as the university’s contribution.

• A local university participating in either the platform or collaborative research programme is allowed to receive administration overheads equivalent to 15% of the ITF grant requested.

• Industrial participants will be granted non-exclusive licences on a needs basis.

• Industrial partners who have contributed more than a certain amount (determined by the board of directors of the R&D centres concerned) will be entitled to benefits from the commercialisation of the project results.

• Exclusive licence and buyout of all IP are negotiable.

IP ownership

Benefits for universities

• Industrial partner should contribute at least 30% of the total project cost. The IP generated will rest with the centre concerned but the industrial partner will automatically be granted an exclusive licence to use the project IP free of charge for a defined period.

• Buyout of all IP is negotiable.

• If a university puts background IP and other resources into the project as input without charging these items to the project account, the centres could negotiate with the university and industrial partner the benefit sharing arrangements on a case-by-case basis. Benefits are usually proportional to contributions.


No change

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are counted as a university’s contribution.

• A university can claim 15% of sales revenue generated from commercialisation of IP in return for its contribution to the project such as background IP, manpower costs and other in-kind contribution.

• A university can put in 15% administration overheads as investment and claim a total of 30% of IP revenue.

No change

• The title of the IP generated will normally rest with the centre concerned.

• Industrial partners are encouraged to increase investment to 50% of the total project cost or more. Those who do so can opt to own all of the IP generated from the project subject to certain guidelines.

• Buyout is negotiable.

• Policy remains essentially the same.

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are also recognised as a university’s contribution. Universities can thus be entitled to a greater share of IP revenue.

Platform Research (commonly known as the 90:10 programme)

Collaborative Research (commonly known as the 50:50 programme)

In a nutshel l , the new arrangements g ive more

recognition to the contribution of the participating universities

and allow them to stake a claim to revenue derived from the

commercial exploitation of the project IP even though the

centres still own the IP. An industrial partner who contributes

more than 50% of the total project cost can opt to own all of

the IP generated from the project, whereas the old policy only

allowed industrial partners to get an exclusive licence for a

defined period of time.

The table below compares the IP policy introduced

at the inception of the centres and the new arrangements

implemented recently. Please go to www.cityu.edu.hk/tto/itf

for more details.

—Eliza Chan, Technology Transfer Office

March 2008 Volume 33 1�

Technology Transfer

Knowledge Transfer in a Knowledge-based Economy

To enhance the awareness of knowledge transfer among

institutions in Hong Kong, CityU, the Hong Kong

University of Science and Technology, and the University Grants

Committee (UGC) jointly organised a one-day symposium at the

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 12 November

2007.

Knowledge transfer refers to the systems and processes by

which knowledge, including technology, know-how, expertise,

and skills, is transferred from higher educational institutions

to society, leading to innovative, profitable, economic, or social

improvements.

Renowned guest speakers from Hong Kong and overseas

shared their views on the subject and some success stories on

how knowledge transfer can be accomplished in a knowledge-

based economy. About 180 guests from universities, government

organisations, professional associations, and industry attended.

The full-day programme kicked off with an introduction

by the UGC Secretary-General, Mr Michael Stone, JP. Alongside

numerous opportunities for Q&A and discussion, the day

included the following six presentations:

• A Macro View of University–Society Knowledge Transfer,

by Mr Niels Reimers, Consultant (Founding Director of the

Office of Technology Licensing, Stanford University)

• The Elements of Successful Technology Transfer, by Mr Tom

Hockaday, Managing Director, Isis Innovation Ltd, University

of Oxford

• Successful Knowledge Transfer in Fields Beyond Traditional

Technology Transfer, in Particular the Arts and Humanities,

Business and Economics, by Dr Chris Megone, Knowledge

Transfer Director, Faculty of Arts, University of Leeds

• Knowledge Transfer from a Venture Capitalist Perspective,

by Mr K O Chia, President, Hong Kong Venture Capital and

Private Equity Association

• Is Knowledge Transfer Effective in Hong Kong, by Prof P C

Ching, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, The Chinese University of Hong

Kong

• Presentation on Knowledge Transfer, by Dr Kenneth Fong,

Chairman, Kenson Ventures, LLC

More details on the speakers and the presentations can be

found at the Symposium’s website: www.knowledgetransfer.hk.

Old Policy

IP ownership Benefits for universities

Benefits for industry

New Policy

• IP generated through the project belongs to the centre concerned.

• If a university puts background IP or other contribution into the project as input without charging the relevant cost to the project account, it is entitled to share benefits arising from commercialisation of project results.

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are not counted as the university’s contribution.


• Industrial participants will be granted non-exclusive licences on a needs basis.

• Industrial partners who have contributed more than a certain amount (determined by the board of directors of the R&D centres concerned) will be entitled to benefits from the commercialisation of the project results.

• Exclusive licence and buyout of all IP are negotiable.

IP ownership

Benefits for universities

• Industrial partner should contribute at least 30% of the total project cost. The IP generated will rest with the centre concerned but the industrial partner will automatically be granted an exclusive licence to use the project IP free of charge for a defined period.

• Buyout of all IP is negotiable.

• If a university puts background IP and other resources into the project as input without charging these items to the project account, the centres could negotiate with the university and industrial partner the benefit sharing arrangements on a case-by-case basis. Benefits are usually proportional to contributions.


No change

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are counted as a university’s contribution.

• A university can claim 15% of sales revenue generated from commercialisation of IP in return for its contribution to the project such as background IP, manpower costs and other in-kind contribution.

• A university can put in 15% administration overheads as investment and claim a total of 30% of IP revenue.

No change

• The title of the IP generated will normally rest with the centre concerned.

• Industrial partners are encouraged to increase investment to 50% of the total project cost or more. Those who do so can opt to own all of the IP generated from the project subject to certain guidelines.

• Buyout is negotiable.

• Policy remains essentially the same.

• Manpower costs for the project investigators are also recognised as a university’s contribution. Universities can thus be entitled to a greater share of IP revenue.

Platform Research (commonly known as the 90:10 programme)

Collaborative Research (commonly known as the 50:50 programme)

1� Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter

Technology Transfer

Streamlined Licensing for Better Governance

A new policy on technology licensing, put forward by

CityU’s Intellectual Property Committee, has been

approved by the Finance Committee and CityU’s Management

Board. Designed to streamline the University’s licensing

operations, the new measures involve changes in the

ownership of CityU Research Limited (CityUR) and the

licensing income sharing method. These moves represent

yet more steps towards building a sound infrastructure for

technology licensing at CityU.

CityU Research LimitedResponsible for licensing CityU’s technologies to industry

and business, CityU Research Limited (CityUR) has now

become a wholly owned subsidiary of CityU. It was previously

incorporated under CityU Enterprises (CityUE), whose line

of business is incubating start-ups. The Technology Transfer

Office (TTO), which works closely with CityUR, will continue

to undertake the marketing and management of CityU’s

licensing endeavours.

Technologies developed by a university are usually

transferred to industry via licensing, i.e. the granting to

a company/individual the right to use the technology in

accordance with mutually agreed terms. An initial fee and

running royalties are usually levied on licensees, and the

income thus generated, less the cost of effecting the licence

(e.g. the cost of patent application and prototype testing) is

distributed among inventors, their supporting units, and the

University. While licensing is not the only mode by which

research output is transferred to industry, it is nonetheless

the most widely used method. (Please see opposite page for

more information on how licensing can benefit inventors, the

University, and the community).

By detaching CityUR from CityUE, the independence

of the University’s licensing arm can thus be guaranteed.

The change not only reflects the need for differentiation as

CityU’s commercialisation efforts increase, but also provides a

framework within which cash flow and delegation of authority

can operate efficiently.

The new framework firmly establishes the role of CityU

as the owner of its own intellectual property (IP), meaning

that the University will license its IP to CityUR, which then

sub-licenses it to other companies (see diagram). Prior to the

new policy, the University had to relinquish its IP rights and

assign them to CityUR for the benefit of limited liability. Such

a measure, however, presented obstacles to the transfer of

licensing income from CityUR back to the University, which

was no longer the legal owner of its IP rights.

New income sharing methodAlso of note is the new licensing income sharing method

that determines how the revenue is shared among CityU, the

inventor, and the unit to which the inventor is affiliated.

In the past, 70 percent of net licensing income derived

from patented technology was allocated to the University’s

central reserve, while the other 30 percent was awarded to

the inventor. The inventor’s supporting unit, however, did not

receive any monetary returns on the licensing deals.

Under the new system, the University ’s share is

significantly reduced to 35 percent, while the other 35

percent will be transferred to the inventor’s centre, unit, or

department. The inventor’s share (30 percent) is unchanged.

If the technology is not patented or the inventor pays for the

patenting cost, the sharing ratio of net licensing income will

differ (as outlined in the table opposite).

The inclusion of the supporting units in the income

sharing scheme is intended to promote more support for

licensing on campus by acknowledging the contributions of

the unsung heroes. The licensing income due to the University

will be used for supporting applied research related activities.

The Intellectual Property Committee assists in the

formulation and reviewing of CityU’s technology licensing

policy.

— Eliza Chan, Technology Transfer Office

New Licensing Structure

City University of Hong Kong

IP Owner (patent, copyright, trademark, registered design, etc.)

CityU Research Limited

(Subsidiary and official licensing arm of CityU)

Licensee Companies

LicensingRoyalties/Proceeds from Licensing

Sub-licensingRoyalties/Proceeds from Licensing

March 2008 Volume 33 1�

Technology Transfer

Licensing Income Sharing

InventorCityU Inventor’s unit

Net income from patented technology funded by CityU

Net income from patented technology funded by inventor

Net income from non-patented technology

35%

25%

25%

30%

50%

50%

35%

25%

25%

CityU and ASTRI Collaborate in Digital Broadcasting

More on Licensing

Intellectual property (IP) licensing has gained much

popularity among universities engaging in technology

transfer, due in part to the convenience it affords to both the

inventors and their employers (the universities).

Take CityU as an example. The patenting, marketing,

and licensing of IP created by its staff are managed by the

Technology Transfer Office (TTO), and CityU researchers, free

from the onus of running a business, can focus on research

and teaching without compromising their right to enjoy the

benefits of technology transfer.

All IP is licensed on an “as is” basis, thus minimising the

possibility of litigation arising from exploitation of the IP.

A typical licensing agreement should specify the

following terms:

• Field of use

• Exclusive or non-exclusive use

• Territory and licensing period

• Initial fee and royalties

• Warranty and undertaking

• Infringement and defence

• Termination and effects of termination

For more information on licensing, please visit the TTO

website at www.cityu.edu.hk/tto/techtransfer. You can also

contact TTO’s technology transfer team:

Mr Wong Hon-yee (Director)

3442 6428 [email protected]

Dr Daniel Lau (Senior Tech Transfer Officer)


Dr Eric Chan (Tech Transfer Officer)


CityU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) with the Applied Science and Technology

Research Institute (ASTRI) of Hong Kong to establish a

framework for joint research development, flexibility studies,

intellectual property collaboration, and technology licensing

in the emerging area of Digital Broadcasting. This is part of

the research development of the Hong Kong Information and

Communications Technologies R&D Centre at ASTRI.

The kick-off collaborative work under this MOU is a

testing project using the H.264 video encoding algorithms

developed by CityU’s Dr L M Po (Associate Professor,

Department of Electronic Engineering (EE)) in ASTRI’s H.264

module and integrated circuit chip solutions. A second project

under the MOU utilises the ultra low complexity speech

coding work of Dr Stanley Chan (Associate Professor, EE).

In addition, ASTRI is working closely with universities

and government ministries on the Chinese mainland to set

the new national standard for the “set-top-box”, designed for

digital broadcasting on the Mainland. CityU’s collaboration

with ASTRI will enable the University to contribute to the

formulation of this new national standard. Furthermore, future

work on the H.265 standard is being planned with wider

cooperation among ASTRI, local universities, and Mainland

R&D organisations to develop a proposed H.265 solution by

2010 for consideration by the International Telecom Union

(ITU) in future digital media applications.

ASTRI’s strong international customer relationships

are expected to provide more licensing opportunities for the

University in the future.

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter1�

Graduate Studies

Outstanding Research Thesis Awards

Chin Ching-hong’s thesis “Designs of Wideband Differential-fed Patch Antennas: Analysis and

Application” won him an Outstanding Research Thesis Award. Chin undertook his BEng and PhD

studies in the Department of Electronic Engineering, the latter under the supervision of Dr Xue Quan. He

is currently a Senior Research Assistant in CityU’s Wireless Communications Research Centre (RCW).

“My research focuses on the bandwidth enhancement technique for microstrip patch antennas. I use

a pair of vertical plates to drive the patch antenna to advance impedance bandwidth. Being differentially

rather than singly led, as in conventional antennas, improves the radiation characteristics within

the band. Due to the wide operating bandwidth, the antenna can satisfy the requirements of various

communications systems, such as Bluetooth, 2G, 3G, and Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs). It brings

added convenience and cost-saving solutions to the communications industry.

“The fortnightly meetings with Dr Xue Quan, my academic adviser Prof Chan Chi-Hou, and our whole research team offer

the opportunity to share our technical perspectives. I would also like to thank Dr Wong Hang, a Senior Engineer of RCW, for

enthusiastically supporting my research activities and suggesting approaches for analysis. Looking to the future, I am planning to

develop a career that can exploit my engineering expertise.”

Gao Jie was awarded for her PhD thesis “Performance Management in the People’s Republic of China

during the Market Reform Era: A Case Study of Two Counties in Shaanxi Province”. She studied

under the supervision of Prof Hon Chan in the Department of Public and Social Administration, where she

now works as an Instructor.

“My research explores cadre evaluation in Mainland China, examining the role that performance

management plays. I conducted solid fieldwork, collecting lots of firsthand data, and I contributed to my

field as my argument differs from previous studies. Importantly, the methodology I used in my research

was different as I undertook fieldwork in locations that are the most representative cases.

“I was very excited to receive this award and really appreciate the support from my faculty,

department, and supervisor. As your supervisor is the only other person who fully knows your research and understands your

difficulties, his or her input and direction are essential. During the study and writing process you need to have persistence. It is

a difficult and exhausting journey, so all you can do is persist. Hong Kong is a good place for me to study Mainland China—it is

close by and enjoys more available resources—and my supervisor is an expert in my field. I love CityU very much, and I think it

was the best choice for pursuing my PhD.”

Wang Hanli completed his PhD in the Department of Computer Science, where he now works

as a Research Fellow. He won the award for his thesis “Optimisation of Video Encoding for

Computational Complexity Reduction and Performance Improvement”.

“During my PhD study, I proposed a number of optimisation techniques for video coding to reduce

computational complexity and improve coding efficiency, in particular for the state-of-art video coding

standard H.264/AVC. This frontier research work not only contributes greatly to academia but will also

play an important role in industry, making H.264/AVC more easily applicable to a wide range of practical

research areas such as internet video, live broadcast, and mobile streaming video.

“This award gives recognition to what I have achieved during my PhD study. I would like to express

my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Dr Sam Kwong for his valuable advice, tremendous support, and constant

encouragement. I believe that an interesting topic, diligent work, and a good attitude will lead you to success. Currently, I am

working on research topics related to multimedia signal processing, real-time video coding, and video streaming. I will continue

to explore new research directions to enrich my knowledge and experience. From December 2007 to February 2008, I will visit

Stanford University in the US and then return to CityU to continue my post-doc work.”

1�March 2008 Volume 33

Graduate Studies

Creative Media Graduate Shines Again in Film Festival

The independent film b420, directed, scripted, and edited by Mathew Tang Hon-keung, a 2004 master

degree graduate of the School of Creative Media, has won the Best Film Award at the 4th Vienna

Youth International Film Festival.

b420 conveys the dual meaning of “before twenty” and “before too old”. The film explores the

nature of human relationships as the lives of the three main characters criss-cross. b420 also won the

Grand Prix in the 19th Fukuoka Film Festival, was one of the official selections at the 52nd Sydney Film

Festival and the 2005 Munich Film Festival, and opened the 2005 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.

PhD Student Receives International Paper Award on Computer Security

Huang Qiong, a CityU Computer Science PhD student, won the Best Student Paper

Award in the 2007 International Workshop on Security (IWSEC), held in Nara,

Japan, in October 2007. IWSEC is a prestigious international conference on computer

security organised by the Information Security Group of the Institute of Electronics,

Information and Communication Engineers and the Computer Security Group of the

Information Processing Society of Japan.

Among the 30 contributions selected by the conference, Huang’s paper entitled

“Generic Certificateless Encryption in the Standard Model” was the only Hong Kong

entry, and he is the first Hong Kong student to win the award. His research enhances the security of electronic communications.

Prestigious Mainland Mathematics Award Won by PhD Student

Duan Renjun, a CityU mathematics PhD student, was awarded the Zhong Jiaqing

Mathematics Award for his outstanding research into the mathematical theory of the

Boltzmann Equation. Eight winners were selected in 2007, and Duan was the only one from

Hong Kong. The award, granted to outstanding students who have just completed their master’s

or PhD, is recognised as one of the three major mathematics awards on the Chinese mainland.

Duan has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to research on the mathematical theory of

the Boltzmann Equation and has published papers in major academic publications, one of which

earned him an award.

Gold Award in HKICT Awards

At the Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology (HKICT) Awards on

21 January 2008, River Li Tin-ho and Andrew Leung Siu-wai—current PhD student

and MPhil graduate, respectively, of the Department of Electronic Engineering—won

the Gold Award for Best Innovation and Research (College and Undergraduates) and the

Certificate of Merit (Best Social Responsibility) for an energy-efficient burn-in system for

power supplies. The system was developed under the guidance of Prof Henry Chung Shu-

hung, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Applying the concept of reusing electricity, the system is expected to save 70% of the electricity used in the traditional burn-

in process, as well as to lower production costs for power-supply manufacturers and push back the frontiers for developing

technology for recycling electricity.

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter1�

Graduate Studies

Building Professionals: Theory, Practice, and Research

In 2005, CityU’s Department of Building and Construction

(BC) launched a part-time four-year Engineering Doctorate

in Building and Construction, or EngD(BC), for experienced

professionals. This type of programme, one of four offered

at CityU, draws on the University’s combined strengths in

professional education and applied research.

“The EngD(BC) provides an integrated curriculum of

theory, practice, and research,” said Dr Richard Yuen Kwok

Kit, Programme Leader. “It aims at developing professionals’

innovative thinking and capabilities in the application

of knowledge to solve important strategic problems in

the building and construction industry.” This part-time

programme includes a taught component (comprising core

and elective courses) and a thesis.

Continuous Professional Development“Continuous development

for professionals is important,

otherwise we will not know

a b o u t n e w a p p r o a c h e s

and technologies,’ said Mr

Raymond Chan Ka Lung,

a yea r- two s tuden t who

is Operations Director of

Trane Hong Kong, a heating,

ventilating, air-conditioning,

and building management

firm. Mr Chan, who graduated with a BSc in 1985,

an MSc in 1994, and an MBA in 1995, was attracted

by the programme’s content and its structure. “For

people like me who work, the intensive mode and

the split between coursework and thesis make

continuing your study much more attractive.”

Mr Francis So Yu Shing, Chairman of the Hong

Kong stock exchange-listed WLS Holdings Limited, joined the

programme with the first cohort in 2005. Mr So, a political

science and philosophy graduate, moved into the construction

industry in the early nineties. He obtained an MSc in 1997 and

became a registered safety officer through the Construction

Industry Training Authority the same year. In 2002 he began

a traditional doctoral programme, but transferred to the

EngD(BC). “I wanted to enrich my knowledge further, and

the EngD better fitted my background, interests, and study

pattern,” Mr So said.

An Enriching ExperienceBoth Mr So and Mr Chan have found their study so far

to be enriching. “The EngD programme gives new ideas

and relevant information that will help a lot in my daily

business,” Mr So said. Mr Chan said, “This programme has

really expanded my exposure and knowledge as it covers

construction management and project management issues,

and new areas such as green building and sustainability.” “The

professors try to give us insight and enable us to think more

about the problems by ourselves,” he added.

“Broadening our minds is important,” Mr So said, “as we

need to take the lead in the future in the construction industry

not by following others but through producing creative

ideas.” Mr So is no stranger to innovation, having patented

an invention in 2001 for his Metal Bamboo Matrix System

Scaffold (MBMSS).

“As the last time I studied was about ten years ago,

another benefit is learning how to use new forms of electronic

resources, gaining access to information around the world,”

Mr Chan said. “The research process and accessing different

sources of information have given me the confidence to

answer all types of questions in my professional life.”

Opportunities for InteractionAnother defining feature of this programme

is the opportunities for interaction with

people from different sectors. “There

are guest lectures by very experienced

professionals from outside the University,”

Mr So said. “My classmates are from

different areas in the construction industry,

and we draw on one another’s experience

and knowledge in classes and seminars.”

“In my cohort just eight people started

together, all with similar levels of experience but from different

areas, meaning we could have open discussions and build

good relations,” said Mr Chan, who is a class representative.

Such programmes can also help enhance links between

CityU and industry. “My company has frequent contact with

the University, for example through a research project on

wastewater treatment,” Mr So said. He hopes to undertake

more such joint initiatives in the future, and would like

to maintain his involvement with the University so he can

continue to learn even after he graduates from his EngD(BC).

—Vicki Geall

1�March 2008 Volume 33

Graduate Studies

Alumnus and Industrialist Peter Ho Ka-nam Honoured with Lecture Theatre Naming

CityU named Lecture Theatre 10

a f te r Mr Peter Ho Ka-nam—

Manag ing Di rec tor o f Techwor ld

Industries Limited, CityU alumnus, and

current student—at a ceremony on 28

November 2007 in appreciation of his

contributions to the University.

Speaking at the naming ceremony,

P ro f R i c h a rd H o Ya n - k i , A c t i n g

President of CityU, said, “We have come

together to recognise a lifelong learner,

our alumnus who is a graduate of the

MSc in Manufacturing Engineering and who is now studying

for a doctorate degree. He is a very good role model not only

for our young students, but also for our professionals.”

As an outstanding entrepreneur and alumnus of CityU,

Mr Ho has made significant contributions to the University

and the manufacturing/engineering industry. He has helped

CityU establish close relationships with business and

industrial sectors by serving as Patron of the CityU Business

and Industrial Club (CUBIC) and Chair of CUBIC's Consumer

Electronic Group. Mr Ho has collaborated with CityU to

develop in-house training programmes

and a weekly lecture series for his staff

in Hong Kong and Dongguan. He has

made several generous donations to the

University in support of the Industrial

Attachment Scheme, student scholarships,

and the development of the Chow Yei

Ching School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

“It is my pleasure to study at and

support CityU,” said Mr Ho, who attended

the ceremony and reception that followed

with his wife, relatives, and friends. “I

would like to call upon our alumni and colleagues in industry

to participate in, support, and strengthen the link between the

University and industry,” he said.

Prof Roderick Wong Sue-cheun, Vice-President (Research)

and Dean of Graduate Studies, expressed his deep thanks to

Mr Ho for his generous support of SGS. “With this donation,

our graduate school will be able to provide a wider range of

activities that are beneficial to our postgraduate students,” he

said.

CityU Encourages Continuing Education through Graduate Studies Information Day

Ci t y U ’s G r a d u a t e S t u d i e s

In fo rmat ion Day 2008 was

held on 12 January 2008. This is the

second time that CityU’s Chow Yei

Ching School of Graduate Studies

ha s o rgan i s ed such an even t to

introduce the University’s graduate

studies programmes, academic staff,

and learning facilities to prospective

students.

Graduate s tudies programmes offered at Ci tyU

encompass research degrees, professional doctorates, and over

60 taught postgraduate degrees. This diversity ensures that the

continuing education needs of all students are accommodated

as they seek to further enrich their academic and career

achievements.

The graduate programmes cover a broad spectrum of

disciplines, including science, engineering, business, law,

social sciences, humanities, and creative

media. Prof Roderick Wong Sue-cheun,

Vice President (Research) and Dean of

Graduate Studies, said the University

constantly adjusts the content of the

programmes to ensure the curriculum

remain abreast of the latest global

trends and standards.

T h e t h e m e o f t h i s y e a r ’ s

information day was “Knowledge Hub

for Professionals”. CityU’s Faculties and Schools set up booths

to distribute programme information and answer questions

from prospective students.

The Faculties and Schools also held a number of

seminars to further explain different programmes to visitors.

Programme leaders and professors briefed visitors on the latest

trends in their disciplines or professions.

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter�0

Lo Sun KeungMPhil, Department of English and Communication

“While I was a research student,

I remember hear ing or reading

several times how people compare

doing research to having a romantic

relationship. Both endeavours take

one’s utmost devotion, involve the

mind and heart, and can give joy and

pain that can be felt nowhere else. I

believe many research students can identify with this analogy.

Yet unlike lovers who usually have to discover the way on

their own, research students are privileged to have supervisors

to guide them in their intellectual quests. I would like to

take this opportunity to thank my supervisor, Dr Alice Chan,

for her guidance. With her support, I finally reached this

milestone in my learning journey.”

Graduate Studies

2007 Congregation: Graduates’ Reflectionsthe fine balance between data analysis and theorisation. My

stay at CityU has benefited me greatly. I wish to express thanks

to the University, especially the Department of Chinese,

Translation and Linguistics, for offering me the necessary

financial support and providing a pleasant and intellectually

stimulating atmosphere in which to work. In addition, I

was overjoyed when I was told that I had been awarded an

Outstanding Research Thesis Award.”

Liu WeipingPhD, Department of Management

“My four years of PhD study at

CityU were really helpful, giving

me much more than just a degree.

I learned to be persistent, to find

and keep my passion, to do research

more independently, and to start my

academic career more confidently.

The whole process is much like

climbing a mountain with unknown obstacles: it is interesting

and full of fun things to learn on the way, but also poses

various challenges and problems. Fortunately, I had the

help of my supervisor, my colleagues, and all the staff in my

department. Without their patient guidance, and friendly and

continued support, my PhD study could not be completed

successfully.”

Cui HongzhiPhD, Department of Building and Construction

“After three years of serious study,

I am very proud to be a graduate of

CityU, which is a university with

international vision and ambition.

My doctoral study was an important

period in my life, in which I obtained

much experience on how to conduct

research. I would like to express my

heartfelt appreciation to CityU and my supervisor Dr Tommy

Y Lo. I know that graduation is not an end, and that my

career has only just begun. I will always remember that I am a

graduate of CityU, and in the future I will try my best to bring

honour to the University through my professionalism.”

Fok Wing HuenEngD(EM), Department of Manufacturing Engineering and

Engineering Management

“I am honoured to have received one

of just two Engineering Doctorate

degrees conferred this year. The

EngD programme allowed me to

choose my own research to address

a specific industrial problem; hence

the outcome of the doctoral thesis

is readily applicable. Moreover,

the compulsory and elective courses of the programme

equipped me with the necessary tools and provided me with

the inspiration for my thesis. Finishing my studies on a part-

time basis was really hard work, but for professionals who

have great ideas and the determination to succeed, the EngD

programme is an ideal route.”

Han JingquanPhD, Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics

“It is a pleasure to acknowledge

those who in one way or another

contributed to the completion of my

doctoral dissertation. My deepest

gratitude belongs to my supervisor

Dr Pan Haihua. I would like to thank

him for his guidance, advice, time,

and valuable criticism. He taught me

�1March 2008 Volume 33

Graduate Studies

Shanti MogantiPhD, Department of Biology and Chemistry

“During the course of my study, I

have gained rich experience in marine

environmental science. CityU has

introduced me to world-renowned

professors in this field and helped

me to get a global perspective and in-

depth understanding of the subject. I

want to express my heartfelt thanks

to my supervisor Dr Bruce Richardson, without whose support

and guidance I could not have achieved this milestone in my

life. I also thoroughly enjoyed the day of my graduation with

my other co-supervisors and departmental professors and my

family. I will be ever thankful to the University for awarding

me this degree.”

She ZhongqiangMPhil, Department of Accountancy

“The graduation day for my MPhil

is now an unforgettable date for me,

and participating in the ceremony

was an honour. When I recall my

past two years at CityU, I realise that

much help and assistance came from

many different people. I benefited

enormously from the guidance of

my supervisor, professors in the department and faculty, and

colleagues from across the University, including the Chow Yei

Ching School of Graduate Studies. I will continue my efforts

to achieve high performance and output in the future, and I

will never forget the enjoyable days of my MPhil study.”

Wu Shuilin PhD, Department of Physics and Materials Science

“6 November 2007 was a ve r y

exciting day because I attended my

Congregation ceremony and was

capped by the President. For me,

this moment not only represents the

culmination of my academic training,

but also marks the starting point of

my professional career. It has been a

great honour to study here during the last three years, because

CityU provides us with word-class academics, high-class

research facilities, and a wonderful research environment. I

am sure that the knowledge, experience, and confidence I

have obtained at CityU will enable me to face any professional

challenges in the years to come.”

Steven Yang Shing LungPhD, Department of Electronic Engineering

“I was excited to return to my alma

mater six months after my departure

to work in the US. Graduation is not

an end; instead, it is the beginning

of the journey of my life. CityU has

provided us with plenty of resources

and support, not only for our study

but also for our whole personal

development, equipping us to compete in a globalised world.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor,

to the professors of CityU, and to the University. I am now

moving onto another stage of my life and am ready for my

journey. Thank you very much!”

MPhil Graduate Wins Full Studentship to Study at Cambridge University

Rose Yan Pei, a 2007 MPhil graduate

from the Department of Physics and

Materials Science, has been awarded a fully

funded research studentship to pursue

PhD studies at Cambridge University

in the UK. The three-year studentship,

amounting to more than HK$1 million,

is sponsored by ArcelorMittal, one of the

world’s largest steel manufacturers, as part of the collaboration

between Cambridge University and industry. Rose is the first

Hong Kong student to receive this studentship.

During her three years at CityU, Rose’s research focussed

on cold spray coating onto metal. This novel method is

expected to prove practical and useful for manufacturing

and construction industries, saving costs and improving the

integrity and reliability of steel components and structures.

Rose credits CityU for its role in her success. “The strong

academic background of CityU’s teaching staff and their

research experience have benefited me greatly. In addition, the

advanced facilities in the department allowed me to conduct

my research in a well-established environment.”

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter��

Graduate Studies

Name

Chan Wai Sze (SS)

Chan Yiu Ting (MEEM)

Chen Jianxin (EE)

Cheung Hok Wong (EE)

Chin Ching Hong (EE)

Chiu Hiu Yin (MEEM)

Chiu Leung (EE)

Chiu Wing Cheong, Gerald (BC)

Chong Hiu Fung, Johnson (MEEM)

Chong Yat Ming (AP)

Duan Renjun (MA)

Fang Kar Hei, James (BCH)

Huang Qiong (CS)

Lai Siu Kai (BC)

Lee On Kee (CS)

Li Chengqing (EE)

Li Lingxiao (EF)

Liang Xiangdong (MA)

Low Yi Jia, Kathleen (MGT)

Lu Xiaoling (MS)

Maridet, Cedric (SCM)

Ng Wai Yi (MEEM)

Pranab, Kumar Panday (SA)

Su Xueyuan (EE)

Sun Yuting, Sunnie (EE)

Tang Kai Tai, Jeff (CS)

Wan Kok Wing (BC)

Wong Hang (EE)

Wong Ka Wai (EE)

Wong Yin Wa (AP)

Yang Guomin (CS)

Yao Yiwei (AC)

Yeung Wai Yin, Leo (BCH)

Yiu Tak Wing (BC)

Yu Hoi Kuen (MEEM)

Zeng Jia (SCM)

Zhang Jing (SCM)

External Award/Outstanding Achievement

Student/Early Career Investigator Travel Fellowship 2007, USA

Top Prize, University Category and Final Championship, Technology, Environmental Protection and Innovation Competition, Hong Kong

Best Paper Award, Microwave and Millimetre-wave Symposium of China 2007

Fellow

1st Runner-up, 10th Challenge Cup National Competition, China

Outstanding Project Award

First Prize, IEEE Hong Kong Section 2006 Student Paper Contest

Gold Award, Hong Kong ICT Awards 2006: eYouth (Hardware) Award, Hong Kong

HKIE Outstanding Paper Award for Young Engineers/Researchers 2006

Second Prize, IEEE Region 10 Student Paper Contest (Postgraduate Category), Hong Kong


Grand Prize, Outstanding Dissertation Awards 2006, Postgraduate (MPhil Category), Hong Kong

Best Student Paper Award, 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Industrial Engineering

Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund Scholarship (for Postgraduate Students), Hong Kong

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship

Hubei Provincial Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award, China

Zhong Jiaqing Mathematics Award, China

Outstanding Presentation Prize, 5th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology

Best Student Paper Award, 2nd International Workshop on Security (IWSEC2007), Nara, Japan

Chung Hwa Travel Service Scholarship, Hong Kong

Best Student Paper Award, 6th WSEAS International Conference on Applied Computer Science (ACOS’07), Hangzhou, China

Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service, Germany


Scholarship

Best Paper Award, Catania, Italy

Best Paper Award, Lhasa, Tibet, China

Selected for Artist Consultancy

“Along the Lines”, sound composition selected for HK–Shenzhen Architecture and Urbanism Biennale

Sound work “habitus” programmed at the Babylon: Mitte Movie Theatre, Berlin

“la mouvance des flux”, sound work at “in midair—sound works Hong Kong 2007”

Sound work “habitus” programmed at the Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid

Best Student Paper Award, 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Industrial Engineering, Hong Kong

Asian Development Bank Sponsorship

University Study Fellowship

Championship and Best of the Best Award, Younger Members Exhibition/Conference 2007 (Postgraduate Section)

Lotfi Zadel Best Paper Award, 6th International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics, Hong Kong, 2007

The Chartered Institution Building Services Engineers Student Project Prize 2006/2007

Best Student Microwave Prize, 2006 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), Japan


1st Runner-up, Best Student Paper Award, 8th International Conference on Electronic Materials and Packaging, Hong Kong

(ISC)2 Information Security Scholarship 2007, USA

Doctoral Consortium Fellow, USA

Young Scientist Award for Best Oral Presentation, 5th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology

Top 3 Most-cited in Journal of Environmental Science & Technology Articles from 2006

Grand Prize in the Outstanding Dissertation Awards 2006, Postgraduate (PhD Category), Hong Kong

Best Project Award

Second Prize, IEEE Region 10 Student Paper Contest (Postgraduate Section), USA

柬埔寨之旅http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/perfect-memory“JVC．愛Vlog．愛分享”網路影像日誌比賽頭獎http://hk.promo.yahoo.com/jvc/200704/list.html

Awarding Institution

The Academy for Eating Disorders

Opus Two Entertainment Ltd

Microwave Sector of Chinese Institute of Electronics

Centre for Contemporary China, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

Ministry of Education, Communist Youth League of China, China Association for Science & Technology, and All-China Students’ Federation

Hong Kong Ergonomics Society

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE), Hong Kong

Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers



The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors

International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists

Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council, Hong Kong

Hubei Provincial Department of Education

Chinese Mathematical Society

The Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong

The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) and Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ)

Chung Hwa Travel Service

World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS)

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst


Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Strategic Management Society Special Conference 2007

International Association for Information and Management Sciences, 2007

HKU SPACE, and Videotage

HK–Shenzhen Architectures, curated by Mo Ling Chui

Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid

“in midair”, exhibition curated by Yeung Yang


International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2006

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Yale University, USA

Institution of Engineering and Technology, Hong Kong

ICMLC 2007 Organising Committee

The Chartered Institution Building Services Hong Kong Branch

Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) of Japan


Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. [(ISC)2®]

American Accounting Association

Marine Pollution Bulletin (Elsevier Publishers)

Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, American Chemical Society, USA


Occupational Safety and Health Council, Hong Kong

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)

Shun Hing JVC Ltd & Yahoo! Hong Kong Limited

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

External Award Recipients

Congratulations to all CityU postgraduate students and graduates who have received prestigious international, regional, and

local awards in 2007 from external bodies in recognition of their outstanding academic performance and achievements.

��March 2008 Volume 33

Graduate Studies

Name

Chan Wai Sze (SS)

Chan Yiu Ting (MEEM)

Chen Jianxin (EE)

Cheung Hok Wong (EE)

Chin Ching Hong (EE)

Chiu Hiu Yin (MEEM)

Chiu Leung (EE)

Chiu Wing Cheong, Gerald (BC)

Chong Hiu Fung, Johnson (MEEM)

Chong Yat Ming (AP)

Duan Renjun (MA)

Fang Kar Hei, James (BCH)

Huang Qiong (CS)

Lai Siu Kai (BC)

Lee On Kee (CS)

Li Chengqing (EE)

Li Lingxiao (EF)

Liang Xiangdong (MA)

Low Yi Jia, Kathleen (MGT)

Lu Xiaoling (MS)

Maridet, Cedric (SCM)

Ng Wai Yi (MEEM)

Pranab, Kumar Panday (SA)

Su Xueyuan (EE)

Sun Yuting, Sunnie (EE)

Tang Kai Tai, Jeff (CS)

Wan Kok Wing (BC)

Wong Hang (EE)

Wong Ka Wai (EE)

Wong Yin Wa (AP)

Yang Guomin (CS)

Yao Yiwei (AC)

Yeung Wai Yin, Leo (BCH)

Yiu Tak Wing (BC)

Yu Hoi Kuen (MEEM)

Zeng Jia (SCM)

Zhang Jing (SCM)

External Award/Outstanding Achievement

Student/Early Career Investigator Travel Fellowship 2007, USA

Top Prize, University Category and Final Championship, Technology, Environmental Protection and Innovation Competition, Hong Kong

Best Paper Award, Microwave and Millimetre-wave Symposium of China 2007

Fellow


Outstanding Project Award

First Prize, IEEE Hong Kong Section 2006 Student Paper Contest

Gold Award, Hong Kong ICT Awards 2006: eYouth (Hardware) Award, Hong Kong

HKIE Outstanding Paper Award for Young Engineers/Researchers 2006

Second Prize, IEEE Region 10 Student Paper Contest (Postgraduate Category), Hong Kong


Grand Prize, Outstanding Dissertation Awards 2006, Postgraduate (MPhil Category), Hong Kong

Best Student Paper Award, 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Industrial Engineering

Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund Scholarship (for Postgraduate Students), Hong Kong

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship

Hubei Provincial Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award, China

Zhong Jiaqing Mathematics Award, China

Outstanding Presentation Prize, 5th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology

Best Student Paper Award, 2nd International Workshop on Security (IWSEC2007), Nara, Japan


Best Student Paper Award, 6th WSEAS International Conference on Applied Computer Science (ACOS’07), Hangzhou, China

Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service, Germany


Scholarship

Best Paper Award, Catania, Italy

Best Paper Award, Lhasa, Tibet, China

Selected for Artist Consultancy

“Along the Lines”, sound composition selected for HK–Shenzhen Architecture and Urbanism Biennale

Sound work “habitus” programmed at the Babylon: Mitte Movie Theatre, Berlin

“la mouvance des flux”, sound work at “in midair—sound works Hong Kong 2007”

Sound work “habitus” programmed at the Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid

Best Student Paper Award, 2006 IAENG International Workshop on Industrial Engineering, Hong Kong

Asian Development Bank Sponsorship

University Study Fellowship

Championship and Best of the Best Award, Younger Members Exhibition/Conference 2007 (Postgraduate Section)

Lotfi Zadel Best Paper Award, 6th International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics, Hong Kong, 2007

The Chartered Institution Building Services Engineers Student Project Prize 2006/2007

Best Student Microwave Prize, 2006 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference (APMC), Japan


1st Runner-up, Best Student Paper Award, 8th International Conference on Electronic Materials and Packaging, Hong Kong

(ISC)2 Information Security Scholarship 2007, USA

Doctoral Consortium Fellow, USA

Young Scientist Award for Best Oral Presentation, 5th International Conference on Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology

Top 3 Most-cited in Journal of Environmental Science & Technology Articles from 2006

Grand Prize in the Outstanding Dissertation Awards 2006, Postgraduate (PhD Category), Hong Kong

Best Project Award

Second Prize, IEEE Region 10 Student Paper Contest (Postgraduate Section), USA

柬埔寨之旅http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/perfect-memory“JVC．愛Vlog．愛分享”網路影像日誌比賽頭獎http://hk.promo.yahoo.com/jvc/200704/list.html

Awarding Institution

The Academy for Eating Disorders

Opus Two Entertainment Ltd

Microwave Sector of Chinese Institute of Electronics

Centre for Contemporary China, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan


Hong Kong Ergonomics Society


Hong Kong Information and Communications Technology Awards

The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers




International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists

Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council, Hong Kong

Hubei Provincial Department of Education

Chinese Mathematical Society

The Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong

The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) and Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ)


World Scientific and Engineering Academy and Society (WSEAS)

Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst


Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Strategic Management Society Special Conference 2007

International Association for Information and Management Sciences, 2007

HKU SPACE, and Videotage

HK–Shenzhen Architectures, curated by Mo Ling Chui


“in midair”, exhibition curated by Yeung Yang


International MultiConference of Engineers and Computer Scientists 2006

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Yale University, USA

Institution of Engineering and Technology, Hong Kong

ICMLC 2007 Organising Committee

The Chartered Institution Building Services Hong Kong Branch

Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE) of Japan


Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. [(ISC)2®]

American Accounting Association

Marine Pollution Bulletin (Elsevier Publishers)

Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, American Chemical Society, USA


Occupational Safety and Health Council, Hong Kong

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)

Shun Hing JVC Ltd & Yahoo! Hong Kong Limited

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

MPhil

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

PhD

MPhil

PhD

PhD

Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter�� Graduate Studies & Research Newsletter��

CUPA News

CUPA Members Have an Active Autumn

Autumn 2007 saw CUPA members involved in a wide range of sporting and

adventure activities. On 6–7 October, Leung Kwok Kui, Lo Ka Wing Luke, and Sit

Wai Hung took part in the “Raleigh Convoy Challenge—Wilson Trail 2007”. This charity

event covers a 78-km route from Stanley to Nam Chung, spanning south to north across

Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories. The challenging

route encompassed rocky paths and steep gradients, but by pulling together and with the

help of a dedicated support team, our members finished their journey successfully.

Also in October, CUPA arranged a PADI Open Water scuba

diving course by a qualified instructor for members to learn

the fundamentals of this exhilarating pastime. Members first

learnt about how to use the equipment and the basic techniques

of diving in the CityU swimming pool, before finishing their

qualification by making four open water dives in the sea.

To help members relax and take a break from their heavy

study workloads, CUPA organised a couple of Sport Climbing Fun Days on 24 October and 12 November. The fun days offered an

exploratory opportunity for those with little or no experience of this sport. Through a four-hour course, qualified instructors gave

members training, from the basic theory of climbing to warming down when finished.

In November, four CUPA members—Luke Lo, Zhang Jie, Liang Jian Bin, and Zhang Yu Chen—participated in the “Inner

Challenge 2007”. This non-competitive adventure fundraising activity organised by Breakthrough involves a 16-hour non-stop

25km adventure/endurance race. During the race, participants successfully overcame challenges including trekking, bush walking,

brook trekking, adventure tasks, and a night journey.

être: The Face of Human Rights

A photo exhibition of human rights was held on 24 November to 10 December

2007 and was jointly organised by the Consulate General of Switzerland

in Hong Kong, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), the Asian and

International Studies (AIS) Network of Postgraduate Students at CityU, and the

CityU Postgraduate Association (CUPA). The opening ceremony was attended by

some 150 guests, including consuls general, representatives from non-governmental

organisations, academics, and students.

The exhibition at the Hong Kong Fringe Club explored human rights through

real-life pictures from around the world. Originally launched at the headquarters

of the United Nations in Geneva, this internationally acclaimed exhibition has been on display throughout Europe and North

America, with stops in Seoul and Tokyo.

During the exhibition’s run, a number of seminars on human rights were held, including “Why Should Hong Kong Care?”

at CityU on 6 December. The seminar comprised three talks: Prof Stephen Frost (Assistant Professor, AIS, CityU) spoke on why

Hong Kong in general and businesses in particular should be concerned about human rights; Norman Voss (AHRC) considered

opportunities for students to learn more about human rights; and Raquel Amador (Hong Kong Refugee Advice Centre) discussed

the refugee situation in Hong Kong.

Robert Hanlon, an AIS PhD student, was one of the people instrumental in bringing the exhibition to Hong Kong after he

saw it on display in Tokyo. Alongside Mandi Leung (CUPA President), Robert co-ordinated the involvement of the AIS Network

of Postgraduate Students and CUPA in the event’s organisation, which included producing and distributing publicity material,

undertaking school visits, and staging the seminar at CityU.

The closing ceremony of the exhibition on 10 December coincided with Human Rights Day 2007.

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