HKUST Newsletter, Spring 1995

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TECHNOLOGY

Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong

SPRING 1995

HKUST ALUMNI JOIN THE WORK FORCE

F

or most of the 576 members of the University's first

under-graduate class, 1994 will be remembered not only as the year of their graduation but also as the time when they found their first job.

According to a graduate employment survey recently con-ducted by the University's Student Affairs Office, 98% of the 1994 graduates are either employed full-time or enrolled in full-time graduate study. Of the 13% who chose to continue their studies, the majority are enrolled in graduate programs at HKUST.

Conversations with our recently em-ployed alumni reveal a solid appreciation of the education they received at HKUST. Mike Y. L. NG, a graduate in electrical and electronic engineering, found that he was immediately comfortable with the equip-ment in the Hongkong Telecom laboratory he was assigned to for job training. Han-dling the pace of work also came easily. "I was used to dealing

with a heavy workload at HKUST," he says, "so now I find it easy to keep up with my work here."

Evelyn Au, a recruiting officer with MTR Corpora-tion, credits what she learned working on a group project in a

course on mar -keting strategy as particularly useful for the transition to a business envi -ronment. "It forced us to work together towards a goal, so I learned

how to communicate and work with others," she says.

Nearly three-quarters of the alumni responding to the survey reported a direct correlation between their stud-ies at HKUST and their present job. Karen LEE, for example, graduated in computer science and felt "quite well

Yu, sales

execlItive, Power Wave Co.

Mike Y. L. NG, network ellgilleer, HDllgkollg Telecolll.

YUEN, sports reporter, Cable TV.

Corporatioll.

prepared" for the job she found at Anderson Consulting helping businesses set up their own computer networks.

Bryan S. K. YUEN, on the other hand, was able to return to his first love, sports, after studying chemistry at HKUST. His voice can be heard daily on Cable TV, narrating the local sporting news. "I acquired a broad range of knowledge at HKUST," he says. "I also learned to think logi-cally and analytically," skills he finds invaluable in his demanding job.

Roger Y. K. Yu, who founded the University'S Alumni Association, recalls his three years at HKUST as "the toughest in my life," but the fruit of those years will last a lifetime, "particularly the friendships I made while living on campus. We still see each other, and organize dinners and activities."

For Sean LIN, who works in the Civil Service branch of the Hong Kong Government, extra-curricular activities provided an important avenue for self-development. He says his in-volvement with the Students' Union as its first president "helped me to understand the outside world, as well as more complicated situations where there are opposing views and you have to work towards a consensus. It also was a chance," he adds, "to make many good friends."

What's striking about the 1994 graduates as a group is that they have not only retained the strong esprit de

CDlpS that distinguished their undergraduate years, but have successfully transferred it to the workplace, where they now contribute to Hong Kong's economy as

PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT

.I

would like to comment on several

controversial issues which have been in the news lately.

.A Four-Year Tertiary System?

At the University's Second

Con-gregation, I said to our new gradu-ates that we had pushed them too hard in their studies and thereby d e-prived them of a fuller college life. Indeed, they had not been given

suf-ficient time to think on their own, to take more general education courses, to participate in cultural and athletic activities, or to play more active roles in student organizations.

We couldn't help it. In rapidly advancing fields such as

science, engineering, and management, three years is simply too

short a time for students to gain expertise in their chosen specialty and, at the same time, attain some degree of intellectual breadth. It is hardly surprising that in most countries around the world a four-year undergraduate curriculum is the norm. Even in Great Britain where the three-year system originated, several leading universities now require four years for an engineering degree. In Scotland, honors degree courses regularly take four years.

The heads of Hong Kong's seven tertiary institutions are unanimous in their opinion that a four-year tertiary system

should be adopted.

Financially, given Hong Kong's economic strength it is quite

feasible to move towards adopting a four-year system without increasing the tertiary institutions' share of government ex-penditure. A fourth year would add only about 20% to the cost rather than 1/3, since the added time would be devoted mainly to general education and extra-curricular activities rather than pro-fessional training. If we start making plans now, the earliest that a change can begin will be 1998. And since no increase in funding will be needed until the 1998 enrollees reach their fourth year in late 2001, we have more than six years to find the money. Given Hong Kong's 5-6% annual growth, a 20% increase can be achieved quite easily within such a time frame. Of course, should the growth rate slow down, the change to a four-year system can always be decelerated, or carried out one discipline

at a time.

I wish to emphasize that there is neither intention nor need on the part of the tertiary sector to effect the change at the expense

of other educational sectors. Hong Kong spends less than 3% of

her GDP on education: a proportion very much lower than

Taiwan's 5.5% and not at all compatible with the territory's relative wealth. Consideration should be given to increasing it to 4%, with the extra 1 % allocated totall)! to pre-tertiary eclu

ca-tion, where the need is most acute. Expat-verslls-Local C01lditions of Service

Historically, civil servants in Hong Kong received different fringe benefits depending on whether they were classified as expatriate or local appointees. The determining criterion was the appointees' original place of residence, which highlighted the

expats' need for temporary local housing, home passage, and overseas education for their dependents. The outcome became discriminatory. The practice was seen as racist especially when local terms were decreed even for appointees from Macau, Taiwan, and the Chinese Mainland.

Discrimination has no place in a civilized society. This is

particularly so in tertiary institutions, which are supposed to be

champions for equality and justice. Yet our hands are tied. The Government requires the conditions of service offered by

terti-ary institutions to be comparable to, and no better than, those for

appointees in equivalent ranks in the Civil Service. While it is a

fact that Hong Kong's tertiary institutions enjoy great financial autonomy and flexibility, the "no better than" clause prohibits us

from equalizing conditions by increasing local-term benefits. Of course, equality can be achieved by abolishing all expat

terms. Some institutions are ready to do just that. HKUST, however, does not believe in "solving" the problem by taking all

our appointees down to a lowest common level- not if we aspire

to remain world-class. Moreover, a most rational way to elim i-nate discrimination already exists: To adhere to its stated

prin-ciple of comparability, the Government should favor tertiary

appointees with the same Home Financing Scheme now granted

to civil servants. Other alternatives are available, such as build-ing flats for (qualified) expat and local appointees alike, or turning fringe benefits into payments (as practised by the Hos-pital Authority and suggested recently by one of the tertiary institutions). These solutions should be attempted before we

"throw the baby out with the bath water".

Plagiarism

Some in the media have homed in on a couple of alleged

plagiarism cases discovered in our sister institutions and placed the blame on "research pressure": the University Grants

Com-mittee's timely emphasis on scholarship.

Plagiarism in any form reflects academic dishonesty; it is behavior that cannot be condoned in academic institutions. At HKUST, the Senate would investigate and recommend action without delay (or undue haste) if such a case were to surface.

Incidentally, it is amusing to note that the two cases which have attracted media attention both occurred many years ago,

HKUST BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE DINNERS

T own-and-gown dinners that bring

to-gether community leaders and

Univer-sity faculty members for a congenial

evening of discussion have been taking place since 1993, thanks to the gen

eros-ity of Dr. Helmut SOHMEN, Chairman of World-Wide Shipping Agency Ltd.

A long-standing friend of the Univer-sity, Dr. Sohmen conceived the idea in November 1992 and pursued it with Prof.

Chia-Wei Woo, Vice-Chancellor and President. Thus was born the HKUST Business Roundtable Dinner.

Once every three to four months, a distinguished group of 25

to 30 people gather in a prestigious club in Central for a lively round of interaction. Business leaders, faculty members,

gov-ernment officials, and diplomats chat over dinner, listen to a

20-minute presentation, and pursue discussion of the topic

pre-sented.

Seven Business Roundtable Dinners have been organized in the past two years. Featured at the first dinner in April 1993 was Prof. Isaac EHRLICH (Economics), who spoke on "Economic Aspects of Retirement Protection Plans for Hong Kong".

The most recent dinner was held in November 1994 with Prof. Eugene WONG, Pro- Vice-Chancellor for Research and Develop-ment, presenting his view of the urgellt need for a coherent and viable science and technology policy for Hong Kong.

Dr. Soh men plays a prominent role both in the shipping industry and in public service. A stalwart supporter of HKUST, he serves as a member of the University Court and the

Presi-dent's Advisory Board. 0

NEW

BOOK PUBLISHED ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF HKUST

The building of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is an incredible story. In the space of five years, a research university for 7,000 students was planned, designed, constructed, and opened.

Unfortunately, this amazing feat attracted unwarranted con-troversy. Accusations in the media of a "massive cost overrun" in the construction of the University arose from a government auditor's report and a follow-up enquiry conducted by the Hong Kong Legislative Council's Public Accounts Committee.

Was there really a cost overrun?

In an authoritative new book, Building the Future: The

Con-troversial Construction of the Campus of the Hong Kong Uni-versity of Science and Technology, Prof. Anthony WALKER ex-amines what he calls one of "the most complex, most important

... building projects ever constructed in Hong Kong."

Sponsored by six members of the University Council, the book is remarkable for its candor. In its preface, Prof. Walker

states unequivocally "that no one ... has attempted to influence what I have written. The account which you read is entirely my objective account of events based on the documented evidence which was made available from the

University files and Public Accounts Committee papers."

Professor of Surveying at the Uni-versity of Hong Kong, Walker con-cludes that "the cost of the Univer-sity represents reasonable value for money, that is, it did not cost more than it should have."

Prof. Walker also writes: "The people who made the creation of the University possible have received

more brickbats than praise but un

-fairly so. As more people visit the University, the more their

achievement will be recognized and as the University matures

and its graduates and research output contribute to Hong Kong

the value of the institution will be proven."

This view was echoed by the Secretary-General of the Uni

-versity Grants Committee, Mr. Nigel FRENCH, who wrote in a letter to Prof. Walker about the book: "I would certainly agree intuitively with your overall conclusion that 'the cost of the University campus represents reasonable value for money, that is, it did not cost more than it should have.' Indeed I am sure most

people concerned with higher education in Hong Kong already.

know this, but it is good to have independent confirmation. I was also delighted to see your conclusion that 'if an overrun is defined as additional unexplained expenditure or expenditure which would not have been sanctioned had it been known, then

an overrun did not occur on this project. ",

The Governor of Hong Kong and Chancellor of the

Univer-sity, Mr. Chris PATTEN, commented in a letter to the Chairman of the University Council: "The controversy indeed created con-siderable difficulties to those involved in the construction of the University. On this, I am particularly grateful to you and members of the University Council for the trouble you went to in explaining the case to members of the public and the

Legis-lative Council. I believe the publication of the book, as you said,

will be useful in further putting the record straight. I hope the

book will be given the wide circulation and publicity it

de-serves."

Certainly the architectural value of the campus is already

being noted internationally. HKUST will be highlighted in the

centenary edition of Sir Bannister Fletcher's History of

Archi-tecture, considered to be a bible for all architectural students.

Building the Future is published by Longman Hong Kong and

is 266 pages. 0

RESEARCH

DEVELOPMENT

OWWS DESIGN PHASE BEGINS

Well on schedule, after nearly one year of intensive data collection, the Opera-tional Windshear Warning System has en-tered the design phase. OWWS is a joint project involving HKUST's Research

Centre, Hong Kong's

Royal Observatory, and the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), based in Boul-der, Colorado. The project will provide a real-time computerized warning sys-tem to alert pilots to po-tentially hazardous wind conditions around the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.

Since March 1994, instruments at seven strategically placed weather stations have been monitoring and collecting weather data, particularly wind patterns that might affect aircraft landing and taking off. Data collection was originally commissioned for 12 months, but researchers hope it can be extended until June 1996 since additional data will help make the system more "robust".

Last November, the focus of work moved indoors and shifted to NCAR, where the computer model the project is based on was

originally developed. Five HKUST

scientists and computer officers are now stationed in Boulder to develop a custom-ized system for the Royal Observatory and to assist in transferring the technol-ogy back to Hong Kong. They return pe-riodically to exchange information with

of a colllpllter -generated willd fie/d.

for COlllp"tatiol.

SUPERNET CONTINUES TO SOAR

SuperNet has a tiger by the tail. The fledgling company that commenced operation in November 1993 as the first project of HKUST's RandD Corporation continues to grow at the rate of 15% per month.

"SuperNet is doing remarkably well," says Prof. Eugene WONG, Acting CEO of the RandD Corporation.

Until mid-March, SuperNet was the only licensed provider of commercial Internet services in Hong Kong. Recently it was named the top Internet provider in Asia by the Asia

SPRING 1995

• Willd profiles Ileal'

tlte site of tlle new

airport as a f"nctioll of tillle alld Iteight.

of a

colllpllter-gellerated willd field.

Willd vectors over Lalltall Isla lid as

collected ill real tillle by strategically placed weatller statiol1s.

staff at both the Research Centre and the Observatory.

In addition, Dr. S. C. KOT from the

Department of Mechanical Engineering

is spending four months' sabbatical leave at Boulder to work with NCAR scientists on modeling research, and two faculty members from the Department of Com-puter Science, Prof. Vincent SHEN and Dr. Pamela DREW, have visited NCAR to

re-view the design from a software en-gineering standpoint.

"They gave us valuable comments, particularly on software quality as-surance," says Ophelia LEE, princi-pal computer officer at the Universi-ty's computing center and OWWS's associate project manager. "The sys-tem needs to be well structured so that we can detect software defects at an early stage. This will minimize the risk of mistakes further along in the development cycle and, particularly, when the system is in use."

Technically, OWWS is now in the Fea-sibili~y and Concept Development Study

Phase 1. Current work is focused on correlating the existing model with sensor data and developing recom-mendations for system de-sign. In Phase II, a proto-type system will be pre-pared, tested, and adjusted, leading to delivery of the completed system for ac-ceptance in October 1996.

Internet Report published in Singapore.

Customers totaled 2,500 at last tally (early March), with 4,500 logins; monthly user classes regularly attract upwards of 100 people. In November service on the trans-Pacific line con-necting SuperNet to the Internet backbone in the U.S. was upgraded from 64K to 320K bits per second, and it looks as if a further upgrade will be needed within the next six months to a year.

Pindar WONG, SuperNet manager, says he hopes "to upgrade to a Tiline as soon as possible. At 1.5M bits per second, this would boost our speed and capacity tremendously." D

PATENT

SPENDING

RESEARCH

DEVELOPMENT

'

..

"Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your

door," goes the old saying. "But only if you patent it first," adds

the modern realist.

the University's Technology Transfer Centre (TTC). The

com-mittee' s job is to review patent disclosure applications as well as

technology incubation proposals, and to advise the PVC-RD on

related policy issues.

Prof. Eugene WONG, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and

Development, takes a

prag-A patent represents an in-ventor's right to enjoy the

re-wards of his or her unique labor; it is a temporary mo-nopoly, granted by

govern-ments, to stimulate inventive

activity and to encourage the

exploitation of inventions for

the benefit of society. As

HKUST's research results

ap-proach commercial applica-tion, patenting becomes a criti-cal part of the R&D equation.

For the University, licens-ing of properties protected by patents brings a tangible re-turl1 on investment in research. But the process of patenting is

expensive - a minimum of

HK$30,OOO for a single U.S. patent. Given limited funds,

how are the University's

choices made? What criteria

should be applied?

As a type of intellectual property, patents fall under the aegis of the Pro-Vice-Chan-cellor for Research and

Devel-opment, whose responsibilities

include establishing proce-dures pertaining to inventions, overseeing the administration

of all matters pertaining to in-ventions within and involving the University, determining the disposition of aU inventions,

and assisting the University in

matters pertaining to patent policy, such as the determina-tion of authorship.

To provide assistance in this area, a Technology Review Committee chaired by the PVC-RD was established in July 1994. Four members of

the committee are drawn from

the faculty and are appointed to two-year terms, while two others are staff members of

HKUST PATENTS A WARDED AND PENDING

Diamond crystals deposition from gases generated by polymer ablation by laser exposure

Prof. H. HIRAOKA (Chemistry), Mr. Stefan LATSCH (Chemistry), Dr. Rongfu XIAO (Physics)

Patent awarded I April 1993

In the presence of particular gases, a laser beam vaporizes plastic polymers,

which then deposit as diamond film. While there is commercial interest in this technique, further development and refinement of the process is needed - and

is underway - before it can be licensed.

Pulmonary delivery of proteins

Prof. Jeffrey WONG (Biochemistry), Dr. Michael TAM (Physiology, CUHK)

Patent pending; filed 13 May 1993

This invention provides a means to deliver proteins to the body other than by

injection. Since insulin is a protein, this method could prove valuable in the

treatment of diabetes.

Cloning and expression of a cellobiase gene fragment from Celluiolllollas biazolea and applications of it in the bioconversion of cellulosic materials to glucose and ethanol

Dr. Wan-Keung WONG (Biochemistry), Dr. Wai-Kei CHAN (Biochemistry) Patent pending; filed I September 1993

This invention represents a cost-effective biological process for converting waste paper to alcohol.

Dual-emitter lateral magnetometer

Mr. Jack LAU, Dr. Christopher C. T. NGUYEN, Prof. Ping Ko, Dr. Philip CHAN (all from EEE)

Patent pending; filed 3 February 1994

This new device measures magnetic fields with exceptional sensitivity yet can be

fabricated with existing integrated-circuit fabrication technology. This combina-tion of attributes gives it wide potential applicacombina-tion in devices such as computer disk drives.

High efficient light emitting materials

Dr. I. K. Sou, Prof. George WONG, Mr. G. C. XU, Mr. Wang HONG, Dr. K. S.

WONG, Dr. Z. Y. YANG (all from Physics) Patent pending; filed 26 August 1994

This patent will cover a new family of alloy thin films that emit light after even very weak stimulation. The emitted light can be controlled to cover almost the

entire visible spectrum. Further development could lead to the development of

thin, lightweight television screens.

Catalytic removal of sulfur dioxide from fllle gas

Dr. Ming FANG, Dr. Jian-xin MA, Mr. Ngai Ting LAU (all from Research

Centre)

Patent pending; filed 8 September 1994

This invention represents a simple, efficient, and inexpensive means of removing sulfur dioxide from waste gas streams, and of producing elemental sulfur for commercial purposes. It has great potential for reducing industrial air pollution.

At the same time, the preparation methods developed for the catalytic material could also be used to produce coating material for TV screens, another important

commercial application.

matic approach to the ques-tion of patenting. "LegaUy,

philosophically, and

economi-cally, patents are tied to

com-mercial potential," he notes. Thus the decision to file a

pat-ent is primarily a business

de-cision.

"The value of a patent is

not an indication of the intel-lectual or scientific merit of

an invention; it reflects mar

-ketability," he says.

"Publica-tion in refereed journals is still

the best indicator of scientific

worth; patents cover

inven-tions big and small: major

breakthroughs but also toys

and gadgets."

Since the University's

opening, 22 inventions by

HKUST staff have been brought to the attention of

TTC. Of these, one has been

awarded a U.S. patent, and

five are pending. In four other

cases the Technology Review

Committee recommended that

the University not pursue a

patent, and property rights

have reverted to the inventors.

The remainder are in various stages of evaluation.

Lawrence CHAN, TTC's

as-sociate director, anticipates a

steady increase in patent

ap-plications as University

re-search gains momentum and

the faculty continues to grow

in size. "We already receive

one or two invention

disclo-sures every month, and I

wouldn't be surprised if the

number doubles next year."

Prof. Wong shares that

ex-pectation, but is set to steer a

moderate course, selecting and

patenting judiciously the fruits

of HKUST's creativity. 0

BUILDING A UNI

V

E

RSITY

Department of Mechanic

a

l

Eng

i

neer

i

ng

Since the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and 19th ce ntu-ries, mechanical engineers have played a leading role in the

industrialization and modernization of society. But unlike their

forebears, today's mechanical engineers pay as much attention to efficiency as they do to function, and much of their work is

focused on optimizing existing mechanical systems. This r

e-quires an understanding of the fundamental science underlying

experimental results and redesigning to make the most efficient

use of resources.

In January 1995, Prof. Ping CHENG was appointed Head of

HKUST's Department of Mechanical Engineering. With a wide

range of academic and research experience in the U.S., this

former resident of Hong Kong plans to

optimize the Department's teaching and laboratory resources in order to

maximize its contribution to the d e-velopment of the region.

Ping LI, who specializes in advanced motion control, is design

-ing algorithms to improve the rate at which customized welders can weld the more than 100 spots on a single semiconductor. He foresees a tenfold increase in rate from five to 50 times per

second.

In the area of design, mechanical engineers are developing

"expert systems" that incorporate databases and reasoning algo

-rithms to make fast and accurate decisions in process planning.

Dr. Matthew Ming-Fai YUEN is exploring the potential of expert

systems to decide where to place locating pins and clamps in the assembly of machined parts.

Dr. Yuen is also adapting computer-aided design (CAD) algorithms to the modeling of soft objects (as opposed to the

hard objects traditionally associated with engineering). The objective is to allow fashion designers to view their designs in

3D simulations without having to spend the time, effort, and material to create actual prototypes. The designs can then be converted into two-dimensional pat -terns automatically. Once developed,

this capability will surely have a sig -nificant impact on Hong Kong's larg

-est industry: apparel and textile man

u-facturing.

E

n

e

r

gy a

nd

Env

ironm

e

ntal

E

n

g

in

eer

in

g

Energy and environmental eng

i-neering are fields currently dominated by mechanical engineers specializing

in heat transfer and fluid dynamics.

Following intensive discussion with faculty members in the Department, Prof. Cheng has outlined a departmen

-tal structure incorporati ng programs

in three main areas: (l) Mechatronics

and Manufacturing, (2) Energy and

Environmental Engineering, and (3)

Materials and Mechanics. This stru

c-ture fulfills earl ier plans in the Depar

t-ment to introduce a mechatronics

program that can help to improve the

competitive position of Hong Kong

industries.

• Drs. Wei-Pillg LI nllli Li-LoIIg CAlfi/le-llllle tile /I/Otioll

cOlllrol nigoritlllll for n compllter-colltrolled, Iligh-speed ploller ill HKLlST's COlltrol nlld Robotics Lnuornlory.

Prof. Cheng is renowned for his

pioneering research on radiative heat transfer and heat transfer in under -ground media. The latter work paved

the the way for the development of geothermal energy in the 1970s. R

e-Mechatrollics and

M

anufacturin

g

Mechatronics is the interfacing of computer-based technol

-ogy and electronics to enhance the performance of machines. In

most modern appliances, for example, a microprocessor hidden

under the control panel controls the electric motors in the appliance. Advanced features such as autofocus in cameras and

antilock brakes in automobiles are also applications of

mechatronics.

In manufacturing, sophisticated mechatronic systems are b

e-ing developed for use in robots and machine tools. Robot arms

are now common in the automotive industry, and new lig ht-weight, flexible robots that operate at higher speeds but con -sume less energy are on the way. Because these flexible robots

are prone to vibration, however, they are more difficult to

control. Dr. Li-Long CAl is among those at work on nonlinear control methods that will improve control of these and other

mechanical systems with flexible bodies.

In Hong Kong's high-tech microelectronics industry, the

ever-growing density of components creates a need for high -speed, high-precision mechatronic assembly machines. Dr. Wei

-SPRING 1995

cently he has turned his attention to the commercialization of

military and astrospace technology. Cryocoolers originally d e-veloped to cool the infrared detectors in night vision and missile guidance systems could, for example, be used to cool electronic equipment, superconducting devices, or even human organs.

Energy research will be carried out at HKUST's new Energy ·

Technology Laboratory. "New technologies in energy conve

r-sion and storage, waste heat recovery, and indoor environmental

control, as well as innovative designs for heat pipes and heat pumps, are some of the research areas we will pursue at the Energy Technology Lab," says Prof. Cheng.

Environmental issues have created significant research op -portunities for mechanical engineers over the last 20 years. Dr.

See-Chun KOT is using computational fluid dynamics to study the wind flows and water currents around Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. The models he develops will not only benefit

air and sea transport in the area but also facilitate environmental planning and assessment. Ultimately, this computer-based tech

-nology will be used to manage regional air and water pollution, as is being done elsewhere in the world.

Dr. Chin-Tsau Hsu is using his expertise in heat and mass transfer of multi phase flows to optimize the performance of industrial wastewater treatment systems. The focus of this re-search is on determining the ideal size of bubbles and particles

in the fluidized reactors used to treat industrial wastewater, for it has been found that increasing the surface area of particles enhances the system's overall efficiency and allows engineers to build smaller, more efficient reactors than in the past.

In the fight against noise pollution, Dr. Wai-Ming To is

exploring the feasibility of using the latest anti-noise technology to control railway noise in Hong Kong. Initially, he will use

computer simulations to test the efficiency of the proposed system. If the results are positive, small loudspeakers will be installed near the wheels of a KCR train. In principle, the an ti-noise generated by these loudspeakers will cancel out noise from the train, making life a little quieter for local residents.

Materials

and

Mechanics

Mechanical engineers working on m

a-terials are primarily concerned with de -termining which is the best material for manufacturing a product. Most of this

research is conducted at HKUST' s Centre

for Advanced Engineering Materials, di

-rected by Prof. Yiu Wing MAl.

Over the past decade, engineers have

developed many new and exciting com-posite materials. Polymer-based compos-ites are used to repair mechanical struc -tures such as aircraft. Rather than being

in engine gaskets, for example. Researchers led by Drs. Y. LENG

and T. Y. ZHANG have gone a step further by replacing sulfuric acid, which is corrosive, with metallic chlorides, thus creating an

environmentally friendly form of flexible graphite.

In the field of fracture mechanics, Prof. Pin TONG'S research has important ramifications for the safety of mechanical struc-tures, especially aircraft. Experience has shown that structural failure in aging aircraft can result from the spread of many,

undetectably small cracks. Using the principles of fracture

me-chanics, Prof. Tong hopes to understand when crack configura-tions become critical so that engineers can eventually create new designs to avoid the problem altogether.

Prof. Jay-Chung CHEN is interested in "inverse engineering" problems. This entails knowing when a structure loses the ability to withstand loads it was designed to withstand. Laboratory

experiments on a simulated building with interchangeable parts will provide valuable insights into the dynamic characteristics of buildings with structural defects. Prof. Chen also hopes to develop a way of interpreting the data collected from the

sensors built into modern high-rises so as to pinpoint defects and facilitate repairs.

"Just like an electrocardiograph, mod-ern engineering technology allows us to distinguish between healthy buildings and sick buildings," he says. "As a society progresses, safety issues become increa

s-ingly important."

Future

Directions

welded or bolted into place like conven- • B!J IIsillg a slale-of-Ille-arl Laser Doppler The University'S plans to build a state-of-the-art wind tunnel are moving ahead thanks to a $10 million grant from China

Light and Power. The Environmental

Wind/Wave Tunnel facility will house a tional metallic plates, composite patches

are attached to damaged surfaces with chemical adhesives. Dr. Ricky Shi-Wei LEE is currently analyzing the

characteris-Allelllollleler 10 slllri!J tile illiernciioll belweell waves allrilmo!Jalll jels, a researcll lealll leri b!J Dr. C. T.

HSlIllopes 10 leam 1II0re abolll Ille riispersioll of waslewaler allri wasle Ileal ill all oceall ellvirOlllllelli.

tics of patching composites with an eye to optimizing their resistance to wear, heat, moisture, and impact.

Another type of composite material is made up of layers of piezoelectric and structural materials. When subjected to bend-ing, twisting, and/or shearing, beams made of this composite

material generate an electric signal. Similarly, these materials

will alter or rectify their physical geometry when an electric field is applied. According to Dr. Lee, the electrical-mechanical coupling properties of these materials are well suited to building "smart structures" that can acti vely compensate for vibration. A prime example is the arm holding the magnetic head in a PC's hard disk, which must respond to vibration in order to maintain a constant gap.

Working in collaboration with engineers at Qinghua

Univer-sity in Beijing, HKUST researchers have developed a new type

of flexible graphite. In its natural form, graphite is extremely brittle. But inserting layers of sulfuric acid 'and heating the

composite material at high temperature causes graphite to take on properties that enable it to be compressed into thin flexible

sheets. These flexible graphite sheets can be cut into different

shapes and used where high-temperature sealing is required

-closed-loop wind tunnel outfitted to study problems such as

wind loads on tall buildings, dispersion of pollutants, and air-sea in teracti on.

"Tall buildings are usually wind-tunnel tested prior to

con-struction," says Dr. Yitzak ZOHAR, a specialist in experimental fluid mechanics who is managing construction of the facility. "We hope our facility will be able to serve the large local market that has previously relied on overseas facilities."

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is also beginning to contribute to research in the emerging field of microsystems, building on successes in the related field of microsensors. With the Microelectronics Fabrication Centre providing technical

support, HKUST seems poised to join the leading research institutions in this interdisciplinary field.

As with other disciplines, the future of mechanical engineer-ing will be heavily influenced by new ideas it adopts from different fields, and this trend is sure to enhance the already high level of interdisciplinary research. Currently numbering 19 and

still growing, the faculty of HKUST's Department of Mechani

-cal Engineering are excited to be moving into new areas that will

help to build the technology of tomorrow. 0

HKUST IN ACTION

Dr. SONG Jian (left), Chairman of China's State Science •

& Technology Commission, visited HKUST on 13 December 1994 to meet University officials, inspect laboratories,

and talk with researchers. He was escorted on his visit by Prof. S. D. KUNG, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

1995

• Topped out on 14 January 1995 were the first staff residences to be built through a self-financing scheme. The three new towers will allow 66 more families to live on campus. Officiating at the ceremony was Dr. CHENG Hon-kwan, Chairman of the Campus Planning and Estate Management Committee of the University Council.

• The First Asian Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, hosted by the Department of Mathematics on 16-19 January,

attracted 177 scholars from 22 countries around the world. Participants were welcomed at the opening ceremony by the Conference Chairman, Prof. Grafton W. H. Hui.

• A holistic and market-oriented approach to re-search was the topic of

"Research and Innovation",

a Distinguished Lecture in Engineering presented on 15 February by Prof. Dennis TSICHRITZIS, Chairman of the Board of the German National Research Center for Information Technology.

A thought-provoking lecture on "Economics and Game Theory" was delivered to a full house on 20 February by Prof. John

C.

HARSANYI, Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Berkeley and 1994 Nobel laureate in economics.

.一一一

一切

SPRING 1995 .-祖-，-自-~-=-個--~--Ronnie C. CHAN (陳散宗先生)

COUNCIL

MEMBERS

Linus CHEUNG Wing Lam

,

JP (張永霖先生)

Mr. Ronnie C. CHAN, chairman of the Hang Lung

Develop-l1lent Group of Hong Kong, has been appointed to the University

COllnci 1. He is a founde1' and director ofthe Morni月side/Springfield Group, a privately held investment concern.

Mr. Chan is a membe1' of the P1'esident's Advisory Board of HKUST and a directo1' of the Hong Kong Real Estates Developers

Association. He se1'ves on the Boa1'd of Directors of several

publicly listed compani巴s ，sllch as Standard Charte1'巴dBank PLC

in London, and has been appointed a non-executive di1'ector of the

Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. He is

co-chairl1lan of the Advisory Committee of the Cent1'e for Real Estate

at MIT, chai1'man of the Asia Society, Hong Kong Cent巴r， and a

trustee ofthe Asia Society, New York. He also s巴1'v巳son th巴 boa1'ds

of several international think tanks and educational institutions. Mr. Chan has been featured in international publications, in-c1uding Newsweek, Bl1siness Week, The Wall Street Journal, Institlltional Investo1's, and Forbes. Mr. Chan holds an MBA from

the University of Southern California. 口

The Unive1'sity welcomes M1'. Linl1s CHEUNG, chief execlltive

and executive di1'ector of Hong Kong TeleconUllunications

Lim-ited, to membe1'ship of th巳 UniversityCouncil. M1'. Cheung also is a directo1' of the Board of Cable and Wireless plc, Hongkong Telecom' s largest sharehold巴1'.

He earned an honors BS in economics and political science f1'om

th巴 UniversityofHong Kong in 1971 and began his ca1'ee1' with the

Swire G1'ol1p. In 1978, he obtained a Oiploma in management

studies from the Unive1'sity ofHong Kong, and he was awa1'ded the Tom Martyn-Jones Memo1'ial Prize for outstanding pe1'fo1'mance.

He received fl1rther Illanagement training from Harva1'd Bl1siness

School, INSEAO, Oxford University, London Business School,

and the Asian Institut巳 ofManagement.

At the invitation of th巴 Hong Kong Government, M1'. Chellng

was one of four melllbe1's of the Central Policy Unit. He also has

se1'ved as Official Justice of the Peace and was appointed a Non-official J lIstice of th巳 Peacein 1992. H巴 currentlyse1'ves as one of

two Hong Kong rep1'esentatives on the Pacific Business Forum of

the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).口

VISITING PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING Kenneth Carless SMITH

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

READER DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE JunGU (施建歷教授)

P1'of. K. C. SMITH 1'eceived a BSc in enginee1'ing physics in 1954, an MSc in elect1'ical engineering in 1956, and a PhO in physics in 1960, all from the U ni v巴rsityof Toronto.

Prof. Smith served on the faculty ofthe University ofIllinois at U1'bana in both el巳ct1'icalengineering and computer scienc巴，and of tbe Univ巴1'sity of Toronto. Thel 巴， he became professor of both

elect1'ical enginee1'ing and compl1te1' science in 1970. He also obtained prof，巴ssorshipsof library and information science in 1981

and mechanical enginee1'ing in 1988.

He served as chai1'man of the Oepartment of Elect1'ical

Engi-nee1'ing f1'om 1976 to 1981. He cl1rrently is director of Semi-Tech (Global) Company Ltd., Hong Kong, and Si1'it Technologies Inc., Ontario.

His 1 巴search interests include Iinea1', multiple-vallled and bi -nary-digital circl1its; neural networks; machine-vision; medical instrulllentation; and sensor and instrum巴ntationsystems in va1'

i-ous applications 口

(顧鈞教授)

Or. Jun GU earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the

Univ. of Science and Technology of China. In 1989, he received

his PhO in Comput巴l' Scienc巴 from th巴 Univel叫tyof Utah where

he received the 1987 and 1988 IEEE/ACM 0巴sign Alltomation Scholarship Awa1'ds. He has been a Professo1' of Electrical and Compllter Enginee1'ing at the University of Calga1'Y sinc巳 1994

Jun Gl1 has dev巴lopednew methods and software packages fo1' VLSI circuit design, and effici巴nt techniql1es and p1'actical sys-tems for large-scale enginee1'ing optil1lization. He holds several fastest techniques fo1' the hard core problems in compute1' COl1lp

l1-tation and info1'mation processing. They are used in compute1' architecture design, compllter network design, VLSI ci1'cllit

de-sign, ill1age and 3D object recognition, Robot ll1anipulation,

real-till1e scheduling, and industrial al1tomation. H巴 hasw1'itten several

pat巴nts，three books

,

and more than 100 technical articles. Dr. GlI is on the editorial board of Journal ofGlobal Optimiz

a-tio月 ，IEEE COll1puter Soci的，Press, and Joumal of AI Tools. 口

ACTING HEAD AND PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING S. Simon WONG

(黃兆永教授)

Prof. S. Simon WONG received the BEE and BME degrees

from the U ni versi ty ofMinnesota at Mi nneapolis in 1975 and 1976,

respectively

,

and the MS and PhD degrees from the Univ巴rsityof

California at Berkel巳yin 1978 and 1983, respectively.

From 1978 to 1980, he workecl at National SemiconclllctOl

Corporation designing MOS dynamic memories. From 1980 to 1985, he was with H巳wlett-PackardLaboratories and workecl on

aclvanced MOS technologies. From 1985 to 1988, he was an

assistant professor in the School of Electrical Engineering at

Cornell Univer討 ty.1n1988, hejoined Stanford University, where

he is associate professor of electrical engineering and associate director of the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility. His research interests inc111de high-performance device structllres, advancecl interconnection technology, and mlllti-chip modllles.

Prof. Wong holds five patents ancl has contriblltecl to two books

and more than 100 jOllrnal ancl conference pllblications. 口

HEAD AND PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT OF ORGANISA TIONS

Anne Shuk-Ying TSUI (徐淑英教授)

Originally from Shanghai and Hong Kong, Prof. Anne Shlll

•

Ying TSU1 received her BA in 1973 and MA in personnel/

indllstrial relations in 1975 from the University ofMinnesota. She

earned a PhD in b巴havioraland organizational sciences from the

University of California at Los Angeles in 1981.

Before her appointment as Head of th巴 D巴partmentof

Manage-ment of Organisations, Prof. TSlli was an associat巴 professorat the

Graclllate School ofManagem巴ntof the University ofCalifornia at

Irvin巴 from 1988 to 1995, and at the Fuqlla School of Business,

DlIke University, from 1981 to 1988. She was a visiting reader at

HKUST in 1993.

Her research interests inc1ude managerial replltational

effec-tiveness; self-regulation processes; organizational demography;

employee-organizational relationships; and strategic human

re-source managem巴nt.She has published extensively in a variety of

m句 oracademic journals.

Prof. Tsui serves as consulting editor for the Acadel月y of Management Journal, and is on the editorial boards ofAdl11 inistra-five Scie/Jce Quarfer紗 ， Orga月 izafionalScie/Jce, and Research and

Pracfice in HUl11an Resource Ma/J agemenf. 口

SPRING 1995

HEAD AND PROFESSOR

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Ping CHENG (鄭平教授)

Prof. Ping CHENG, a world-renownecl expert in heat transfer

and energy engineering, obtainecl his BS from Oklahoma State

Universi 句，MS from MlT, both in mechanical engineering, and his

PhD in aeronautics and astronalltics frol11 Stanford University.

B 巴fOI 巳 joining HKUST, he was professor and chairman of

mechanical engineering at the Univ巴rsity of Hawaii. Other

aca-d巴micappointments inclucle a visiting professorship of petroleulll

engine巴ring at Stanford University, and a guest professorship of

thermoclynamics at the Technical University ofMunich

,

Gerlllany.

Prof. Ch巴nghas performed seminal research work on radiative

heat transfer and porous-media heat transfer. At tbe University of Hawaii, he sp巴arheacleclresearch in geotherlllal reservoir

engineer-ing for the development of geoth巴rlllalenergy in th巴 1970s. Prof. Cheng received the Fujio Matsucla Scholar Award fOl

research 巴xc巴llenceat the University ofHawaii in 1989. A fellow

of ASME ancl an associate 巴ditor of th巴 AJAA Journal of Heaf

Tra/J拚 r and Thermophysics, h巴 has published mor巴 than 120

refereed papers in leading heat transfer journals 口

HEAD AND PROFESSOR DIVISION OF HUMANITIES

John C. Y. WANG

(王靖宇教授)

A world-renowned expert in Chines巴 andcomparative

litera-tlll 巴， Prof. John C. Y. WANG has been appointed Head of the

Division of HUlllanities

Prof. Wang specializes in early Chinese literatl.lre and literary

criticislll ancl is an authority on the Chinese classic Tso-chua/J. At Stanford University, he was chairman of the Departlllent of

Asian Languages and, since 1991, director of the Center fOl

Chines巴 Langllageand Cultllral Stlldies

Prof. Wang receivecl his BA from National Taiwan Univer叫句，

his MA frolll the University of Minnesota

,

and his PhD frolll

Cornell University. Before joini 時 HKUST， h巴 was t出h巴 Edwa剖lr

Cαl怕ar此.k Cros鉛s巴ttPro‘.ofe巴s鈴soωrof Humanis叫叫ti比cStudies and 叭r叩p.ofes鉛soωrof

Chin巴seancl cOlllparative Ii te創r司a前tll山lrea削tSt怕anfoωrdUniversity.

Prof. Wang also has served in a broacl range of adlllinistrative

capacities, including boarcl director of the Association for Asian Stlldies and chairlllan of the Association's China and Inner Asia

Council, as well as president of th巴 NewChina Education

.一一一一切

LECTURER IN MA THEMA TlCS Guoqiang GE (葛國強博士) LECTURER IN CHEMISTRY YAN Yijing (嚴以京博士)

Unive剖r剖 t句yofCa叫lif，臼Ornia ，Berkeley (Mathemat ics)

AIgorithms; nllmber theory. PhD

Research Inter巴sts: 1993

University of Rochester (Ch巴 mistry)

Research Assistant Professor, University of California, San Diego

QlIantllm molecular dynamics; theory of

qllan-tllm control and nonlinear spectroscopi 巴S III condensed phases; photochemistry.

1989 PhD 1992-94 Research Interests: LECTURER IN PHYSICS TANG Zi Kal1g (湯子康博士) ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR INPHYSICS Zhao-Qing ZHANG (張昭慶博士)

Tohoku University (Semicondllctor CI lI st巴rs) Sp巴cialResearcher, J apanese Scienc巴 andTech­

nology Ag巴ncy for Basic Science Program,

The Institllt巴 of Physical and Chemical

Re-search (RIKEN)

QlIantllm siz巴 effects; qllantllm transports in

nano size semicondllctor and m巴talclllsters. 1992 PhD

1992-94

Research Interests:

University of Pennsylvania (Inhomogeneolls

Bos巴 Q lI antumLiquid)

Associate Senior Research Physicist, Exxon

Research and Engineering Company

Condensed matter theory includes electronic

transport and wave localization in random or layered media; mesoscopic physics

PhD

R巴searchInterests:

1974 1992

ASSIST ANT PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

LI Zhaoping (李兆平博士) LECTURERIN

COMPUTER SCIENCE

CHEUNG Shil1g Chi

(張成志博士)

California Institute of Technology (Physics)

Res巴arch Fellow, Rockefeller Univ巳rSlty

Computational neuroscience; complltational and organization principles in the brain, espe-cially the sensory syst巴111

1990 PhD 1992-94

Research Interests:

University of London (Distributed Software

Engineering)

Research Associate, Imp巴rial Coll巴ge

Distribut巴dsystems, softwar巴 designand analy-sis; software verification and testing; object-oriented systems; multi-l11edia systems. PhD

1989-92

Research Interests: 1994

ASSIST ANT PROFESSOR OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

GOONETILLEKE Ravil1dra Stephel1

LECTURERIN

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

Truol1g-Thao NGUYEN

(阮長操博士) (耿樂偉博士)

State University of New York, Buffalo

(Ergo-nomics/Human Factors Engineering)

Human Factors Manag缸，NlKE, Inc.

Workplace ergonomics; perc巴ptionand

sensa-tion; l11ental model development; comfort stand-ard developl11ent for conSllm巴rproducts. PhD

1991-94

R巴searchInterests:

1990 Co叫lumbi泊a Univeαr叫t句y(Ele巳ctn‘1比ca叫IEng♂III巴巴ring)

Pos針tc吋doctora叫1 Fellow, Center for Telecol11 mll-nications Research, Colul11bia U ni versity

Analogue-to-digital conv巴 rsion; sigma-delta

modulation; discr巴te-ti l11e signal processing;

lmag巴 compress lO n. PhD Research Intel 巴sts: 1993 1993 SPRING 1995

w

LECTURERIN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Yongsheng GAO (高昧生博士) LECTURERIN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Heloisa SHIH

University ofBirmingham (Mechanical Engi

neering)

Research Fellow, University of Birmingham

Manufacturing process modeling and control;

grinding t巴chnology;high-spe巴dmachine sys

tems; pr巴cisionmeasurement technology; rapid

part manufacturing

PhD

1992-94

Research lnterests 1992

(師意莎博士)

y okohama N ational Uni versi 句， Japan

(Elec-trical and lnformation Engineering)

Assistant Professor of lndustrial Engineering,

University of São Paulo, Brazil

Production managem巴nt;proJect manag巳m巳nt; industrial and service applications of s巴arch t巴chniques ，fuzzy interfer巴nceand Petri n巴ts. PhD Res巴archlnt巴rests: 1991 1983-93 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ACCOUNTING Andrew CHAN LECTURERIN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

J.

K. KIM (陳航德博士)

Purdue Univ巴rsity(Accounting)

Assistant L巴cturer， Departm巴nt of

Account-ing, Hong Kong University of Science and

T巴chnology

Rol巴 of accrual- vs. cash-based accounting

information. 1994 PhD

1993-94

Research lnter巴 sts

(金章教博士)

University of Sydn叮 (M巳chanical Engin巴巴r­

ing)

Lecturer, Australian National University

lnterface science and engineering; composite

mechanics and manufacturing; fracture III巴

chanics; microelectronics packaging

PhD

1993-94

Research Interests:

1991

LECTURER IN INFORMA TION

AND SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Theodore H. CLARK ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

OF ACCOUNTING

KIM Chung K weon

(金正權博士) (祈 泰德博士)

Harvard Business School (Managem巴nt

lnfor-111ation Systems)

R巴searchAssociate, Harvard BusiJ司 essSchool

Process innovation enabl巴d by technological

innovation; interorganizational syst巴111S; EDI

implem巴ntation issues; telecomlllunications

PhD 1994

Res巴archlnter的 ts

1994

University of Pittsburgh (Accounting)

L巴CtUI 凹， University of Pittsburgh

lncollle tax reporting behavior;巴mpirical

analy-sis of incentive-related issu巳d;information is

sues in exp巴rimental economics.

1994 PhD 1991-94 R巴search Inter巴 sts:一 ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF HUMANITIES LI Siu Leung (李小良博士)

ASSIST ANT PROFESSOR OF MARKETING

Priya RAGHUBIR

(洛菩雅博士)

University of 扎1assachus巴tts (Comparati ve

Literature)

Drama; Chinese opera; g 巴 nd巴r studies;

postcolonial studies; comparative poetics

D PA

R巴searchInterests

1995

N巴wYork University (Marketing)

Marketing Executiv巴，Jardin巴Fleming

Attribution th巴ory and bias巴s; behavioral

as-pects of price promotions; visual inforlllation processing; cognitiv巴 aspectsof surv巴yme

th-odology. 1993 PhD 1989-90 Research Interests: d『守口的回〈且 O

Published by Office of Public Affairs. For information: tel 1852) 2358.6302 or fax 1852) 2358 日 537 SPR)NG 1995