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The Chinese University of Hong Kong Forges Ties with World’s Leading Universities
The Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Prof. Lawrence J. Lau led a delegation of leading scientists to two world preeminent universities in the United States – the University of California at Berkeley and Yale University recently. The visit is part of the Chinese University's effort to promote the University on the international front and to forge cooperation in research programmes. The delegation represented four of the University's five areas of academic excellence, including Biomedical Sciences, Chinese Studies, Economics and Finance & Information Sciences.
Senior officers at the two universities, including Chancellor Prof. Robert Birgeneau at the University of California at Berkeley and President Prof. Richard Levin at Yale University were most impressed by the outstanding research conducted at the Chinese University, including research in Circulating Nucleic Acids, Epithelial Cell Biology, Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology, Network Coding and Networked Control.
The University of California at Berkeley is a long time partner of the Chinese University. The two universities have been exchanging students since 1965. Besides student activities, there are active research and teaching programmes in the areas of physics, social work and public health. Most recently the University of California at Berkeley and the Chinese University became members of the East-West Alliance – an alliance of medical research faculties which will develop high-impact and educational projects to meet the challenges of population and emerging infections that threaten world health. The University of Cambridge and Stanford University are among some of the others in the Alliance.
The Chinese University's connection with Yale University pre-dates the establishment of the University through the New Asia College. Presence of Yale University on the Chinese University campus includes the Yale-China Association Office and the New Asia – Yale-in-China Chinese Language Centre. Besides, mobility of students between the two universities has been taking place since 1993 through an annual short-term exchange programme. On the research front, joint work has been undertaken in engineering, the humanities and sciences.
The delegation members include Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof. Jack Cheng, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Registrar Prof. Billy So, Director of the Epithelial Cell Biology Research Centre Prof. Chan Hsiao Chang, Director of the Institute of Plant Molecular Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology and Master-Designate of the S. H. Ho College Prof. Samuel Sun, Dean of Graduate School Prof. Wong Wing Shing, Chairman of the Department of History and Head of Chung Chi College Prof. Leung Yuen Sang, Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Head of United College Prof. Fung Kwok Pui and Senior Programme Manager of the Office of Academic Links Ms. Shally Fan.
Prof. Richard Levin, President of Yale University (left) and Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (left) and Prof. Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley.
