HKU Bulletin January 2005 (Vol. 6 No. 2)

T he Special Research Achievement Award was made exceptionally this year to the research team in the Department of Microbiology (represented by Professor Mal ik Pei r is, Professor Yuen Kwok Yung and Dr Guan Yi) which identified the novel coronavi rus responsible for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The people of Hong Kong still remember the atmosphere of fear and tension that prevailed in the territory just a year and a half ago. Between November 2002 and February 2003 the wor ld became aware of a lethal , highly-infect ious, new respiratory illness. By March 2003 the new disease – known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS for short – was causing havoc. Hong Kong suffered particularly heavi ly. Nobody knew what caused the disease, or how i t was transmitted, and for scientists around the world the challenge was to find the answer to these questions as quickly as poss T ib h l e e. f ight against SARS was a global effort, and the University was in the front line of the struggle. It was a time of great communal endeavour. Researchers in the Faculties of Engineering, Medicine and Science worked hard to answer the basic questions about SARS; the University’s doctors t reated sick pat ients; and many other staf f members, students, and alumni reached out into the community to educate the public on hygiene and disease prevention. Some of them, particularly the doctors dealing with SARS patients, were at great risk of infection themselves. Our researchers in many discipl ines scored several important and memorable successes during the early months of 2003. The Spec i a l Research Achi evement Award commemorates the first momentous breakthrough in the fight against SARS, which was made by a virology team in the Department of Microbiology. The team first tested and rejected the plausible hypothesis that SARS was a form of bird flu. Having narrowed down the search, they successfully grew the viral agent responsible for SARS by using embryonic monkey kidneys, previously used for cultivating the hepatitis A virus. Next, they used a comparison of blood samples from SARS victims to confirm that the viral agent they had grown was indeed the causal agent of SARS. Final ly they examined infected cel ls under a powerful electron microscope and ident i f ied a hi therto-unknown coronavi rus as the agent responsible. Their findings were reported on March 27, 2003, and published in The Lancet on April 19, 2003. This was a remarkable discovery made in record time, under extreme pressure, and – for some members of the team – at considerable risk to themselves of infection. It brought the medi ca l communi ty wor ldwide s igni f i cant l y c loser to pinpointing the cause of the disease, and laid the foundations for other important advances in the fight against SARS. Special Research Achievement Award In the most recent round of awards for teaching excellence five winners were selected for their outstanding contributions to teaching and learning. Professor John Spinks, who as Pro-Vice-Chancellor oversaw the scheme, said that in making its decision the selection panel focused not only on excellent practice in the classrooms, but also on leadership roles over a wide range of teaching activities, such as curriculum development, the use of innovative methods to enhance teaching and the promotion of good practices in teaching and learning. Here our teachers and their students talk about what makes an excellent educator. What It Takes to be a Good Teacher D r Chan Lung Sang, Associate Professor of the Department of Earth Sciences said: “I am certainly honoured to have been named a Teaching Fellow but I also owe it to many of my current and former students. Teaching for me would definitely not be enjoyable and fun without them. On what makes a good teacher he said: “I don’t think it’s merely good lectures or good handouts. It’s probably many subtle things. I believe the starting point, however, is the teacher-student relationship. The teacher must believe in the student and, in turn, the student will place his or her trust in the teacher.” His former student I rene Or added: “Dr Chan is an enthusiastic teacher who takes his students’ interests to mind and heart. His positive attitude and down-to-earth approach greatly motivate his students. “I was fortunate to be under his supervision for my undergraduate final year project, which was lucky enough to win a Best Paper Award by the Hong Kong Inst i tute of Educat ion. His enl ightenment and encouragement also motivated me to pursue my postgraduate studies at Oxford University. “Dr Chan has also devoted tremendous efforts to various education-related projects, including the Science Summer Institute, the first of its kind at the University. “He has developed a Quality Education Fund project on Problem-Based Learning in the f ield envi ronment . This approach could lead to a revolutionary change in the local education system, in the light of the recent move towards curriculum reform.” 23 22