HKU Bulletin November 2005 (Vol. 7 No. 1)

3 2 Dentistry Dean Joins Pan-European Study T he University is part of an 11-country investigation into autoimmunity that recently received a Euro 3 million (HK$28 million) grant from the European Community. Autoimmunity is when the body’s immune system turns on itself. The focus of investigations will be a rare childhood genetic disorder, autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS 1), the study of which would shed light on autoimmune reactions in general, such as rheumatoid arthritis. One of the major diseases seen in APS 1 is chronic, candidal infections throughout the skin and nails of affected individuals. Candida, a fungus living in the gut , is harmless to most people. But it causes disease and sometimes death in compromised patients, such as those with APS 1 or AIDS or undergoing radiotherapy. The Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, Professor Lakshman Samaranayake who also holds the Chair of Oral Microbiology, will try to establish ’the tipping point’ for candida infections using a genetically modified mouse model developed by European researchers. This model has the same defective gene as APS 1 patients. Professor Samaranayake is a world authority in oral mycology and has written more than 300 research articles and a seminal monograph on the subject. “How this harmless organism becomes a parasite I think is a multi- million dollar question,” he said. Researchers will also have access to a database of patient information developed in Europe, where APS 1 is rather more common than in Asia. Researchers from Australia, Britain, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland will investigate other aspects of the disease, with the hope of further understanding autoimmune diseases in general and developing novel therapies. NEWS ROUND-UP Minds Wide Open T he Faculty of Education is playing a leading role in helping to train teachers for the new liberal studies programme that will become compulsory in all secondary schools by 2008. Liberal studies is part of a broader effort to move away from rote learning by promoting the development of enquiry skills and critical thinking, rather than focusing solely on acquiring a body of knowledge. The Faculty is offering a Master’s degree of Education in Liberal Studies from September and a shorter Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Educational Studies (PCAdvEdStud). In addition there is a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDE) for untrained teachers. While there is some debate about what constitutes ‘liberal studies’– some tertiary institutions have interpreted it to mean students are taught about issues of social relevance using traditional methods – the University is committed to enquiry-based learning. “The impression we have is that the government likes the flexibility of our programme and approves of the direction that the Faculty is moving in, which not only fits our beliefs but also happens to be consistent with the government’s goals,” Associate Professor Dr Philip Stimpson said. The programmes seek to help teachers in the task of encouraging students to look at the assumptions underpinning beliefs, ask questions and find the answers themselves – an approach similar to the problem- based learning used in many other University programmes. Dr Stimpson said 36 students had been admitted to the liberal studies Master’s/PCAdvEdStud programmes this year, from more than 100 applicants. The PGDE programme has 35 students. Demand for places is strong but the aim is to keep numbers relatively low and focus on quality. Liberal Studies involves a change in mind-set on the part of participants, something that can only be achieved through active engagement. “Teachers need to understand what liberal studies is about and why it’s valuable. Our approach is to get into their hearts and minds so we can help them develop into good liberal studies teachers,” he said. Dr Stimpson added that liberal studies had practical impacts because employers wanted students to develop better problem-solving and communication skills. “The anecdotal feedback from employers is that they tend to find their staff are very knowledgeable, but they are limited as problem solvers. They don’t think things through. We would argue that it’s not because inherently they can’t do it, but they have been conditioned out of it,” he said. MEd Liberal Studies development team. Left to right: Philip Stimpson, Pang Ming Fai, Jeffrey Day.