HKU Bulletin November 2009 (Vol. 11 No .1)

4 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin 5 November 2009 News in Brief Societies across the globe are facing increasing environmental problems brought on by global warming, dwindling natural resources, and governments and industries are demanding the experts necessary to understand and combat these issues. With that demand in mind the Faculty of Science has launched a new major in Environmental Science. Its multi-disciplinary approach offers undergraduates the opportunity to explore the interface between humans and the Earth, and gain a deeper, broad-based understanding of how we impact on the planet and its resources. The major will provide new students with a solid scientific grounding in environmental issues, stimulate their curiosity and arm them with the necessary critical skills to FIgHTIng ClIMATe CHAnge: A new MAJor In envIronMenTAl sCIenCe appreciate the complexities of the issues at hand. It will also prepare them from careers in various industries and governmental bodies where they will be expected to manage the resources for which they are responsible. Dr Nathalie Goodkin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, and one of the teachers on the course, said, “It’s meant to give students an interdisciplinary exposure to environmental science. To really understand environmental science you need to understand biology, physics and chemistry. Students will have to take courses amongst those disciplines, but then they will have to take additional courses that tie them all together and encourage them to think about the social and economic impact of environmental problems.” so you want to be a writer? HKU’s new MFA In CreATIve wrITIng The new MFA in Creative Writing, at the School of English, is a unique part-time, mid-residency programme, allowing participants to design, edit, and craft their creative writing, based on historical and contemporary developments in the field. The two-year part-time programme hopes to help students establish a sound body of work. It will also allow students to work with fellow writers and establish patterns of writing that can be life-long. MFA Director, Dr Page Richards says: “Our aim is that students can acquire, by the end of the programme, both a wide body of knowledge and greater self-confidence in the art of creative writing.” The MFA, which has evolved from the Department’s Postgraduate Diploma in Creative Writing, offers both depth and specialization and may contribute professionally to advancement in teaching, journalism, and communications. The class of 2009 hosts approximately 30 students will be taught this year by Dr Page Richards, Marina Ma from the School of English, and Rajeev Balasubramanyam from the Society of Scholars, who will be offering sessions or special events throughout the year. HKU has agreed with King’s College to offer a joint PhD and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Imperial College to do the same, after the Senate approved such programmes with other universities of compatible quality and standing earlier this year. The joint PhD with King’s College will allow students doing scientific research to work in the laboratories of both universities, be supervised by members of both faculties and be examined to the standards of both. They will receive a PhD jointly conferred by HKU and King’s College. JoInT Phd ProgrAMMes APProved “The partner institution may have researchers operating in the same field and they may have different expertise and study materials. The students will benefit from the synergy of two collaborating research groups,” he said. In addition to joint PhD degrees, the University will also bolster structured teaching for research postgraduate students, to strengthen their methodology and other basic research skills. Although these courses have always been offered, they will be intensified and benchmarked against similar programmes in other top universities. “We’re quite happy with the teaching we offer, but we feel we can always make improvements,” Professor Tam said. HKU and Imperial College have also agreed to develop a joint PhD programme. During the summer the University offered a course on transferable research skills based on one offered at Imperial, that was attended by PhD students from HKU, Imperial and Tsinghua University. Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Tam, said joint PhDs benefited students by enabling them to tap into two complementary research groups and to live and study in a different society. Students are expected to spend a significant period doing research in the other university. dIversITy THroUgH Food And FAITH In another example of the University’s commitment to establishing a culturally diversified campus environment, a Halal Food Corner was opened on September 9, 2009, in the Fong Shu Chuen Amenities Centre, Swire Building. This outlet serving Halal food is the first of its kind among all tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and is a very important step in furthering multi-cultural understanding on campus. The University currently has a small population of staff and students of Islamic faith and this is expected to grow with the University’s plan to increase the intake of students from Islamic countries in the coming years. The Halal Food Corner, which sells food permissible under Islamic law, will not be just an additional food outlet, but also a relaxed and social setting for introducing Islamic culture to HKU students and staff. In the previous Bulletin , under the Teaching and Research Awards, we identified Dr Edmund Lam Yin-mun as an Assistant Professor. He had in fact been promoted to Associate Professor before we went to print. We also identified Dr Siok Wai-ting as Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, when it should have been the School of Humanities. Our deepest apologies are extended to Dr Lam and Dr Siok for any embarrassment or confusion this may have caused. Corrigenda South Kensington Campus, Imperial College Waterloo Campus, King’s College