HKU Bulletin June 2013 (Vol. 14 No. 3)

News in Brief Professor Che Chi-ming, Hui Wai Haan Chair of Chemistry, has been elected as a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), United States. Professor Che’s research interests cover triplet emitters and solar chemistry, green oxidation, metal-nitrogen multiple bonds, metal-carbon multiple bonds, materials science and chemical catalysis and chemical biology of inorganic medicines. He is the winner of the 2013 Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize, a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Academy of Science for the Developing World in Chemical Sciences, the World Innovation Foundation and the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies. His election to the NAS is further evidence of how greatly respected Professor Che’s work is around the world. In recognition of the remarkable and continuing achievements of scientists in original research, the NAS announced the election of 84 new members and 21 foreign associates from 14 countries in April 2013. M Professor Che Elected Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences HKU presented seven new Endowed Professors and one successive appointment in its Seventh Inauguration of Endowed Professorships officiated by Pro-Chancellor Dr the Honourable David Li Kwok-po, and presided by Vice- Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, on April 19, 2013 in Loke Yew Hall. This brings the total number of Endowed Professorships to 72, including three Distinguished Visiting Professorships. Each Endowed Professorship is established with a donation of $10 million or more, which is matched by the University with an equal amount. The generous donation will become a perpetual endowment in a designated discipline, as the Endowed Professor upholds a proud tradition of excellence. “The town-gown partnership is vital for the sustainability of any advanced economy such as Hong Kong. No world economy can succeed Upholding the Tradition of Excellence The Seventh Inauguration of Endowed Professorships without a vibrant tertiary sector. Increasingly, public-private partnerships in tertiary sector education are what lend that vibrancy and sustainability. The Endowed Professorships at HKU are an important manifestation of this concept,” noted Dr Raymond Ch’ien Kuo-fung, Chairman, Advisory Committee to the Vice- Chancellor on Endowed Professorships. Being regarded as the most significant award bestowed upon academics within the University, Endowed Professorships have been established since 2005 to provide continued support to areas of academic excellence. For more about HKU’s Endowed Professorships, please go to http://www.hku.hk/ephku/ M Teaching, Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards 28 Excellence in Teaching, Research and Knowledge Exchange 2012 29 Outstanding Teaching Award 32 Faculty Teaching Awards 33 Outstanding Researcher Award 34 Outstanding Young Researcher Award 36 Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award 37 Research Output Prize 38 Knowledge Exchange Award Knowledge Exchange 39 Oh, What a Night! People 40 A Light at the Museum Books 42 Imagining Nuns and Saints Arts and Culture 44 Artistic Impressions Campus Development 46 Teamwork behind State-of-the-Art Campus News in Brief 01 The Seventh Inauguration of Endowed Professorships Professor Che Elected Foreign Associate of the US National Academy of Sciences 02 Winning Recognition for Our Green and Sustainable Campus Distinguished HKU Academics Awarded Croucher Senior Research Fellowships 2013–14 03 HKU Serves up More Veggies, Less Meat on Mondays HKU Presents the First Mineral Festival 2013 A Kaleidoscope of Beauty in Nature Cover Story 04 A Balance of Traditions 06 Both Ends towards the Middle 10 East-West Mixtures Improve Mental Health 12 Saving the Bears in the Name of Science 14 Qigong and Tai Chi Tame Chronic Illnesses Research 16 Editing Hope 18 Puzzling over the ‘Humanitarian’ 20 Lowering the Odds on a High-Stakes Disease 22 The Dark Side of Light Honours 24 Honorary Degrees Contents 01 June 2013