The Review 2003

30 29 of the University family continued their strong commitment to serving, not only Hong Kong, but the international community. Our researchers produced ground- breaking work, as described in the Investing in Research chapter. Students from the Faculty of Medicine put to use their knowledge of hygiene and disease prevent ion to gi ve demonstrations on how to avoid SARS at Mass Transi t Rai lway stat ions. They also provided health education over the telephone to the elderly, and visited primary schools with their instructors to show teachers and children how to avoid SARS. Social work students, drawing on their outreach experience, visited senior citizens in housing estates to reassure them and educate them about the disease. They also helped to clean up public areas on the estates. Where departments or faculties do not have an obvious outreach component to their programmes, they still produce research and serv ices to benef i t the communi ty. For example, in 2002-03, the Department of Architecture publ ished a book detai l ing in words and photographs the changing life of two New Territories villages. The Department of Ecology and Biodiversi ty completed a consultancy study to measure the pollution impacts on local marine organisms for the Environmental Protection Department. And one of the wor ld’s leading const i tut ional experts, Professor Yash Ghai (below) of the Facul ty of Law, was named a senior consul tant on const i tut ion-making in Afghanistan, after helping Kenya to re-draft its constitution. The Universi ty has the expert ise and knowledge to help the community on a wide range of subjects, but we do not lose sight of our primary purpose, which is education in its broadest sense. The Uni versi ty suppor ts the SAR government’s promotion of lifelong learning. Indeed, we have been providing continuing education for 46 years – longer than any other institution in Hong Kong. The HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education, our life long learning enterprise, had more than 100,000 students enrolled in more than 500 courses in 2002-03. Supporting charitable causes is another way in which members of the Universi ty support the community. We have collected used clothes and books for recycling, joined sponsored walks, participated in a sedan chair race, went bird-watching for charity, served on committees, acted as honorary advisors and offered expert advice to a large number of charities, local, national and international. In late 2002 students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering built a solar-powered car for a race sponsored by a green group, supporting not only a charitable cause but the development of new technology. I t seems that whenever there is a community need the University can, and does, of fer suppor t . Our students’ and staf f commitment to Hong Kong was evident to everyone during SARS, when they continued to give their time and expertise despite the threat of the disease. But i t is also demonstrated in less-publicised ways every day, in every area of life. The community’s investment in the University has resulted not only in research and learning, but in the development of a caring society. The Review 2003 INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY During the SARS outbreak, the Centre on Behavioural Health, General Education Unit, Department of Psychology and Faculty of Social Sciences launched the “We Are With You” campaign to provide the community with moral support and information. A website and hotline were set up to distribute SARS information to the public at a time when many people were afraid to go outside. An information video was also produced. Student volunteers provided homework help over the telephone to secondary school students, after schools were shut down. Mechanical Engineering students and their solar powered car