World rankings
CityU's business school was ranked 90th in the world in the latest University of Texas world rankings, based on research contributions by business schools in 24 top journals. CityU was one of just seven Asian university business schools to be named in the world's top 100.

Teaching Excellence Awards
Five academic staff members will receive Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) this year. The winners are Mr Dean Fisher from the English Learning Centre, Dr Kam Ping-kwong from the Department of Applied Social Studies, Dr Paul Lam Heung-fai from the Department of Building and Construction, Dr Paul Shin Kam-shing from the Department of Biology and Chemistry, and Dr Tom Vinaimont from the Department of Economics and Finance. TEA was set up to recognise and reward distinguished teachers. The awards will be presented at Congregation 2008 and the winners’ names will be engraved on a TEA Plaque at the entrance to the Academic Building.

International quality
The School of Law has invited three distinguished experts to join the International Advisory Board. Dr Xiao Yang, former President of the Supreme People's Court, is appointed as the Honorary Chairman of IAB, the Hon Sang-hyun Song, Judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and Mr George Tam Siu-ping, Principal of Wah Yan College Hong Kong, are appointed as the members of IAB.

Housing benefit
The Management Board has endorsed for Council's approval a proposal to improve housing benefits for staff to enhance competiveness in retaining existing staff and recruiting new staff. The non-accountable cash allowance will be increased by $2,500–$3,000 (17% to 22%) per month depending on the grade for staff who will assume duty or be re-appointed on or after 1 July 2008.

Workshop on Asian government
A workshop entitled Contemporary Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia: Structures, Institutions and Agency is being held from 9–10 May. The workshop is organised by the Southeast Asia Research Centre. Among the 11 speakers participating from nine universities around the world, three are from CityU's Department of Asian and International Studies: Professor William Case, Dr Kyaw Yin Hlaing and Dr Jonathan London.

TESOL award
Dr Li Yongyan, research assistant and PhD graduate of Department of English and Communication, was the first scholar from the mainland to receive the 2008 Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Award for Distinguished Research. The global education association awarded the prize for an article that appeared in the SSCI-listed journal TESOL Quarterly. Dr Li completed her PhD at CityU in 2006 under the supervision of Professor John Flowerdew.

Creative media prizes
Five students and a graduate in the School of Creative Media won two silver awards and two Special Mention awards in the 13th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards (ifva). Will Kwok Yu-ho's Rubbing Tool and Wong Wing-fat's Alliance both won Silver Awards while Chris Cheung Hon-him and Jason Lam Chi-fai's Pixsonic Playground won a Special Mention in the single-screen-based interactive media category. Benny Chan Siu-chung and Tsui Ka-hei's Wisdom Tree also won a Special Mention in the animation category.

Key to success
Two secondary school students have taken home the international group championship in the Young Scientists competition held in Denmark, with the anti-bumping lock they invented during a summer programme organised by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Steven Lau Tak-shing and Ivan Lau Tak-kin, Form Three students at Maryknoll Fathers' School, expressed their thanks to CityU for its support of the contest and for affording them the opportunity to develop their concept.

Roll with it
Applying creativity to physics, more than 180 secondary school teams from Forms 1 to 7, representing more than 100 Hong Kong and Macau schools, gathered at CityU to construct launchers to propel a ball with the straws provided on 27 April. The Hong Kong and Macau Inter-school Straw Competition 2008 — Roll in the City, organised by CityU's Physics and Materials Science Society of the Students' Union, set out to arouse secondary school students’ interest in physics through real-life applications.

Clean sweep
Ricco Chan Ye-ko, a Year 1 student from the Division of Commerce in the Community College, and Wind Chan Ho-yee, a Year 1 Department of Management student, were elected Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively by the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China.

Inter-hall competition
The Student Residence Office has held a series of inter-hall sports and cultural competitions for the Professor Edmond Ko Cup to promote interaction between students from different backgrounds. The cup this year went to the Jockey Club Academy Hall, its second victory in the contest.

Photo exhibition
The CityU Gallery will hold an exhibition of photographs titled Early Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula. The exhibit will be open from 7 May to 18 May and admission is free.