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No. 58 20 February 2006
 

 

Matching Grant
Professor H K Chang, CityU President, said the University had raised nearly $84 million since 1 August 2005, $77 million of which can be used to apply for the Government's Second Matching Grant. The overall amount exceeds the $45 million floor set by the University Grants Committee and is 35% more than CityU raised during the First Matching Grant Scheme. Professor Chang said that with the $84 million raised, together with the expected
$45 million Matching Grant, the total fund generated will be close to $130 million. According to donors' wishes, 40% of the money will go to support student development; 31% will be used for campus development; 20% will be spent on research and other departmental functions; and 9% is earmarked for the general development of the University.

 

Council's Search Committee for the President
The Council is calling for nominations of one member of staff to serve on the Search Committee for a new President. Each member of staff may propose or second one candidate. Nominations will be accepted only on the official Nomination Form, which should reach the Secretary to Council by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, 28 February 2006 in a sealed envelope. Forms are available from http://www.cityu.edu.hk/cuc

 

University Development Forum
As part of the University's on-going preparations for the new four-year undergraduate curriculum, Professor Richard Ho, Dean of Undergraduate Education, will host a University Development Forum on 1 March at the Wei Hing Theatre. The aim is to brief staff on the University's preliminary proposals for the new curriculum structure and elicit feedback. A forum for students on the same subject will be held on 9 March.

 

Scholarship scheme for mainland students
In order to attract the best possible students from the mainland and to reward students with the highest potential, the University has introduced a revised Scholarship Scheme for Mainland Undergraduate Students for 2006¡V2007 entry which will offer students who come top at the provincial level in a particular subject in the National University Entrance Examination (NUEE) a one-off prize of between $60,000 and $80,000. In addition, those champions with an overall score of 40 marks or more above the NUEE band 1 cut-off point are also eligible for scholarships, based on their NUEE marks, so that the very best students are eligible for up to $320,000 over four years.


Review of pay rise system
The Management Board has approved a proposal to adopt 1 January as the effective date for future pay raises in order to facilitate the overall administrative process of the University. For the coming 2006 pay raise review exercise, the effective date for pay raises will be 1 January 2007. Staff will be compensated for the six-month deferred increment with a lump sum back payment in the January 2007 payroll for the difference in salary plus other associated benefits for the period July 2006 to December 2006. Appropriate adjustments will be made for items such as contributions to superannuation, MPF schemes, contract gratuities and housing benefits, where applicable.

 

Global Voyage 2006
In support of the University's drive to cultivate an internationalized campus, more than 40 exchange students from 15 different countries and several members of the Exchange Student Club in the Faculty of Business will host "Global Voyage 2006", a two-day exhibition that includes a number of cross-cultural performances, from 22 to 23 February. The event is sponsored by the Office of Student Learning and the theme is "We fly you around the world". Guests will include Dr Maria Moya-Goetsch, Consul-General of the Consulate General of Austria; and Ms Mandeep Gill, Vice-Consul (Public & Political Affairs), Consulate General of Canada.

 

Wellness March
This year sees the 10th anniversary of the Wellness March, an annual festival organized by Student Development Services to promote whole-person development and a positive lifestyle. Throughout Spring, staff and students are invited to a series of health-related activities, including country walks, sports, health talks, workshops, a healthy eating campaign and a chance to assess levels of personal fitness.The opening ceremony kicks off on 3 March on the Covered Terrace.

 

City Literary Festival
Two more prominent literary figures, Professor Pai Hsienyung, a renowned novelist; and Professor Huang Ziping of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Hong Kong Baptist University, will join celebrated writers Mr John Chan, Mr Chang Ta-chun, Mr Cheng Chou-yu, Mr Dong Qiao, Professor Liu Zaifu and Mr Yip Fei to discuss non-fiction prose, short stories and poetry at the "Symposium on City Literature and Imagery" on 25 February that kicks off the City Literary Festival. The result of the City Literary Award will be announced at the end of March and an anthology of winning entries will be published in August.

 

Distinguished Lecture Series by Nobel Laureate
As part of the high-profile France¡XHong Kong Distinguished Lecture Series, which is placed under the auspices of the French Academy of Sciences, Professor Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, 1997 Nobel Laureate in Physics, will give a lecture entitled "Manipulating atoms with light: achievements and perspectives" on 1 March at CityU.

 

Kudos
Dr Cheng Sheung-tak, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Social Studies, has been appointed Fellow of the Society for Community Research and Action by the American Psychological Association for his outstanding contributions to the field of community psychology.

 

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