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University of Hong Kong

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The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong and has classes conducted in the English language. Its motto is the Latin phrase Sapientia et Virtus (明德格物 ), meaning "wisdom and virtue" or sometimes cited as "Foresight & Social Conscience." The University is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Asia. Only during World War II did the university close temporarily.

Campus

The university's main campus covers about 16 hectares of land in the Bonham Road/Pokfulam area of Hong Kong Island. It has a medical campus in the Western district of Hong Kong, separate from the main campus, which includes Queen Mary's Hospital and research facilities.

The university also operates the Kadorrie Agricultural Research Center, which occupies 9.5 hectares of land in the New Territories, and the Swire Institute of Marine Science on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island.

History

The University of Hong Kong was established after the former Hong Kong College of Medicine, and was founded in 1877. Sir Frederick Lugard, the then-governor of Hong Kong, laid the foundation stone on March 16, 1910.

The University faced one of its biggest crises in 2000 when Dr. Robert Chung Ting-yiu, director of the Public Opinion Programme of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at HKU, alleged that he had received political pressure from Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa through the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof Cheng Yiu-chung, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof Wong Siu-lun, to discontinue his public opinion polls on the popularity ratings of Tung and his government. Although the allegations were denied by Tung and HKU, a controversy erupted over the question of political interference in academic freedom. HKU set up a three-member panel led by Justice Noel Power to investigate Chung's claims. After 11 days of open hearings in August, the panel concluded that there were what it called covert attempts to pressure Chung into discontinuing his polls. The panel concluded that Dr. Chung is 'an honest witness who was telling the truth in relation to the matters he is complaining about.', but 'neither Lo [The Chief Executive's Senior Special Assistant] nor the vice chancellor 'disclosed the full and truthful extent of what was said in [the] meetings. Both Prof. Cheng and Prof. Wong resigned just before the University Council met on September 9 to vote on whether or not to accept the panel's report.

Prof Ian Davies stepped in as Vice-Chancellor for about one year before a world-wide search selected Prof Lap-Chee Tsui as the new head of the University in 2001.

The year 2001 marked the 90th Anniversary of the HKU. Growing with Hong Kong: HKU and its Graduates - The First 90 Years was published by the University Press in 2002 as an impact study about HKU's gradates in different field of Hong Kong.

Organization

The University's Chancellor is Tung Chee-hwa, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. The Vice-Chancellor is Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, and the Pro-Vice-Chancellors are Professor C. F. Lee, Professor J. G. Malpas, Professor J. A. Spinks and Profess H. Tong. The academic staff population is over 800.

Students

The student population of the University (including postgraduate students) was around 14,400 in 2001-2002, including over 5,300 postgraduate students.

Most of the undergraduate students admitted through the Joint Univerisity Programmes Admission Scheme (JUPAS) for the local Form 7 students while others will be admitted by Non-JUPAS scheme and Early Admission Scheme (EAS)


Ranking

According to the magazine Asiaweek, the University of Hong Kong was ranked third in 2000 in multi-disciplines among other Asia's best universities. The business school is ranked the second for the MBA course, after the Chinese University of Hong Kong, in Asiaweek Magazine Asia's Best University Survey 2000.

Faculty

The university comprises 10 faculties, with the following teaching departments and programmes:


The School of Professional and Continuing Eduation (SPACE) is under the University of Hong Kong, which provides different levels of programmes on a wide range of subjects, and runs programmes without subsidy from the government. SPACE has recently envolved into a community college-type institution.

Non-Faculty Academic Units

Apart from 10 faculties, there are also several study centres which are not under the faculties. These sometimes provide study programmes and courses to students and are listed as follows (soucre: www.hku.hk):

  • APEC Study Centre
  • Biomedical Engineering Research Centre
  • Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching
  • Centre for the Cellular Biology
  • Center for E-Commerce Infrastructure Development
  • Centre for the Educational Leadership
  • Centre of the Endocrinology and Diabetes
  • Centre for Materials Science
  • Centre of Amercian Studies
  • Centre of Asian Studies
  • Centre of Buddhist Studies
  • Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management
  • Centre on Ageing
  • CMI Support Centre
  • Cognitive Science Centre
  • English Centre
  • E-Business Technology Institute (ETI)
  • General Education Unit
  • Genome Research Centre
  • Geographic/Land Information System Research Centre
  • HKU Pasteur Research Centre Ltd
  • Hong Kong Centre for Problem-Based Learning
  • International Research Centre for Electric Vehicles
  • Institute of Human Performance
  • Institute of Molecular Biology
  • Journalism and Media Studies Centre
  • Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre
  • Neuroscience Research Centre
  • Swire Institute of Marine Science
  • The Institute of Cardiovascular Science & Medicine
  • Women's Studies Research Centre

Sports, Clubs and Traditions

Students' societies and clubs can be categorized into four main groups: faculty societies (academic societies coming under them), interest clubs (categorized under the Independent Club Association, ICA) and sports clubs (under the Sports Association, SA) and students' association of Halls. All these organizations form the Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU). Second only to the General Meeting and the General Polling of HKUSU, Union Council is the second highest authority. In addition, HKUSU has its publications under the Undergrad, including the magazine Quartz and the newspaper HKU Post. It broadcasts progammes by the Campus TV. Several sub-committees like the Union Choir and Union Philharmonic Orchestra also come under the HKUSU.

Student societies includes:

  • Hong Kong University Students' Union (HKUSU) (香港大學學生會) Website
    • Architectural Society (建築學會) Website
      • Architectural Students' Association (建築學生會)
      • Surveying Society (測量學會)
    • Arts Association (文學院學生會) Website
      • Chinese Society (中文學會)
      • English Society (英文學會)
      • Fine Arts Society (藝術學會)
      • Geographical, Geological & Archaeological Society (地理及地質學會)
      • History Society (歷史學會)
      • Japanese Society (日文學會)
      • Music Society (音樂學會)
      • Philosophy Society (哲學學會)
      • Society of Comparative Literature (比較文學學會)
      • Linguistics Society (語言學學會)
    • Business and Economics Association (經濟及工商管理學會)Website ***Business Association (商學會)
      • Economic & Finance Society (經濟及金融學會)
    • Dental Society (牙醫學會) Website
    • Education Society (教育學會) Website
    • Engineering Society (工程學會) Website
    • Law Association (法律學會) Website
    • Medical Society (醫學會) Website
    • Science Society (理學會) Website
      • Statistics and Actuarial Science Society (統計及精算學會)
    • Social Sciences Society (社會科學學會) Website
      • Politics and Public Administration Association (政治及公共行政學會) Website
      • Psychology Society (心理學學會)
      • Social Work and Social Administration Society (社會工作及社會行政學會)
      • Sociology Society (社會學學會)
    • Independent Clubs Association (ICA) Clubs Website
      • AIESEC-LC-HKU
      • Animation and Comics Association
      • Art Club
      • Astronomy Club
      • Biology Society
      • Bridge Club
      • Buddhist Studies Society
      • Catholics Society
      • Chess and Boardgames Club
      • China Education Committee (中國教育小組) Website
      • China Study Society
      • Chinese Medicine Society
      • Christian Association
      • Computer Society Website
      • Dancing Club
      • Debating Society
      • Drama Society
      • Electronics Society Website
      • Film Society
      • Fishing Club
      • German Association
      • Greenwoods
      • Magic Club
      • Music Club
      • Photographic Society
      • Ramblers' Club
      • Rotaract Club
      • Social Service Group
      • The Hong Kong Award for Young People
      • Weapons and Tactics Association
      • World University Service
      • Writing Workshop
      • Youth Literary Awards Association
    • Sports Associations Website
      • Aikido Club
      • Archery Club
      • Athletic Club
      • Badminton Club
      • Basket Ball Club
      • Chinese Martial Art Club
      • Diving Club
      • Fencing Club
      • Football Club
      • Handball Club
      • Hockey Club
      • Judo Club
      • Karate Club
      • Lacrosse Club
      • Rolling Club
      • Rowing Club
      • Rugby Football Club Website
      • Softball Club
      • Squash Rackets Club
      • Swimming Club
      • Table-tennis Club
      • Taekwondo Club
      • Tennis Club
      • Volleyball Club
    • Students' Publication & TV
      • Campus TV (校園電視) Website
      • Undergrad - Publication (學苑) Website
    • Other Union Executive Committee Sub-Committee
      • Union Choir (學生會合唱團) Website
      • Union Philharmonic Orchestra (學生會管弦樂團) Website
  • Postgraduate Students Association (PGSA) Website


Student Accommodations

The University has the following accommodations for students:

Halls marked by * are non-residential.

Lady Ho Tung Hall was demolished and rebuilt in 1998 in order to meet with the increasing demand of residential places for girls.

Established in 1914 in memory of the first missionary to come to China, Robert Morrison (1782-1834), Morrison Hall, located at Hatton Road, was pulled down in 1968. A rebuilding plan of the Hall, which will provide about 300 places for male students, was released in 2001 and the construction is expected to finish in 2005.

According to a news report on 30 Sept 2003, 900 hostel places will be available in the future. Pressure on the places will be relieved from 1.5 (1 student gets the place out of 1.5 students) to 1.2.

Consultation concerning the Hall Education and its future development was opened and organized by the working group under the Committee on Student Affairs in 2002. The consultation came to the second stage in the fall of 2003.

Students Services

The university provides other services to meet students' personal needs. There are many services deparments in the university - some of the most popular are as follows:

  • Career Education and Placement Centre
  • Computer Centre
  • Office of Students Affairs
  • Personal Development and Counselling Centre
  • Sports and Recreation Programmes/Facilities
  • Univerisity Dental Service
  • University Health Service
  • University Museum and Arts Gallery (formerly Fung Ping Shan Museum)

Libraries

The university has seven libraries, including the Main Libraries, which provide a pool of up-to-date resources (printed and online). It also organizes activities such as "Book on Talk", as well as regular displays on certain theme such as "snacks in Hong Kong 70'".

  • Main Library
    • Audio-Visual Departments
    • Special Collections
    • Fung Ping Shan Library (East Asian Books Collection) is located at 5/F and 6/F on the Old Wing of the Main Library.
  • Dental Library
  • Education Library
  • Lui Chi Woo Law Library
  • Music Library
  • Yu Chun Keung Medical Library

Future Development

In 2003 the HKU management panel set a development strategic plan aiming at leading HKU to be one of the most competitive and well-known universities in the world by 2008.

Besides putting effort on academic research and development, it also aims at promoting the continuity of education in the public, through better linkage between the University and the SPACE.

HKU tries to establish better alumni and external network for the financial sustainablility of the development. [1]

Due to huge budget deficit faced by the goevrnment, Now it proposes the cut in expenditure on the Education Sectors, about 10%, in these five consecutive years.

Famous Alumni

See also

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