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The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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Coordinates: 22°25′11″N 114°12′24.45″E / 22.41972°N 114.2067917°E / 22.41972; 114.2067917
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong
香港中文大學
File:CUHK.svg
The emblem of The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Motto博文約禮 (Classical Chinese)
Motto in English
To broaden one's intellectual horizon and keep within the bounds of propriety
TypePublic
EstablishedOctober 17, 1963 (1963-10-17)
Endowment347.9 million USD (2011)[1]
ChairmanDr. Vincent Cheng
ChancellorLeung Chun-ying
PresidentProf. Joseph Sung
Vice-presidentProf. Benjamin Wah
Prof. Jack Cheng
Prof. Pak-chung Ching
Prof. Michael Hui
Prof. Henry Wong
Prof. Yangsheng Xu
Prof. Hau Kit-tai
Vice-ChancellorProf. Joseph Sung
ProvostProf. Benjamin Wah
Undergraduates11,255[2]
Postgraduates3,060[2]
Location
New Territories

22°25′11″N 114°12′24.45″E / 22.41972°N 114.2067917°E / 22.41972; 114.2067917
CampusRural
137.3 hectares (1.373 km2)
ColorsPurple and gold
           
AffiliationsASAIHL, ACU, IAU, WUN, ACUCA
Websitewww.cuhk.edu.hk/
File:This is a logo for The Chinese University of Hong Kong.png
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Traditional Chinese香港中文大學
Simplified Chinese香港中文大学
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXiānggǎng Zhōngwén Dàxué
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinghoeng1 gong2 zung1 man4 daai6 hok6
IPA[hœ̂ːŋkɔ̌ːŋ tsʊ́ŋmɐ̏n tàːihɔ̀ːk]

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Abbreviation: CUHK or Chinese University) is the second oldest university in Hong Kong.

The CUHK is internationally known for its achievements in physics and mathematics. It is the only tertiary education institution in Hong Kong with former and present faculty members being Nobel Prize Laureates, such as Chen Ning Yang, James Mirrlees, Robert Alexander Mundell and former University President Charles K. Kao (Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics, 2009). Other notable professors include mathematician Shing-Tung Yau, laureate of the prestigious Fields Medal and Veblen Prize, and computational theorist Andrew Yao, laureate of the Turing Award.[3]

The CUHK is a comprehensive research-intensive university which currently has 61 academic departments organized under eight faculties: arts, business administration, education, engineering, social science, medicine, science, and law.[4] These departments are host to over 117 undergraduate programs and 247 postgraduate programs.[4] It is also the home to the Yale-China Chinese Language Center. The University's language of instruction in most classes is English, while Cantonese Chinese and Mandarin Chinese are also provided.

Tradition and history

The university's founders[who?] hoped it would become the bridge that connects China and the West, and combine tradition with modernity.[5]

Collegiate system

As a collegiate university, it comprises nine colleges that differ in character and history, each retaining substantial autonomy on institutional affairs: Chung Chi College, New Asia College, United College,[6] Shaw College, Morningside College,[7] S. H. Ho College,[8] Lee Woo Sing College, Wu Yee Sun College and C. W. Chu College. All undergraduates are affiliated to one of them.[9]

Colleges are communities with their own hostels, dining halls and other facilities. Students receive pastoral care and whole-person education, including formal and non-formal general education by means through close interaction with teachers and peers. Colleges promote extracurricular activities.

Science Center in the main campus
Hotel affiliated to the Hotel Management program
Ho Sin-Hang Building, home to the Faculty of Engineering

History

  • 1957, New Asia College, Chung Chi College, and United College established the Hong Kong Chinese Higher Education Association, same year, the colleges received government funding and academic status.
  • 1959, New Asia College, Chung Chi College, and United College became government funded institutions of higher education.
  • 1963, New Asia College, Chung Chi College, and United College combined to become The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
  • 1965, School of Education established.
  • 1976, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Ordinance enacted, CUHK was established as a collegiate university.
  • 1977, School of Medicine established.
  • 1986, Shaw College established.
  • 1991, School of Engineering established.
  • 1994, converted to three-year bachelor degree program.[10]
  • 2004, School of Law established.
  • 2006, the establishment of two new colleges, Morningside College and S. H. Ho College, was announced.
  • 2007, three colleges, C. W. Chu College, Wu Yee Sun College and Lee Woo Sing College, were announced.

Funding

In 2005, The Chinese University of Hong Kong's budget was HK$4,558 million, with government subventions of about HK$2,830 million.[11] In the 2008-09 fiscal year (starts April 1), total income was down to $4,413 million while government subvention had risen to $2,916 million.[12]

The university's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCS) was established in 1965 under the name of the Department of Extramural Studies. In January 2006, the school was renamed the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Libraries and museum

Gate of Wisdom, a 1987 bronze sculpture by Ju Ming,[13] standing outside of the University Library
Main article: Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong

The university library system houses the Hong Kong Studies Archive, Hong Kong Literature Collection, Chinese Overseas Collection, Nobel Laureate GAO, Xingjian Collection, Nobel Laureate CY Yang Archive, American Studies Resource Collection and Modern Chinese Drama Collection.

CUHK also houses the Chinese University of Hong Kong Art Museum, which houses "a wide range of artifacts illuminating the rich arts, humanities and cultural heritage of ancient and pre-modern China."[11] In 2010, The Chinese University of Hong Kong was chosen to be a part of the BBNM Group for its excellence in co-operation projects with the corporate world in Hong Kong.[14] Today, they are represented among the BBNM Member schools.[15]

Academic Organisations

Faculties

There are eight faculties and many other non-faculty academic units at CUHK. Each faculty runs undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Faculty of Arts Faculty of Business Administration (CUHK Business School) Faculty of Education Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Law Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Science Faculty of Social Science
Graduate School School of Continuing and Professional Studies (CUSCS)

Research Institutes and Centres

Yale-China Chinese Language Centre

Main article: Yale-China Chinese Language Center

The Yale-China Chinese Language Centre (CLC), formerly New Asia - Yale-in-China Chinese Language Center, was founded in 1963 under the joint auspices of New Asia College and the Yale-China Association. The center became part of Chinese University in 1974 and has been responsible for the teaching of one language education (Putonghua and Cantonese) of university students as well as other Putonghua and Cantonese learners. Courses are offered for non-native speakers and for native speakers of Chinese.

University programs are divided into Putonghua courses for local students, Cantonese courses for mainland Chinese Students and Putonghua and Cantonese courses for international exchange students

Programs are provided to public, with Putonghua/Cantonese courses for non-native speakers (Chinese as a foreign language/second language, CFL), and Putonghua/Cantonese courses for native Chinese speakers.

Childhood Bilingualism Research Centre

The university is host to the Childhood Bilingualism Research Centre (CBRC), part of the Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages. Research at the centre includes documenting the development of bilingualism in bilingual children and assessing the bilingual competence they gain in childhood; raising the public’s awareness of Hong Kong children’s development of biliteracy and trilingualism; and studying and supporting the revitalization of minority languages in the context of bilingual and multilingual education. The centre is directed by Professor Virginia Yip and Dr. Stephen Matthews.[16]

Transportation

Although the campus is located away from the busier districts in Hong Kong, access to campus is easy. The university connects with the other districts of the city via the Mass Transit Railway and the Hong Kong bus system. Buses and trains stop by Chung Chi College.

See Maps of the Shatin main campus: Campus Maps

Rankings

Template:Infobox world university ranking

There are various published university rankings using different methodologies. The results are as follows:

QS World University Rankings (2012): 40th in the world; 7th in Asia and 3rd in Hong Kong[17]
QS Asian University Rankings (2012): 5th in Asia and 3rd in Hong Kong [18]
Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2012-13): 124th in the world; 15th in Asia and 3rd in Hong Kong[19]
ARWU (2012): 151-200th in the world and 1st-2nd in Hong Kong (along with The University of Hong Kong) [20]

Controversies

Goddess of Democracy

Main article: Goddess of Democracy (Hong Kong) § CUHK controversy

On 29 May 2010, when the CUHK student union sought to permanently locate a 'Goddess of Democracy' statue on campus, the administrative and planning committee of the University convened an emergency meeting for 1 June, chaired by incumbent Vice-chancellor Lawrence Lau, to consider the request.[21] The application was turned down; the reason provided was the need for the University to maintain political neutrality. Staff and students objected to the refusal, however, accusing the committee of self-censorship; students declared they were prepared for a stand-off against the University, saying they would ensure the statues were accommodated on campus "at all costs".[22]

B/W image of hundreds of people orderly sitting outdoors, with an unfurled banner
Students attend an open-air meeting at the university campus

A student meeting was convened, and student union President Eric Lai told 2,000 attendees that the University officials should apologise for their opposition of the art display.[23] On 4 June, bowing to public outcry and student pressure, the University relented, and allowed the statue on campus.[24]

large bronze statue and relief laid out on paved walkway cordoned off with blue and white tape but surrounded by curious visitors
The Goddess and the accompanying relief at the Chinese University Shatin campus

Vice-chancellor designate Joseph Sung, who was consulted on the vote in absentia, admitted that it was the biggest political storm in 21 years. He revealed that, in addition to preserving political neutrality, safety and security concerns were factors in the decision. He also drew a distinction between this application - for a permanent University installation - and hypothetical applications for short-term expressions of free speech, suggesting the latter would have been more likely to be approved, but he criticised the management team as "immature" and "inexperienced" in handling the incident.[21]

An editorial in The Standard criticised the committee's naivety in not anticipating the reaction. It was also highly critical of Sung for seeking to distance himself from the decision with such a "lame excuse".[24] Outgoing Vice-chancellor Lawrence Lau defended the committee's decision as "collective and unanimous" after "detailed consideration," citing the unanimous vote of the administrative and planning committee, and he disagreed with Sung's characterization of the management team. While the vote was unanimous, however, Sung stated that he had suggested the wording of the decision include the qualification that the committee "had not reached a consensus."[25]

The student union said the two professors should have communicated to reach a consensus, and that Lau's reply "failed to explain why the school used political neutrality as a reason to reject the statue."[26]

Vice-chancellors (Presidents)

CUHK people

Main article: List of Chinese University of Hong Kong people

Focused areas of research

CUHK has adopted in its Strategic Plan 2006 the strategy of focusing its research investments in five fields of academic enquiry:[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b [2]
  3. ^ Distinguished Faculty Members.
  4. ^ a b "Chinese University of Hong Kong".
  5. ^ CU introduction
  6. ^ United College
  7. ^ Morningside
  8. ^ S.H. Ho College
  9. ^ CUHK College system
  10. ^ http://www.alumni.cuhk.edu.hk/magazine/dec99/html/p34-35.htm (in Chinese)
  11. ^ a b CUHK Income and Expenditure 2004-2005 Cite error: The named reference "CUHK Income and Expenditure 2004-2005" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/iso/facts/issue/2010/finance_e.htm
  13. ^ Evolution of the Gate
  14. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBNM
  15. ^ http://bbnm.org/members.html
  16. ^ Yip, V. and S. Matthews. 2010. Promoting Bilingualism Research in Hong Kong and East Asia: The Childhood Bilinguailsm Research Center. Journal of Chinese Linguistics 38. 2: 396-403.
  17. ^ "QS World University Rankings (2012)".
  18. ^ "QS Asian University Rankings (2012)".
  19. ^ "Times Higher Education University Rankings (2012-13)".
  20. ^ "ARWU 2012".
  21. ^ a b Siu, Beatrice (8 June 2010) Goddess posed huge `political risk' to campus, The Standard Retrieved on 8 Jun. 2010.
  22. ^ ""Goddess statue for CUHK campus `at all costs", The Standard Retrieved on 5 June 2010.
  23. ^ "Students give statue a new home". South China Morning Post
  24. ^ a b 'Mary Ma' (8 Jun. 2010). Sung rides on Goddess storm", The Standard Retrieved on 8 June 2010.
  25. ^ Siu, Beatrice (9 Jun. 2010) Chairman breaks silence on statue, The Standard Retrieved on 9 June 2010.
  26. ^ Chong, Tanna (9 Jun. 2010) "Students call for clear position on statue". South China Morning Post. Retrieved on 5 June 2010.
  27. ^ http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/
  28. ^ http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/english/research/research-study.html
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