P R E S S   R E L E A S E

        The Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong has appointed Professor Ambrose Yeo-chi King as Vice-Chancellor of the University with effect from 11 September 2002 to succeed Professor Arthur K C Li who has resigned on 1 August to assume office as the Secretary for Education and Manpower.  Professor King's appointment will be for an interim period up to the date his successor assumes office as Vice-Chancellor or Professor King's retirement on 31 December 2003 whichever date is the earlier.  The Search Committee is very active in its search for a new Vice-Chancellor.  The Council has also appointed Professor Jack Chun-yiu Cheng, Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and concurrently University Dean of Students, as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University for a period of two years from 1 October 2002.  Together with Professor Kenneth Young and Professor Liu Pak Wai, there are three Pro-Vice-Chancellors at the University.

        Professor King is a renowned sociologist.  After obtaining his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, USA in 1970, Professor King joined CUHK's Department of Sociology and later became the Chairman of the Department.  Since 1983, he has been Professor of Sociology at the University.  Professor King is held in high esteem in the academia and the community-at-large.

        Over a period of more than thirty years, apart from devoting himself to teaching and research, Professor King has made important contributions to the University's administration and academic developments.  He was Head of New Asia College from 1977 to 1985.  He was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 1989, and is currently a member of the University Council and the Senate.  He also chairs or serves on many other University and College committees.

        Professor King has actively participated in community services.  He has served on the Community Research Sub-Committee and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Law Reform Commission of the Hong Kong Government and the Research Grants Council and was a member of the Government's Central Policy Unit.  In 1994, Professor King was elected Academician of Academia Sinica, and in the same year, was appointed Non-Official Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong.  In 1998, Professor King was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the degree of Doctor of Letters, honoris causa of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

        Professor Jack Cheng is Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.  He joined CUHK in 1983 and is Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (Education).  Professor Cheng has served as University Dean of Students since 2000.  He participates actively on several major policy committees of the University.  Professor Cheng is Fellow or Member of over 20 professional and medical organizations and has been actively involved on the editorial boards of many academic journals.  He has won numerous awards for his outstanding research works.