CT#22

1February 2008

Tackling the big issues confronting modernised societies

Victor FungEditor-in-Chief

The desire to age with a certain amount of grace is arguably a universal aspiration. But how do societies as a whole tackle the problem of growing old? As Hong Kong, like

many other economically advanced societies, faces the challenges attendant with a gradually aging population, Professor Alex Kwan

Yui-huen, Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies, shares his insights into how individuals and the community at large can prepare itself for the onset of senior citizen status (pages 10-15).

Retaining a focus on challenges confronting industr ialised societies, this issue of CityU Today also investigates the status of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Hong Kong, mainland China and the broader Asian region. Corporate behaviour and sense of responsibility have come sharply into focus since the protests against Asian sweatshops and child labour that came to dominate the media’s view of CSR in the 1980s. CSR expert and Assistant Professor of the Department of Asian and International Studies, Dr Stephen Frost, explains just how far we’ve come and the challenges that remain (pages 16-19).

Two illuminating features shed light, both literally and figuratively, on research taking place at CityU. Professor (Chair) Lee Shuit-

tong, from the Department of Physics and Materials Science, explains the creative spark behind the development of a new form of energy-saving lighting (pages 28-31). Professor Leung Kwok, Head of the Department of Management, offers insight derived from ten years of research that suggests there may be more to some age-old popular sayings than we actually realise (pages 22-27).

Two respected and experienced campaigners, one in the corporate world and the other from the Division of Building Science and Technology, share their love of the University in our regular columns, From Town to Gown and Straight From the Heart, respectively (pages 32-36). As always, we bring you the latest news and achievements of CityU (pages 4-9).

着

Professor Way Kuo, President-designate of

City University of Hong Kong (CityU), was

elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy

of Engineering (CAE). The election recognises

Professor Kuo’s “contr ibution to the field of

reliability design for microelectronics products and

systems,” according to President Xu Kuangdi of

CAE.

Professor Kuo is one of the three Foreign Members

on CAE’s 2007 new members’ list announced on

29 December 2007. Membership of the Chinese

Academy of Engineering is the highest academic

title in engineering science and technology in

China. He is also an elected member of US National Academy of

Engineering, International Academy for Quality, and Academia Sinica

in Taiwan.

The Chinese Academy of Engineering, established in 1994, is the

most prestigious and authoritative advisory institution in China’s

engineering science and technology fields. CAE elects new members

every two years. Scholars and specialists with foreign citizenship

who have made significant contributions to the cause of engineering

and technology of China and enjoyed high academic standing

internationally can be nominated and elected as Foreign Members.

“Professor Kuo’s election to the academy is a great honour for CityU

as Professor Kuo, an internationally-recognized professional and

academic, will lead our university to meet new challenges and scale

new heights in the next five to 10 years,” said Professor Richard Ho

Yan-ki, Acting President.

Professor Kuo will assume duty of CityU’s Presidency in mid-2008.

CityU President-designate Professor Way Kuo named Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of

Engineering

Professor Way Kuo

4 February 2008

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) held the groundbreaking

ceremony on 7 January for the Community College of City

University (CCCU) Building, one of the new buildings on campus

catering to the University’s long-term development needs.

Officiating guests of the ceremony were Mr Raymond H C Wong,

JP, Permanent Secretary for Education; Mr Chung Shui-ming,

GBS, JP, Chairman of Council of CityU; Mr Vincent Chow Wing-

shing, BBS, JP, Chairman of Board of

Management, CCCU; Professor Richard

Ho Yan-ki, Acting President, CityU; and

Ms Jennifer Ng Glok-hong, CCCU

Principal.

In his welcoming address, Mr Chung

emphasised the significance of the new

building to the development of CityU

and CCCU. Mr Wong addressed the

ceremony and said CityU is one of the

leading pioneers in sub-degree education

in Hong Kong, with one in every three

as sociate deg ree s tudents in Hong

Kong studying at CityU. Professor Ho

thanked the Government and the community for their support of

CityU’s development.

The 40,000-square metre CCCU Building will reside on the slope

behind the campus’s Sports Complex, housing a state-of-the-art

resources centre, design studios, computer and language laboratories,

a student canteen, classrooms, lecture theatres, and audio-video and

multi-purpose rooms. It is scheduled for completion in April 2010.

Meanwhile, the Legco Finance committee on 14 December 2007

approved the recommendation made by the Public Works Sub-

committee to support the Stage 2 funding of the Multi-media

Building.

CCCU Building signifies milestone for CityU and sub-degree education

Officiating guests of the groundbreaking ceremony were (from

left) Ms Jennifer Ng Glok-hong, Mr Vincent Chow Wing-shing, Mr

Raymond H C Wong, Mr Chung Shui-ming and Professor Richard Ho

Yan-ki.

5February 2008

The tenure of Acting President, Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki,

was extended until the commencement of duties of President-

designate Professor Way Kuo at a later date in 2008. Professor Paul

Lam Kwan-sing, Acting Vice-President for Undergraduate Education,

was extended from 1 January 2008 until further notice.

Professor Roderick Wong Sue-cheun, Vice-President for Research

and Dean of Graduate Studies, was extended from 1 April 2008 to

30 June 2010, while the appointment of Professor Lilian Vrijmoed

Kwan Lee-ping, Dean of Student Learning, was to continue from

1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011.

Senior staff’s extended tenure

6 February 2008

Three leading members of the business and

professional communities have been appointed

by the Chief Executive to the Council of City

University of Hong Kong (CityU) for a term of

three years, with effect from 1 January 2008.

The three new external Council members are: Mr

Joseph Lee Chung-tak, Group Chairman, Wofoo

Plastics & Chemicals Group; Mr Armstrong Lee

Hon-cheung, Director, Worldwide Consulting

Group Co. Ltd.; and Mr Yeung Ka-sing, Chairman

of the Hong Kong Housing Society.

In addition, Mr Patrick Lee Chung-wah, in the

capacity of the University Convocation Chairman,

will serve on the Council for a term of two years,

with effect from 1 January 2008. Mr Andy Chu, the

newly elected Students’ Union President, will serve

on the Council for a year from 1 January 2008. Miss

Mandi Leung Hay-man, the elected postgraduate

student member, will serve for a term of one year,

with effect from 15 November 2007.

New members appointed to the Council of CityU

Mr Joseph Lee Chung-tak

Mr Armstrong Lee Hon-cheung

Mr Yeung Ka-sing

The Department of Building and Construction has received a

$1.7m donation of quantity surveying software from Davis

Langdon & Seah (DLS) Hong Kong Limited. The software will

be used to help equip students to use computer software in their

quantity surveying work. In appreciation of the generous donation,

a ceremony was held on December last year. It was attended by Mr

Joseph Lee, Chairman of DLS Group; Mr Kenneth Poon, Managing

Director of DLS Ltd; Professor (Chair) Chan Chi-hou, Dean of the

Faculty of Science and Engineering and Professor (Chair) Sritawat

Kitipornchai, Head of the Department of Building and Construction.

UGC delegation visits CityU to foster understanding and communication

A delegation of the University Grants Committee (UGC) led by

the Hon Mrs Laura Cha visited CityU on 11 January as part

of the UGC’s series of university visits aimed at enhancing direct

communication with institutions’ staff and students and at fostering

closer mutual understanding.

The delegation was warmly received by Professor Richard Ho

Yan-ki, Acting President; Professor David Tong Shuk-yin, Deputy

President; Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Acting Vice-President

(Undergraduate Education); Professor Roderick Wong Sue-cheun,

Vice-President (Research) and Dean of Graduate Studies; members of

the Management Board; staff representatives from different faculties,

schools and administrative offices; and students. After a briefing

on major new developments at CityU, its

teaching, learning and research strategies,

the UGC representatives visited the School

of Creative Media, the Centre for Marine

Environmental Research and Innovative

Technology, and met with staff and students.

7February 2008

BC obtains donation of quantity surveying software

Rose Yan Pei, a 2007 MPhil graduate

from the Department of Physics and

Materials Science of City University of

Hong Kong (CityU), has been awarded a

fully-funded research studentship to pursue PhD studies at Cambridge

University in the UK.

The three-year studentship, amounting to more than HK$1 million,

is sponsored by Arcelor Mittal, one of the world’s largest steel

manufacturers, as part of the collaboration between Cambridge

University and the industry. Rose is the first Hong Kong student to

receive this studentship. During her three years at CityU, Rose focused

her research on cold spray coating onto metal.

邨

The creative ideas proposed by a group of four CityU

students and graduates for revitalising a Grade 1 historic

building have gained recognition in a recent competition. Their

design was selected as one of the three winning entries in the

Open Group of “An Infinity Journey – Ideas Competition for Mei

Ho House of Shek Kip Mei Estate”. The competition was organised

by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Building Division and

Structural Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Hong

Kong Institute of Planners and Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors and

sponsored by the Hong Kong Housing Authority and Development

Bureau.

The CityU team formed by Alex Ng Wui-chun and Leung Hong-

kei, both final-year students in the Department of Building and

Construction, and Ivan Liu Man-ho and Maxx Leung Kei-hang,

graduates in the same department and the Division of Building Science

and Technology respectively, was selected as one of the three winners

among the 33 teams in the Open Group.

Creative ideas for revitalising historic building rewarded

8 February 2008

Cambridge University awards scholarship to science student

Politics drives changes in language

The Language Information Sciences Research Centre (LISRC)

of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has released its 2007

Pan-Chinese New Word Rosters and highlighted five new words

which were found in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei,

among thousands first making their appearance in the Chinese

language last year.

Four Imperatives and One Non-issue (Four Wants and One Without) – Chen Shui-Bian’s latest policy

on what his government would follow with respect to the claims on Taiwan’s political status;

UN Vote – the referendum on Taiwan’s application for UN membership under Taiwan rather than ROC;

CRH (China Railway High-speed) Trains – the designation for new high-speed trains running in China,

marking the sixth “speed-up” of China’s railways and was given a “harmonious” label;

Subprime Mortgage Crisis – the financial crisis in USA with global impact;

Defence Minister – the head of the Ministry of Defence of Japan, upgraded from the former Defence

Agency.

1

5

4

3

2

According to Professor Benjamin T’sou Ka-yin, Director of LISRC,

“these were the most representative and commonly found terms in the

Chinese newspapers of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei.

9February 2008

By Longgen Chen

陳龍根

Helping a population to

February 200810

11February 2008

高齡退休人士閒暇時間充

裕，應該如何安排才能保

持身心康泰呢？應用社會科學系

系主任關銳煊教授有六條建議：

「保持體能活力；退而不休；增

添家庭樂趣；舒暢身心；開展社

交；增廣見聞。」

How should retirees organise their ample leisure t ime after retirement to keep themselves

in good shape, both physically and mentally?

Professor Alex Kwan Yui-huen , Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies, has the fo l lowing suggest ions: engage in energet ic activit ies; increase family fun activit ies; relax mentally and physically; expand social circles; and broaden their knowledge.

February 200812

In his early 60s himself, Professor Kwan has two “hobbies”: an

interest in raising fish and angling and gerontic study. While his

first hobby can be traced to his middle school years, his second

hobby, or rather his “academic complex”, started while he was an

undergraduate student of social sciences at Hong Kong Baptist

College (now known as Hong Kong Baptist University). At that

time, primary school students in Hong Kong had to be divided

into two groups for morning classes and afternoon classes due

to space restrictions. Prompted by this social phenomenon, he

was led to contemplate the likely high future demand for social

services by an aging population.

Professor Kwan has since dedicated more than 30 years of study

to issues related to the elderly, including social gerontology and

psychosocial studies, interpersonal communication skills, social

welfare and government policy of social services.

―

Fishing has been Professor Kwan's life-long hobby.

13February 2008

Practical approach to social issuesProfessor Kwan advocates that academics should not confine

themselves to an ivory tower, satisfied with teaching in the

university and undertaking academic research. Rather, they

should have close contact with the community in order to fully

understand real social issues. “Once we’ve learned the social

science theories of the West, we should digest them and make

them part of our own,” said Professor Kwan. “Only then they

will be of true value when applied to the actual social situation.”

Backing up the talk, he serves as chairman for three social

organisations and as an executive committee member and

director of more than a dozen other organisations. He hopes

to accumulate a wealth of social work experience through his

personal contacts with the community.

Professor Kwan has, together with his colleagues, conducted

many surveys on social issues related to the elderly, for example,

“Enhancing Elders’ Quality of Life in the Continuum of Care

in Hong Kong” and “A Comparative Study of the Decision-

making Process for Institutionalisation of Older Adults in Hong

Kong, Shanghai and Beijing –

Preliminary Findings”.

Due to his deep understanding of

the elderly’s mindset and living

conditions, Professor Kwan can

precisely apply or depict their

psychological state in his social

work or publications.

ary 2008

February 200814

“Our community pays a great deal of

attention to social services for the young

people, but very little for the elderly,”

Professor Kwan commented. “Let’s take

psychological counselling services as an

example. There are many publications and

courses available on youth counselling, but

very few for senior citizens.”

To address such a slant, Professor Kwan has

for years written more than 20 books and

many academic papers, as well as essays

on the issues relating to the elderly. Some

of the publications quote actual cases to

illustrate important points to be noted

by social workers in serving the elderly.

Some analyse their psychological condition and encourage them

to adopt a positive attitude towards their latter years. And some

voice the needs and concerns of underprivileged old people,

comment on the current elderly affairs and analyse government

policies on elderly services.

One of his excellent works is Comments on Social Welfare for the

Elderly, a collection of articles he has had published in local

newspapers. With poignant commentary and vivid descriptions,

his articles on old-age issues are also embellished with sharp wit

and subtle cynicism. With regard to inappropriate policies, he is

openly critical, without fear of offending the rich or powerful.

On behalf of the elderly, particularly the underprivileged who

suffer from difficult situations, he voices his concerns with

thoughtfulness.

Professor Kwan is now working on a new research project: “Older

Men’s Psychosocial Well-being and Masculinity in Hong Kong –

a Quest for New Identity”.

―

裏

15February 2008

“Many Hong Kong men carry the responsibility of providing

for the family,” said Professor Kwan. “Once they retire, their

status at home changes and, all of a sudden, there is a lot of free

time. They feel at a loss as what to do with the change and time.

Through this project, we hope to understand the psychological

state of local elderly men after retirement and help them adapt to

their new life.”

Taking the lead After more than 30 years, Professor Kwan has himself entered

into his golden years. Having experienced a close call, he is no

longer confined by the fetters of fame or title. However, he is

ever ready to take up new challenges. After serving as Acting

Head for one and a half years, he was appointed the Head of the

Department of Applied Social Studies last November.

“Every leader will have a unique style. For me, the way to success

is to lead by example,” he said in his election speech.

To him, serving as the HEAD translates as serving with Honesty,

Enthusiasm, Assertion and Devotion. In addition, it also means

car ing for others, passion about work and concern for his

colleagues. Thus, in view of the limited space in the department,

Professor Kwan chooses to stay in his original office so that four

colleagues can share the department head’s office.

Professor Kwan says that, with the support and enthusiastic

participation of his colleagues, he is confident of leading the

department as it consolidates existing programmes, forges

exchanges with overseas and mainland institutions, expands and

develops and adapts to new changes.

着

16 February 2008

I t could be argued that CSR, or Corporate Social Responsibility, has been with us since 1914, when Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of the modern assembly line, decided to instal a minimum wage and limit the working week to 40 hours. Corporate

behaviour and its sense of social responsibility has waxed and waned over the ensuing century but has, in the past

couple of years, become a hot topic in Hong Kong and mainland business and government

circles.

•

霍迪博士訪談錄：商業良心是經營要訣

Q and A with Dr Stephen Frost: Doing Business with a conscience is the key

By Craig Francis

傅之銳

February

17February 2008

Dr Stephen Frost, Assistant Professor of the Department of

Asian and International Studies, is the co-founder and director

of CSR Asia (csr-asia.com), the leading provider of information,

training, research and consultancy services on CSR in Asian

supply chains. In between trips to a World Bank business

forum in Washington and a sojourn to a Guangzhou factory,

he took time out to explain the details of CSR and how Asian

companies were confronting the complex social issues they

now face.

What is CSR?

Put simply, CSR is a company’s commitment to operating in an

economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner

whilst balancing the interests of its diverse stakeholders. CSR

is a globally applicable concept but its interpretation will vary

from country to country, industry to industry and company

to company because of differing local situations and differing

demands of stakeholders in different locations and industries.

It is clear that for many people CSR is very much part of a

Western agenda item. Nevertheless, in the Asia-Pacific region it

is a topic of much discussion, even at government level.

Companies have, to some degree at least, been aware of certain social obligations for decades. When exactly did the concept of CSR become formalised or widely recognised?

You could trace it all the way back a century to the era of

Henry Ford, when he doubled wages to retain staff and

improve their living standards. For the last four or five decades

publications have asked what obligations companies have over

and above making a profit. But in terms of CSR coming into

its own right, I would see the beginning of the nineties and the

•

18 February 2008

anti-sweatshop movement [against major international sports

shoe manufacturers] as the turning point of what we see today

as a discussion about corporate social responsibility, particularly

in Asia. Those companies were held up as poster children of evil

capitalism. Companies then realised they had a responsibility

right down the supply chain to the factory floors of poor Asian

nations.

What is the awareness of CSR in Asia today?

A conversation about CSR in Asia is different to what it is in

North America or Europe. In the West, the focus is on a set of

voluntary initiatives beyond the law. The law is perceived as the

entry level and you are expected to do that anyway. In Asia it

is very much about obeying the law. CSR is really about

going beyond simple legal compliance, although even

that can be difficult. Most global brands or retailers

that take CSR seriously and source their goods in

Asia would be pretty happy if they got 70-80 percent

compliance across their supply chain.

Is this also the case in mainland China, where much of the world’s goods are produced?

On the mainland, the discussion in the past two years has

moved quickly. Three years ago companies did not want to

know about it. They did not even want workshops about

CSR. But clearly areas like the Pearl River Delta are paying

an enormous price – water and land contamination, airborne

pollution, occupational diseases, wages pressure. But recently we

had the mayor of Shenzhen addressing a CSR forum in front

of many influential officials and multinationals, saying CSR is

an essential part of the city’s future. The stock exchange there

has issued an instruction on CSR. While it has not yet made

reporting on social and environmental performance mandatory,

they are asking companies to tell the exchange something

about their performance in this area, which is all part of the

shift happening in the region.

19February 2008

Are Hong Kong investors making decisions based on CSR?

No. In Hong Kong, unlike elsewhere, mainstream investors

have not yet begun to factor in the business risks that come

with poor environmental practices. Until five years ago

there were no Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI)

funds that locals could purchase. Hong Kong is not particularly

renowned in the region for its investment based on social and

environmental performance. But interestingly, we are getting

local companies caught up in those non-financial risk issues.

Polluting companies are now facing fines and flow-on effects

that are hitting their bottom line and reputation. These sorts of

things could, for example, have a serious impact on newly listed

companies. Investors are waking up to this fact.

Is there cause for optimism?

It is not going to happen overnight. It is pointless going in and

telling factories in Asia, ‘You are spewing out pollution – fix

it!’ Forget about a discussion on climate change, forget about a

discussion on sweatshops, you have to demonstrate that change

is going to improve the bottom line. This can be done through

improved productivity, lower energy costs, so the benefits of

CSR are there. Being a better employer and cleaner operation

can be a wise strategic move. I think this is the only way

forward.

What is CityU doing in this field?

In a first for undergraduates in Hong Kong,

CityU is introducing a new course in semester

B 2007-08, Corporate Social Responsibility:

a New Paradigm for Sustainabi l i ty. I t i s a

general introductory course to corporate social

responsibility. Local businesses want local people

working as CSR experts, not just foreigners. I’d like to see

lawyers, accountants, economists, etc., who have skills in some

business area but who also know enough about corporate social

responsibility to incorporate that into their job.

February 200820

... a common space that encourages collaboration and interaction… an environment that caters for a diverse scope of user needs and enhances

knowledge creation and knowledge transfer

……

New Features in the Library —

“Learning Commons”

21February 2008

Coordinator: Ellen Chan 統籌：陳倩茹

Photos: Sunny Wong攝影：黃新源

22 February 2008

Based on the cumulative experience of our ancestors, these are some of the long-held aphorisms with which we are very familiar. But have you ever thought of their actual impact on the way people live their life?

New research into

By Michelle Leung

梁子儀

“Good luck follows if one survives a disaster.”

“Failure is the beginning of success.”

“Good deeds will be rewarded, bad deeds will be punished.”

23February 2008

P ro fe s sor Leung Kwok , Head of the Depar tment o f

Management and a psycholog ist by training, has been

conducting multinational research for a decade with his long-

time collaborator, Professor Michael Bond of The Chinese University

of Hong Kong involving nearly a hundred researchers from around the

world exploring the relationships between general beliefs about the

social world and important outcomes, such as the quality of life.

“The general beliefs, or social axioms, that people hold about other

people and the social world are believed to vary among different people

and different cultural groups,” Professor Leung says. “With the aim of

offering a novel perspective on how people can improve their quality of

life, for example job satisfaction or academic performance, the research

looks into the perception of social axioms in different parts of the world

and their impact on people’s lives.”

24 February 2008

A questionnaire l ist ing 60

general beliefs was developed

fo l lowing a thorough

review of the academic

l i terature and interviews

cover ing both Western and Eastern

cultural sources. Nearly 10,000 citizens and university

students from 40 countr ies and regions were asked to

indicate their degree of agreement or disagreement with the

sayings, using a five-point scale.

The data was then compared with a number of country-

level indexes, including those g iven by International

Survey Research on job satisfaction and the Programme

for International Student Assessment (PISA) on academic

achievement, to examine their correlations – and some

interesting results were uncovered.

A new perspective on job satisfaction“Social cynicism, or a negative view of human nature and a

malevolent view of the social world, is found to be negatively

correlated to satisfaction toward one’s employer,” Professor

Leung reports. “The results show, for instance, that people

in South Korea are quite cynical and tend to be more

unsatisfied with their company, while those in Norway are

at the other end of the spectrum. This finding is interesting

because job satisfaction is affected by how people view

the social world, which is totally independent of their job

experience.”

Social stability is a major factor contributing to cynicism,

according to Professor Leung’s analysis. The data collected

a few years ago showed that people in Hong Kong and

Taiwan tended to be more cynical than those in Shanghai.

“While people in Shanghai were enjoying the advantages of

a steady, booming economy, those in Hong Kong and Taiwan

25February 2008

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Norway Brazil

Canada

Portugal

Turkey

India

Greece

GermanyUnited States

New Zealand

Spain Belgium

France

China

Singapore

United Kingdom

Romania

Taiwan

Hong Kong

Japan

South Korea

26 February 2008

were tackling some economic and political ups and downs

that possibly led to negative worldviews,” Professor Leung

explains.

Having developed the Employees Confidence Index

that has been examining the Hong Kong workforce’s

perceptions of the job market since 2005, Professor Leung

believes the results of this study provide a useful reference

for corporate management.

“Traditionally, employers have regarded pay r ises and

promotion as being most effective in boosting employee

satisfaction levels but the research suggests they also need to

consider the employees’ worldviews,” he says.

He advises that employers should create a positive culture

for employees with a cynical worldview by helping them

focus on positive events and achievements, and encouraging

them to improve if they make mistakes.

Knowledge versus fateAnother interesting result the research revealed is the

relationship between people’s view of fate and academic

performance.

The research uses the term “fate control” to refer to the

belief complex that life events are pre-determined by

external forces, but that people can find ways to alter

the degree of fate. “All things in the universe have been

determined”, “A person’s talents are inborn” and “Most

disasters can be predicted” were some of the statements

included in the questionnaire in order to determine the

respondents’ degree of acceptance or rejection of the notion

of “fate control”.

27February 2008

The research team compared questionnaire responses to

academic data collected by the PISA on literacy in reading,

mathematics and science. “Academic achievement is usually

not associated with fate but our results suggest it may be

tied to fate psychologically in ways we did not expect,”

reports Professor Leung.

According to the survey, fate control is positively linked to

academic achievement across many countries or regions.

For instance, East Asians were generally found to endorse

fate control more than Western Europeans and North

Americans, while East Asian secondary school students

generally outperformed their Western European and

North American counterparts in science, mathematics and

problem-solving.

One explanation for the surprising finding may be that

academic achievement is seen as providing an effective

way of counteracting the disadvantages associated with a

negative fate. “This is reflected in a popular Chinese saying:

‘Knowledge can change one’s fate’,” Professor Leung

explains.

As the principal investigator of the research, Professor

Leung received a second grant of nearly HK$450,000 from

the Research Grants Council’s Competitive Earmarked

Research Grant in 2005 to further develop the survey.

Research is now in its final stage.

“With colleagues from ten countries, the research group

has been refining the questionnaire in order to improve

its validity. In order to provide a better understanding of

exactly how these general beliefs affect people’s behaviour,

we are also looking into the actual reasons for the cross-

cultural differences relating to social axioms,” Professor

Leung says.

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