Media

The first centre of Theoretical and Computational Physics established at HKU

12 Dec 2005

 

Inspired by the United Nation's designation of 2005 as the World of Physics Year, the University of Hong Kong has recently established the Centre of Theoretical and Computational Physics which is the first of its kind among tertiary institutions in Hong Kong.

The Centre is pleased to have Nobel laureate Prof. Daniel C. Tsui as its honorary director and renowned physicist, Fellow of Royal Society (London), Prof. T. Maurice Rice at ETH-Zurich as Chair of Advisory Committee. The goal is to promote the Centre to be one of the leading centres in the Asia Pacific region engaging in cutting-edge research in theoretical physics such as novel states in condensed matters, spin-based transport, and quantum computing and information theory. The Centre aims to provide a platform for local scientists to carry out the first rate research through collaborations with international research institutions and distinguished visitor programmes. Initial funding of HK$3.5M was granted by the University for the first three years of its operation.

"We are very honoured to have the support of world-class scientists who are dedicated to enhance academic excellence and scientific research in Hong Kong" said the Centre's Director Prof. FC Zhang who is also head of the Department of Physics and was awarded Distinguished Research Achievement Award last month by the University.

Nobel laureate Prof. Daniel C. Tsui and renowned physicist Prof. T. Maurice Rice are now visiting HKU. Members of the press are cordially invited to the following event:

Date: 12th December 2005 (Monday)
Venue: Rm G15, G/F, Conference Room, Faculty of Science, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Bldg, HKU
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm Prof. Daniel C. Tsui shares with a group of upper secondary school students his vision for scientific research and life experience.
(Interview opportunity with Prof. Daniel C. Tsui, Prof. T.Maurice Rice & Prof. FC Zhang is available at 2:30pm on the same day, interested parties please contact us in advance for details.)

Prof. Daniel C. Tsui is an experimental condensed matter physicist. He was born in Henan, China and moved to Hong Kong in 1951. He graduated from Pui Ching Middle School, studied in the USA and is on the faculty of Princeton University. In 1998, Prof. Tsui was awarded the Nobel Prize of Physics for the discovery of a new state of matter, the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect. He is a member of the US National Academy of Science. Currently, he is Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong. For biography of Prof. Daniel C. Tsui, please visit http://nobelprize.org/physics/laureates/1998/tsui-autobio.html.

Prof. T. Maruice Rice was Full professor of Theoretical Physics at the ETH Zurich, from 1981 until he retired in March 2004. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Prof. Rice has been awarded the Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize in 1998 and the John Bardeen Prize for superconductivity theory in 2000. He is a University Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong.

For interviews or enquiries please contact Ms. Cherry Cheung, Senior Press Officer, External Relations Office, HKU (Tel: 2859 2606/Mobile: 8208 1686).