hkust draws mainland's best Hong Kong University of Science and Technology attracted more than double the number of applicants from mainland China than it did last year, with 6,342 students applying to join for the new academic year. The biggest increase came from Beijing, with numbers up from 655 to 1,587. Among the 156 who have accepted offers of places, five were highest scorers in the national joint entrance examination in their provinces or cities. older perspective on australia Lingnan University's Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies is organising an educational tour to Australia for the elderly, in collaboration with Odyssey Travel, a division of the Australian and New Zealand College for Seniors, University of Wollongong. Guides include academics who will enlighten participants about the history, culture and demographic changes of the places they visit, including the Great Barrier Reef and gold rush settlements. The tour runs from November 21 to 29. parents have words over dictionary A mainland dictionary designed for students has been condemned as unsuitable by many parents, according to an online survey. The Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation, published by Nanfang Press in 2003, defines the Chinese word 'chicken' as either a kind of poultry or the derogatory short form for prostitutes. The dictionary also gives 'pimp' as one of the meanings of the Chinese word 'duck'. The dictionary describes itself as a 'modern, up-to-date dictionary specially designed for pupils and middle school students in the new century'. According to an online survey on the People's Daily website, 560 out of 878 people thought the dictionary would have a bad influence on youngsters.Xinhua beijing cracks down on principals Beijing will crack down on principals who violate rules governing college and university enrolment, the Ministry of Education has said. Principals will be temporarily relieved of their posts and subjected to investigation if they recruited more students than were approved or engaged in misleading publicity, officials said. The ministry would also check the qualifications of students before they were enrolled. Mainland universities rejected about 30,000 college candidates for violations of enrolment regulations last year.Xinhua
