Students play cultural ambassadors for exchange visitors from Singapore Students from Lai Chack Middle School are cultural ambassadors this week and next in an exchange programme with Holy Innocents' High School, Singapore. The 20 Singaporean students arrived on Tuesday and have been attending lessons and taking part in school activities with their hosts. The 10-day stay also features visits to local landmarks such as Disneyland and Ocean Park. Twenty students from Lai Chack Middle School will visit Singapore during the Easter holiday. Double major in science of finance Chinese University has launched a double major programme in quantitative finance and risk management science. The first of its kind in Hong Kong, the programme is jointly offered by the faculties of business administration and science. Featuring modules exploring financial risk management and banking structures, the three-year programme will be offered from next year. Theatre designer to share artistic vision World-renowned theatre designer Ralph Koltai will share his ideas and artistic vision in a seminar at the Academy for Performing Arts on Monday. Koltai has created hundreds of stage productions for theatre houses such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre. The master of British theatre design will share ideas spanning five decades. Open to the public, the seminar will be held at the academy's recital hall at 8pm. To register, e-mail: hkatts@hkatts.com PolyU signs MOU with Sydney university Polytechnic University and University of Sydney have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their academic links. The memorandum was signed by PolyU vice-president Suleyman Demokan, dean of PolyU's faculty of health and social sciences George Woo, and University of Sydney's deputy vice-chancellor John Hearn and dean of health sciences faculty Gwynnyth Llewellyn. The agreement pledged more exchange programmes and sharing of equipment and information between the two universities, and other co-operative initiatives in the field of clinical research. 'Brilliant' mathematicians bag prizes Seven teams of budding mathematicians were presented awards in recognition of their brilliant performance in a maths competition jointly organised by Hang Lung Properties and Chinese University's Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Department of Mathematics. Eighty teams totalling 230 students from 50 schools entered the finals of the 2008 Hang Lung Mathematics Awards. The competition was open to Form Two to Seven students. Each team designed and conducted a mathematics research project. Winners were awarded cash prizes of HK$60,000 to HK$400,000. Ex-commerce chief an honorary professor Frederick Ma Si-hang, the former secretary for commerce and economic development, has been appointed by University of Hong Kong as honorary professor in the School of Economics and Finance. An inaugural lecture in which Mr Ma will deliver a keynote speech will be held early next year.
