Introduction

The Department of Biology was established in 1963, and is one of the oldest departments in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It has always been the goal of the Department to promote the advancement of teaching and research in this multifaceted science and to contribute to our understanding of the events of life.

The Department is undergoing a rapid growth phase. Since 1993, the Department began to offer a programme in Environmental Science (ENS) in conjunction with the Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry. The Programme offers both undergraduate and post-graduate courses and is planned to have a multi-disciplinary approach to tackle the problems in Environmental Science. The BSc programme provides specialized training in environmental chemistry, environmental biology and conservation, biochemical toxicology and environmental impact assessment. The graduate programme presently offers a MPhil study programme, and a PhD Programme has been implemented.

In response to the new challenges and research opportunities arising from the rapid advancement and expansion of food related sciences, the Department offered a programme in Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS) jointly with the Department of Biochemistry since 1994. Presently the Programme offers BSc and MPhil programmes.

In cooperation with the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology of the Faculty of Medicine, the specialization in Human Biology within the Department of Biology has been further strengthened.

Biotechnology is widely regarded as the technology of the 21st century. In view of the current needs and future prospects of biotechnology, the Department joined with the Department of Biochemistry and established the Molecular Biotechnology Programme (MBT) in 1998. The MBT Programme provides a wide varieties of courses, activities and the best training to students in this exciting field. Besides the BSc programme presently offered, a MPhil programme has been implemented in the academic year 2001/2002.

Area of Excellence (AoE) Research Programmes

The Areas of Excellence funding programme was developed to encourage University Grants Committee (UGC) funded institutions to build upon their existing strengths and nurture them into Areas of Excellence, or world-class research programmes. The University Grants Committee announced on 20 September 1999 its choice of three research institutes to receive funding in the first round of its new Areas of Excellence initiative. The Plant and Fungal Biotechnology Programme of the Department of Biology is among the three selected projects and is said by Dr Alice Lam, UGC chairperson, to "have demonstrated a clear potential to be recognized internationally as of equal status to their peers".

AoE Plant and Fungal Biotechnology
In response to the ever-increasing demand in global food supply, the mission of this AoE is to generate high-valued agricultural and health products, invent and transfer new technologies and produce human capital in the field of biotechnology, for the nutritional and health well-being of Hong Kong and beyond.

AoE Marine Biotechnology
This AoE proposal on marine biotechnology is intended to provide high-quality food, nutritional and medicinal products through biotechnological research and techniques, and is rated to be among the top ten AoE proposals in the second round of AoE initiatives.

Programmes of Studies in Biology

The department offers both undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate (MPhil and PhD) programmes of studies designed with the aim of training our students to have fundamental and excellent knowledge of modern biological sciences.