EDUCATION
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published in the past two years. Four are on Chinese linguistics, one on Chinese intellectual history and one on Chinese economic history.
The Institute of Science and Technology concentrates on the promotion of research in inter-disciplinary areas and acts as a co-ordinating body both within the university and among outside agencies such as the government, industries, and international funding agents, on matters relating to research. The Chinese medicinal material research unit, which was formed in 1975, has so far directed its scientific studies towards a few Chinese herbs with certain biological effects based on the accumulated experience of a large number of people over many generations. Research in this field depends on systematic and painstaking work rather than on expensive equipment. There are at present three main experimental projects in progress: the Leonurus artemisia project, the Abrus cantoniensis project and the Scutellaria basicalensis project. In addition, the use of herbal medicines in Hong Kong is being investigated and information on Chinese medicine is being compiled.
The Institute of Social Studies and the Humanities undertakes a wide variety of research projects through its various centres. The Economic Research Centre is carrying out studies of Hong Kong's economy and compiling an econometric forecast- ing model for the economy. The Centre for Communication Studies, after having completed a pilot study on radio audiences, has launched a long-term documentation project to locate, annotate, and later-if funds are available-to acquire all Chinese journalism and communication materials since the Ching Dynasty. The centre has also conducted a number of small-scale research projects, including an Asia-wide study of the media's attitude towards women. For the past six years the Social Research Centre has been conducting studies on various aspects of social life in Hong Kong-such as new town planning and development, social causes of juvenile delinquency, housing problems, attitudes towards birth control, spatial economy of street-trading activities, urban religious behaviour, medical beliefs and health services, the ideology and organisation of small-scale industries, and the impact of industrialisa- tion on family life. The Centre for East Asian Studies is carrying out a Vietnamese historical sources project along with other research projects on Japan and Southeast Asia. The Centre for Translation Projects has a number of translated works in process of printing in addition to many others being prepared for publication. The centre publishes a special Chinese-English translation journal called Renditions twice a year.
The Polytechnic
The Hong Kong Polytechnic was formally established in 1972, taking over the work of the former Hong Kong Technical College. The bulk of the Polytechnic's finances comes from the government through the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.
The Polytechnic campus is located in Hung Hom, Kowloon, on a site adjacent to the cross-harbour tunnel. It includes all the buildings taken over from the former Hong Kong Technical College, and the new Phase I buildings which were completed in September 1976.