CUHK Research: Changing the world

A 34-year journey In 1989, the ICS star ted to develop a database of ancient Chinese texts under the leadership of Professor D. C. Lau, a master of Chinese studies. Researchers input ancient Chinese texts spanning the two millennia from 1500 BCE to about 600 CE into a computer system and produced software for studying the texts with the electronic database. “To combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West” has been CUHK’s mission since its establishment in 1963. “CUHK has strong foundations in traditional Chinese studies and renowned scholars like Professor Lau have cultivated generations of leading experts in the field. The University enjoys a global reputation for information engineering and given i t s exce l l en t i n fo rma t i on techno l ogy infrastructure, we have unique advantages in conducting research that combines traditional Chinese studies and information technology,” Professor Ho observes. Prior to the data entry process, researchers strived to select the best versions available for inputting to electronic database. “The ICS did not only convert the texts from books to computer-readable format in the process of developing the database. It was actually a systematic project of collating ancient Chinese texts. There are many electronic databases of ancient Chinese texts in other countries, but their investment in time and effort pales in comparison to ours,” he says. A CUHK-trained scholar, Professor Ho completed his undergraduate study from CUHK’s Department of Chinese Language and Literature in 1986 and subsequently obtained a Master's degree and a doctorate at the University. The sheer volume of ancient Chinese texts is so tremendous that it is a tough job for retrieving data and conducting research. Since 1989, the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) at CUHK has built a unique, globally leading electronic database of ancient Chinese texts and its subscribers include prestigious universities around the world. Professor Ho Che-wah, who has spearheaded the project since its inception, has leveraged the database to successfully challenge some longstanding arguments in academia. 42