The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology announced Thursday that three of its researchers have been appointed Overseas Experts by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The appointed researchers are Head of the Department of Computer Science Professor Lionel Ni, Associate Professor of Physics Dr Zikang Tang and Professor of Biochemistry Professor Mingjie Zhang.

The Academy established the Overseas Experts Scheme in 1998 to recruit outstanding overseas academics to help promote research collaboration, conduct evaluation, and award research projects. Ofthe 84 Overseas Experts elected by the CAS in this latest cohort, only four are from Hong Kong.

Computer scientist Professor Lionel Ni is also the Director of the Ministry of Education/Microsoft Research Asia (MOE/MSRA) Information Technology Key Laboratory at HKUST, the first MOE key lab in Hong Kong. His research interests lie in developing novel computing and networking systems, such as wireless networking and high-performance computer architecture etc.

An expert in nanotechnology, Dr Zikang Tang fabricated the world's smallest single-walled carbon nanotubes which have a diameter of only 0.4 nanometers, and he later discovered their superconducting properties.

He also developed the room-temperature ultraviolet-emitting laser from a thin film of nano-structured zinc oxide semiconductor. This outstanding achievement earned him the 2003 State Natural Science Award, China's most prestigious award in the field of natural sciences.

Professor Mingjie Zhang focuses his research on investigating the structure and functions of proteins in regulating neuronal signal transductions. His laboratory has elucidated a series of the structures and the biological functions of proteins that play central roles in regulating cellular activities.

Zhang's research results have been published in a number of prestigious scientific journals including Science and Nature Structural Biology. He was honored with the 2003 Croucher Senior Research Fellowship for his fundamental contributions to biochemistry.

(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2005)