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Tag: Hong Kong

Lessons from the COVID pandemic

Posted on by HKBUCPRO

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our lives in a multitude of ways, and it has created new, diverse challenges among societies around the world. To help examine the implications of the pandemic, HKBU held an international symposium with the theme “Transnational and Transdisciplinary Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic” on 20 and 21 May. Researchers, academics and participants from Hong Kong and overseas gathered in person or virtually to exchange ideas and discuss the global and local issues related to the pandemic.

Organised by the Department of Government and International Studies, in association with the Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health and the David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies, the two-day conference was a key event in the calendar of celebratory activities organised for the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

The symposium brought together over 30 speakers from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK, as well as a range of stakeholders from outside of academia. Three discussion panels and four matched parallel sessions were delivered with speakers exchanging ideas on a wide range of topics, from the economic and financial consequences of the pandemic to governance and environmental health issues.

Dr Huw Wiltshire, former National Performance Director of the Welsh and Russian Rugby Unions, gave a keynote speech on the pandemic’s impact on top athletic performance. He not only discussed the importance for elite athletes to maintain specific types of training in the current times, but he also raised questions around the survival of sport in a world where human contact is restricted.

The event closed with a roundtable discussion on the future of the post-pandemic environment. The panellists highlighted that the pandemic has accelerated scientific progress, but they also stressed the need for societies to strike a balance between exercising precaution and facilitating innovation. Recognising that new opportunities can emerge out of crises, the speakers shared insights into potential areas of interdisciplinary research and expressed optimistic perspectives on humans’ capacity for adaptation, innovation and ingenuity.

Lingnan University’s research output is rated “world leading” in prestigious Research Assessment Exercise

Posted on by Editorial Team

Lingnan University’s research output has been rated “world-leading” in some areas, and most of it has reached international standards, according to the results of the University Grants Committee’s (UGC) latest Research Assessment Exercise (RAE).

More than 50 per cent of Lingnan’s research output was rated 4-star (“world-leading”) or 3-star (“internationally excellent”). In terms of research impact, more than half of LU’s impact cases were rated 4-star (“outstanding impacts”) or 3-star (“considerable impacts”).

LU came first out of the eight UGC-funded universities in 4-star output in the Units of Assessment (UoAs) of Sociology & Anthropology (27%), and second in Accountancy (35%), Philosophy (19%), and Social Work & Social Policy (13%). This is the first time that LU’s output was assessed in Sociology & Anthropology and Social Work & Social Policy in the RAE. “Lingnan scholars performed exceptionally well in these two UoAs, demonstrating their research strengths amid intense competition,” said Professor Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University.

The RAE is part of the UGC’s commitment to assessing the performance of UGC-funded universities and is intended to encourage world-class research and drive excellence. The RAE assesses the research quality of Hong Kong’s eight UGC-funded universities by using international benchmarks to assess their areas of strength, and then makes recommendations for improvement. The previous RAE took place in 2014.

In this round of the assessment exercise, 119 LU staff members submitted 431 items of research output in 14 UoAs under the four RAE panels of business and economics, social sciences, humanities, and creative arts, performing arts & design.

Lingnan received a number of commendations from the RAE panels. “The impact case study … there was considerable evidence of its contribution in framing policy and legislation,” adjudicators for the Sociology & Anthropology UoA commented. “Staff in humanities disciplines are achieving good impact for their research,” RAE humanities panellists said.

Lingnan University is committed to helping build a better society and is passionate about making an impact with its research and knowledge transfer (KT) activities. The results of the RAE highlight the impact made by the research of LU scholars and the way the University has directly benefitted the community and business.

Professor Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University

“Lingnan University has achieved remarkable results in the Research Assessment Exercise,” said Professor Cheng.

“Compared to the last RAE, LU scholars have received much better ratings for their research output. LU will continue to contribute to Hong Kong as a regional education hub through offering quality education and impactful research to promote the development of society.”

Find out more about Lingnan’s world-class research projects here.

Dr Li Jianbin at EdUHK named APS Rising Star

Posted on by eduhk

Dr Li Jianbin, Assistant Professor at the Department of Early Childhood Education of The Education University of Hong Kong, was presented with the Rising Star Award by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) in February 2021. The award recognises outstanding APS members in the earliest stages of their research career.

Dr Li has published widely in the areas of adjustment and well-being from childhood to emerging adulthood, from a bioecological perspective. His research also emphasises the development of positive personal virtues, such as self-control and meaning in life, as well as their roles in understanding and facilitating adjustment and well-being.

“While feeling deeply honoured, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for Faculty of Education and Human Development’s trust and colleagues’ support that has helped me to become a better early-career researcher,” he said.

EdUHK’s professor Keith Ho invents novel graphitic carbon nitride photocatalyst

Posted on by eduhk

Invented by Professor Ho Wing-kei at the Department of Science and Environmental Studies of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), the novel graphitic carbon nitride photocatalyst provides an innovative way for environmental purification.

Compared to the traditional photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide, which can only be activated by UV light, and has relatively low effectiveness in air pollutant degradation, the newly developed photocatalyst can utilise visible light (daylight or indoor light) as the light source for photocatalytic reactions.

Instead of using the conventional UV light tubes in photocatalytic environmental purification technology, this breakthrough makes applying visible light LED lighting, which is more energy-saving and environmentally friendly to photocatalysis become possible. The new technology can greatly enhance the efficiency in air pollutants degradation and disinfection. It also provides a promising approach in the development of portable air purifiers and construction materials with air cleaning function (such as flooring, ceilings and interior wall, etc). This, in turn, opens up a wide range of daily life applications using the related technology.

This new photocatalytic material consists of only carbon and nitrogen, which is metal-free and non-hazard. It is indoor/visible-light-driven and consuming no energy in air purification and disinfection. In addition, the new LED activated graphitic carbon nitride photocatalyst demonstrates prolong high efficiency (90% removal, last for one year) in the degradation of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and inactivation of bacteria. The new material’s synthesis and fabrication technology solution is developed which is ready-to-use in surface coating fabrication. It is applicable in producing construction materials, household ware and hospital facilities with air purification feature.

The innovation won the Gold Medal in the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada in 2018. In the future, the team would study the performance of the photocatalytic material on various surfaces and in different forms to develop a board variety of air-purifier, such as a portable version.

CityU develops new approaches to tackle air pollution

Posted on by Editorial Team

New methods for reducing air pollution and generating solar fuels developed by scientists at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) offer practical solutions to the energy shortage, environmental issues, and related public health risks.

The research has been generated by two projects led by Dr Ng Yun-hau, Associate Professor, and Dr Shang Jin, Assistant Professor, respectively, in the School of Energy and Environment (SEE). The research has been published in the top chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.

Dr Ng and his team have designed a new solar-powered catalyst that can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into methane fuel through artificial photosynthesis. Their work is published in a paper titled “Metal-Organic Frameworks Decorated Cuprous Oxide Nanowires for Long-lived Charges Applied in Selective Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to CH4”.

“Methane is a major component of domestic fuel gases. Turning CO2 into methane fuel using sunlight has the potential to produce a clean and sustainable energy alternative, thereby reducing our carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels,” Dr Ng said.

However, the key problems with CO2 conversion are short excited charges in the lifetime of the catalyst and non-selective reduction. Cuprous oxide (Cu2O), commonly used for CO2 conversion, undergoes self-corrosion after brief illumination, and it creates an array of product mixture from the reduction process, hindering large scale application.

Dr Ng’s team has solved these problems by uniformly enwrapping Cu2O with a copper-based metal-organic framework (MOF) at the microscopic level. This MOF, which is a good CO2 adsorbent, strengthens the interaction between the CO2 and the catalyst, enabling a higher concentration of CO2 on the surface of catalyst. The team unveiled for the first time the presence of charge transfer between MOF and cuprous oxide, which can prolong the charges lifetime by ten times for higher activity. With the conformal coating of MOF, the Cu2O becomes stable and its corrosion is delayed.

“We hope we can recycle the unwanted CO2 from industry and transportation sectors at an affordable cost in the future and use it as the precursor to produce green and alternative fuels. We will continue to explore ways to further increase the methane production rate and scale up the catalyst synthesis and the reactor systems,” said Dr Ng.

The other study, carried out by the team led by Dr Shang, aims to control pollution resulting from nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a major roadside pollutant causing photochemical smog and damage to the human respiratory tract. The team revealed a new class of robust adsorbent materials for capturing ambient NO2 in a paper titled “Transition‐Metal‐Containing Porphyrin Metal–Organic Frameworks as π‐Backbonding Adsorbents for NO2 Removal”.

The team has developed a series of sponge-like nanoporous materials featuring tailored transition metals as active sites at the porphyrin rings, which can selectively bind and remove NO2 from gas mixtures.

EdUHK’s Dr Gary Cheng’s automated system for tracking student responses to teacher feedback

Posted on by eduhk

Students’ revision of their drafts is recognised as an important strategy to support the development of their writing skills. It involves a complex process of evaluating text, diagnosing problems and making revisions to improve the text.

An automated system for tracking student Responses to teacher feedback has been designed and implemented by Dr Gary Cheng Kwok-shing at the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology of The Education University of Hong Kong.

The system aims to classify types of teacher feedback and student revision in English as Foreign Language (EFL) writing, as well as to detect their interconnections in a systematic and automatic manner. This initiative would benefit both students and teachers in the feedback and revision process.

This system also aims to address the traditional approach of assessing the teacher feedback. The traditional approach encompasses human analysis of feedback and revision data which can be time-consuming and labour-intensive, limiting its practical use in a wide range of writing classes.

For students, the automated tracking system can generate immediate and individualised analysis on how well they make changes in response to teacher feedback. The analysis can promote student reflection on their revision strategies and encourage students to improve their subsequent writing. For teachers, the system can identify students who have problems in revising their text and are in need of early assistance.

Furthermore, the system can inform the characteristics of teacher feedback to which students often attend and react in EFL writing. This would increase teachers’ awareness of the effectiveness of their own feedback and serve as a basis for enhancing their feedback practice.

The system received a Silver Medal in the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival in USA in 2019. In the future, the system would be applied to more EFL writing courses at various levels and in different tertiary institutions so as to evaluate its impact on student writing. Further efforts would be made to develop new functionality that enables the system to provide students with personalised suggestions and links to relevant learning resources in order to further facilitate students making more effective revisions.

CityU wins 6 golds at Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days

Posted on by Editorial Team

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) received 12 awards, including a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, five Gold Medals, three Silver Medals and three Bronze Medals at the Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days (IGED) 2021, a virtual edition of the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

“An Energy-Free, Low-Cost and High Cooling Performance Passive Radiative Cooling Technology for Building Applications” led by Dr Edwin Tso Chi-yan, Assistant Professor in the School of Energy and Environment, received the Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury.

To provide a sustainable and energy-saving solution to the consumption of electricity in buildings, Dr Tso has developed a passive radiative cooling paint, using the universe as a cooling source.

Unlike traditional air-conditioning systems, the passive radiative cooling paint is an energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling technology that reflects incoming solar irradiance, while emitting thermal radiation to the cold universe and achieving sub-ambient cooling.

This self-cooling technology possesses many advantages, such as a simple structure, easy manufacturing, and low cost. Directly coating this paint on a building’s roof or exterior walls will reduce its surface temperature and save on air-conditioning energy. The technology can be used for cooling automobile, in self-cooling textiles and painting roads to mitigate heat from land.

The following projects by the CityU researchers also won the Gold Medal.

“Aquatic Animal Postmortem Multimedia Analysis Platform” utilises virtopsy techniques such as Computed Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 3D surface scanning, to provide insights for the assessment of aquatic animal profiles and biological health locally and globally.

“Super Bamboo – Sustainable Structural Bamboo Materials with High Strength and Multi-function”- includes both mechanical and chemical treatments for densifying natural bamboo without destroying key internal microstructure that are critical for superior mechanical performance.

“Youth Sports Education and Management SaaS platform Based on AI & IoT” developed by AI Motion Sports”- uses advanced technology to digitalise K12 youth sports industry and define the standards of next-generation sports education.

“Damage-healable Antimicrobial Coating Made from Natural Materials”-development and applications of coatings with sustained disinfection abilities for long-term prevention of surface fouling.

“Development of new generation anti-metastasis drugs based on endosomal trafficking”- identifies 6J1/6J2 as potent endosomal trafficking inhibitors that can effectively inhibit tumor progression and metastasis in various experimental mouse models with little in vitro and in vivo toxicity.

These awards at such a high international level demonstrate the excellence of the research carried out at CityU.

Lingnan recognizes scholars, students and graduates for excellence in research and knowledge transfer

Posted on by Editorial Team

Lingnan University places a high value on knowledge transfer and original research, especially if it has a demonstrable focus and impact on society. The Research and Knowledge Transfer Excellence Awards, which took place on 19 April 2021, honoured 33 scholars, students, and graduates for their achievements in these areas. The awards also noted the recipients’ success at winning research grants in today’s highly competitive environment.

Four scholars received the Research Output Excellence Award, and four scholars achieved the Young Researcher Award. A further four projects were awarded the new Booster Prize, which rewards commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship which has a positive impact on humanity. Twenty-one scholars received the Research and Knowledge Transfer Fund Award.

Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University, noted that the University ranks first in International Faculty, Inbound Exchange Students, and Outbound Exchange Students in the QS Asia University Rankings 2021. “LU was also named by QS as a Five Star Institution and came second in the world for Quality Education in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2020,” Mr Wong said.

Professor Leonard K Cheng, President of Lingnan University, highlighted the unwavering dedication of the awardees. “Their outstanding achievements are evidence of their years of dedication to the creation of knowledge in the Liberal Arts tradition that enhances students’ learning experiences through the betterment of society,” Professor Cheng said.

Professor Cheng noted that for the 2020/21 academic year, the University achieved a 40 per cent increase in funding for projects supported by the UGC’s General Research Fund (GRF), the Early Career Scheme (ECS), and the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS). The cumulative income growth in ongoing social projects and contract research was 209 per cent and 54 per cent last year, with record-breaking amounts of $43.8 million and $25.4 million. A total contract value of $17.6 million for 30 new projects was also supported by the industry, charities, NGOs and government departments.

Lingnan University’s Vice-President Joshua Mok Ka-ho highlighted the University’s research collaborations with prestigious international institutions such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, and University College, London. “We look forward to taking our knowledge transfer work to fruition in raising people’s quality of life and the competitiveness of businesses in the region and beyond,” said Professor Mok.

The new Booster Prize – Social Enterprising recognised four significant start-ups. Asaqua focuses on affordable rainwater harvesting, Gatherly is a skill-exchange online platform for the elderly to enrich their lives in retirement by passing their skills onto the younger generation, Rehome offers household repairs and pest control services to grassroots households and the elderly, and Senmily builds mutual support communities for families and children with Special Education Needs.

Please click here to view Research Excellence, Innovations and Entrepreneurship at Lingnan University.

EdUHK unveils world’s first postgraduate degree programme with Cambridge leadership qualifications

Posted on by eduhk

The Department of Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), is collaborating with Cambridge Assessment International Education to offer two professional development qualifications in educational leadership. The collaboration makes EdUHK the first university in the world to offer Cambridge leadership qualifications as part of a postgraduate degree programme.

The qualifications will be available to students of the Executive Master of Arts in International Educational Leadership and Change (IELC) programme. They will have the opportunity to attain the Cambridge International Certificate in Educational Leadership and the Cambridge International Diploma in Educational Leadership.

The leadership qualifications help school leaders enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding of effective leadership and leadership practice. The qualifications also help teachers and administrators develop an understanding of leadership in the context of Cambridge schools, a global community of more than 10,000 schools across 160 countries.

“We are delighted that our programme has been recognised by one of the world’s largest providers of international education qualifications,” said Dr Darren Bryant, Head of EPL. “We will continue to strengthen our network and international connections with universities and educational institutions from around the world.”

“Cambridge sets the global standard for international education,” said Professor Allan Walker, Adjunct Chair Professor at EPL. “The partnership shows that our programme and our university more than meets international standards in terms of curriculum design, rigour and quality teaching.”

The IELC has also collaborated with the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 2013/14 to offer two postgraduate leadership certificates. Dr Ewan Wright, Programme Leader of IELC, said, “The IELC is the first postgraduate programme in the world to offer both Cambridge leadership qualifications and IB Certificates. By preparing school leaders for roles in policy planning and school improvement, we aim to lead educational change not only in Hong Kong but also across East Asia and worldwide.”

EdUHK showcases research achievements at award-winning innovations salon

Posted on by eduhk

With the aim of promoting knowledge transfer, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) hosted the Award-Winning Innovations Salon (AWIS) to showcase its award-winning projects recognised in international invention and innovation competitions in 2020. During the past year, the University won 22 international awards.

AWIS is an annual event, organised by the Knowledge Transfer Sub-office of the Research and Development Office, with the goal of fostering communication and stimulating collaboration among different sectors and the University by bringing together academics, educational practitioners and industry experts.

Themed “Invent • Edu-novate • Cohesive Community”, the 2020 virtual Salon featured a series of online activities, including panel discussions and a virtual exhibition of the awarded projects.

Showcased at the event were 11 award-winning entries from the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada 2020 and International Innovation and Invention Competition 2020 in Taiwan.

The innovations cover a wide range of disciplines, ranging from educational technology for language learners, SEN learners and educational practitioners, to other research areas, such as arts and culture, and environmental technologies.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Professor Lui Tai-lok, Vice President (Research and Development) said, “These research projects and inventions demonstrate EdUHK’s academic diversity and capability, and reinforce the University’s leading role in developing innovative technologies that foster educational, social and technological growth in Hong Kong.”

In addition to showcasing the research projects, the “EdUHK Education and Social Entrepreneurs Fund (EASE Fund)” Scheme was featured in the virtual exhibition. As a knowledge transfer initiative, the EASE Fund Scheme is the University’s first scheme for entrepreneurs featuring education technology, and education and social innovation. It provides seed grants and comprehensive support to EdUHK students and alumni to start up their ventures.