The UGC delegation under the leadership of Mr Tim Lui (front row, fifth left), Chairman of the UGC, and Prof James Tang (front row, third right), the Secretary-General of the UGC, and more than 20 UGC members and secretariat staff, including Prof Timothy Tong Wai-cheung (front row, third left), Chairman of the Research Grants Council, and Prof Jan Thomas (front row, first right), Chair of Quality Assurance Council, visits Lingnan University.
Mr Tim Lui, Chairman of the UGC, Prof James Tang, Secretary-General of the UGC, and more than 20 UGC members and secretariat staff, were received by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning, Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration), faculty and staff, and representatives of the students. Subsequently, the delegation visited various teaching facilities, where staff showcased the outcomes of several recent projects.
Prof Siu Oi-ling, Head of the Department of Psychology and Lam Woo & Co Ltd Chair Professor of Applied Psychology, Prof Jay Xu Jie, Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology, and Prof Ng Tin-yan, Research Assistant Professor of Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre (WJLCCPRC), described the newest integration of neuroscience into psychological research, and the WJLCCPRC laboratory, which is equipped with the most advanced technologies, including a 64-channel EEG system, heart rate variability monitoring, and AI-driven analysis. Their flagship programme, the “Wellness Ambassador Programme” (WAP), combines positive psychology interventions with technological assessments of physiological indicators. Data show that the programme aids participants’ physical and mental well-being, and has already benefited more than 3,300 people. In the Greater Bay Area, the programme is backed by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Psychological Counselling Alliance, and training has been given to over 350 teachers and students in Guangdong and Guangxi.
The UGC delegation then visited the United Nations University Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University), the first higher education institution in Asia with a UNU Hub. Prof Albert Ko, Founding Director of the UNU Hub, explained the hub’s role in fostering collaboration among experts in engineering, data science, and design innovation. This interdisciplinary approach empowers staff and students from diverse academic backgrounds to co-design humanitarian technology and cultivate students’ capacity to address societal challenges through research. Flagship projects include PureAura, a portable energy-saving air purifier designed for subdivided units in Hong Kong. This project is being used by over 2,000 low-income households and has won 14 international design awards, including the iF Design Award. Incuvia, a portable low-cost baby incubator developed for remote impoverished regions, is now being used in the Philippines to improve the survivability of premature babies in low-resource villages. Incuvia recently received a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.
The delegation also spent time at the Black Box Theatre looking at its Hollywood-standard film and animation production facilities, including a curved LED video wall, a 7.1 surround sound environment, a robotic arm, and a fully equipped virtual production set. Prof Emilie Yeh Yueh-yu, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and LamWong Yiu Wah Chair Professor of Visual Studies, and Dr Tobby Kan Shiu-tao, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries (DACI), explained how one of the University’s most popular programmes – the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Animation and Digital Arts – uses these modern technologies to refine teaching and efficiency. For example, the advanced AI-powered motion capture system allows students to capture motion tracking for animation production by simply stepping onto the stage, without a traditional marker. Currently, over 300 students from different programmes take classes in the Black Box Theatre, gaining hands-on experience with industry-standard tools so as to prepare for careers in the creative and technology sectors.
In recent years, Lingnan University has actively promoted interdisciplinary programmes, and the delegation also went to see the Wong Bing Lai Music and Performing Arts Unit (WBLMP)under the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies, where Prof Ip Kim-ho, Head of WBLMP and Professor of Practice, spoke about how core and elective courses integrate AI and creative technologies into music teaching. The curriculum focuses on the connection between music, everyday environments, emotions, and physical and mental well-being, reflecting students’ understanding of musicality, and encouraging whole-person development. Through AI composition and prompt-based training, students are shown how to develop organised and structured creative thinking, and polish their inductive logic and judgement. The team also explained how innovative technologies are used to fulfil potential, and enhance the learning experience of students with special educational needs (SEN), and how well-being research on the arts demonstrates the positive impact of music, reinforcing Lingnan’s commitment to advancing integrated arts and sciences.
As well as calling in on several departments and learning about the University’s latest research achievements, members of the delegation met about 50 undergraduates and postgraduates from different faculties, and heard about their vibrant campus life and studies. Lingnan hopes that this will help UGC members to understand the University’s vision for the future, and its educational mission to develop leaders who think critically and possess innovative perspectives.
