Hong Kong

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are extensively used in industrial and consumer applications. They are widely recognised as typical contaminants of emerging concern because of their environmentally persistent and bio-accumulative properties. Even in very low concentrations, they can disturb our hormonal balance, leading to reproductive impairment, abnormal development and growth retardation. Water and wastewater treatment systems worldwide face the challenge of effectively removing these contaminants.

A surprising tree-inspired discovery is helping scientists design surfaces that encourage different liquids to move in varying directions.

Whale and dolphin post-mortem imaging could breathe new life into marine conservation.

Computer game uses a camera and AI-based movement recognition to teach sign language to a broader public.

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the use of robots and an urgent need for an advanced human-machine interface (HMI) system that can seamlessly connect users and robots. A research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and collaborating institution recently developed an innovative HMI system, which consists of flexible, multi-layered electronic skin and provides both visual and haptic feedback to users. The system can teleoperate the robot to imitate the user's actions to perform complicated tasks. It demonstrates the potential for conducting Covid-19 swab tests and nursing patients with infectious diseases.

Dr Linnie Wong Koon-lin, Assistant Professor at the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong, received the Best Publication Award 2020 from the Children’s Identity and Citizenship European Association (CiCea) in 2021.

Traditional education focuses on homework and examination drills. However, comparing with repetitive training, allowing students to choose the topics and the ways of their daily practice can effectively arouse their learning motivation. Therefore, Dr Zou Di at the Department of English Language Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, designed a personalised vocabulary learning system, so that students are able to practice English according to their interests and preferences.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or reading difficulties (RD) tend to struggle with working memory and literacy. To help overcome these obstacles, Dr Kean Poon Kei-yan, a registered educational psychologist, at the Department of Special Education and Counselling of The Education University of Hong Kong, has developed i-Maze – the first-ever Chinese-character-focused gaming app for young children with special educational needs (SEN).

The size of benefits a company receives from bribing government officials is significantly correlated to the amount of bribe they pay, and how well informed people are in the bribe-taking country.

A research team led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has recently designed a structured thermal armour (STA) that achieves efficient liquid cooling even over 1,000°C, fundamentally solving a 266-year-old challenge presented by the Leidenfrost effect. This breakthrough can be applied in aero and space engines, as well as improve the safety and reliability of next-generation nuclear reactors.

A research by Dr Gail Yuen Wai-kwan, Associate Professor at the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), led to fundamental changes in government policy and the funding of early childhood education. It showed that the marketisation model using voucher funding decreased educational quality, and increased social and economic inequities.

A study led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has revealed that different degrees of exposure to bisphenol S (BPS), an industrial chemical widely used in paper products and plastic containers, are associated with the growth and deterioration of breast tumours in a mouse model. The research results suggest the need for more in-depth and comprehensive research on the potential negative impact of BPS on human health, and the ongoing search for a safer alternative for use in industrial production may be warranted.

In a recent study steered by the Department of Marketing and International Business of Lingnan University in Hong Kong, it is found that online product reviews with mandatory disclosure of incentives provided by advertisers, in comparison with voluntary disclosure, has a positive effect on review helpfulness and sales, and is in the best interest of both sellers and consumers. Providing novel insight into the disclosure of incentives for online product reviews, these findings not only address the concerns of sellers, consumers and regulators, but have broad implications for e-marketing, consumer welfare, and public policy in the platform economy.

Hong Kong is one of the most prosperous places in the world, but it has a rapidly aging society with a very high rate of poverty among older people. Addressing this has become a priority for policy makers to improve the well-being of older people, while sustainably managing the burden on public finances.

Twenty-nine scholars of The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) were among the top 2% in the Stanford list of the world’s most-cited scientists in 2020*.

A prototype MRI machine that can be built at low cost and produces high quality neuroimaging is reported in Nature Communications. The machine can help provide access to MRI across low- and middle-income countries, as well as at the point of care.

At the Honorary Doctorate Conferment Ceremony today (9 December), Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong conferred honorary doctoral degrees upon four distinguished individuals in recognition of outstanding achievements in their respective professions and valuable contributions to the well-being of society. They were Mr Norman Chan Tak-lam（陳德霖）, a prominent financial leader who received a Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa; Ms Sylvia Chang Ai-chia （張艾嘉）, an esteemed film director who received a Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa; Prof Deane E. Neubauer, a prolific political science scholar who received a Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa (in absentia); and Prof Zhong Nanshan（鍾南山）, a world-renowned respiratory disease expert who received a Doctor of Science, honoris causa (in absentia).

A vital part of a child’s development is learning to regulate emotions and build relationships: often called ‘socioemotional competence’. To encourage this life-long learning, The Education University of Hong Kong, with the support of the Simon K. Y. Lee Foundation, has created the 3Es project. The project is in its sixth year and its name represents the goals of early prevention, early identification and early intervention, where local children encounter difficulties in reading and arithmetic (hard skills), and in managing emotions and behaviour (soft skills).

Researchers at the Department of Microbiology at The University of Hong Kong have succeeded in the isolation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant from clinical specimens. This is the first known research team in Asia that has succeeded in isolating the Omicron variant. The isolated variant will enable the development and production of vaccines against Omicron, which has been designated as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization.

Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong will confer honorary doctoral degrees upon four distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their respective professions and valuable contributions to the well-being of society.

The Hong Kong SAR Government’s 2018-19 Health Behaviour Survey showed that around 96% of residents aged 15 or over consumed less than five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Added to this, almost 10% of these people ate processed meat at least once a day, on average. The World Health Organisation states that an unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are leading global risks to health, and its member states have agreed to halt the rise of diabetes and obesity in adults, teenagers, and of overweight children by 2025.

Poor sleep kills people through medical illnesses, traffic accidents (impaired concentration and decision making), and suicides (relating to mood disorders). Since joining The Education University of Hong Kong in 2015, Dr Esther Lau Yuet-ying, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology, has been conducting a long-term research programme that sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of sleep deprivation and its negative effect on emotions, cognition and daily functioning. The findings have been disseminated via public media and workshops to education and government bodies and have led to changes in community attitudes and school policy. They have also resulted in the establishment and strengthening of clinical and consultation support for sleep health in universities and government departments.

Lingnan University (LU) has recently established an off-campus learning hub at the Jao Tsung-I Academy (JTIA) in Lai Chi Kok to enhance academic staff and students’ teaching and learning experience. An opening ceremony was held on Tuesday (9 November) and officiated by Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen, Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited and former Council Chairman of LU, President of LU Prof Leonard K Cheng and Mr Mike Y W Lai, Chief Executive Officer, JTIA.

The Education University of Hong Kong won 10 awards at the 6th International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN), with three gold medals, one silver, one bronze and five special prizes, in August 2021.

The Centre for Film and Creative Industry, the University Library and the Department of Visual Studies of Lingnan University (LU) jointly launched “A History of Film Exhibition and Reception in Colonial Hong Kong (1897 to 1925)” database. The open-access database, developed under the Research Grants Committee-funded project “Screen Practices in Colonial Hong Kong: A History of Film Exhibition and Reception from 1897 to 1925”, serves as an essential resource for research on Hong Kong film history from the initial screenings of motion pictures in the late 1890s to the mid-1920s when the local film industry took shape. It provides online access to over 29,000 items of news materials, covering movie theatres, distribution companies and circuits, advertisements, and film reviews.

Biologists from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have discovered in Hong Kong waters a new species of hard coral and two new species of nudibranch, a type of marine mollusc, that have never been identified anywhere else in the world. The discoveries of new species from these commonly seen animal groups are a vivid reflection of Hong Kong’s rich marine biodiversity.

The UNESCO-listed Wolong National Nature Reserve, a prime habitat for the endangered panda, was badly damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. To rebuild the reserve into an ecologically sustainable area, Dr Lewis Cheung Ting-on, Associate Professor at the Department of Social Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), and his research team devised two unique accreditation systems for the ecotourism industry, one for tourism businesses and one for ecotour guides, as part of the regulations for the tourism development in the ecologically sensitive reserve. The guidelines included holistic recommendations for ecotourism planning, activities, infrastructure and marketing. In 2016, the local administration in Wolong implemented the recommendations in full. This was the first regional ecotourism certification programme in a protected area in China and it has had a positive influence on the ecotourism development in other protected areas in the mainland and in Taiwan.

“Speaking the same language” and careful choice of words are the key to crowdfunding success, according to a recent study conducted by the Department of Marketing and International Business of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong. The study also showed the substantial power of specific words and phrases in predicting crowdfunding outcome. With crowdfunding being an increasingly popular and major source of capital for new ventures, these findings do have important implications for budding entrepreneurs as subtle nuances in word choice might mean a critical difference during the evaluation by the potential backers, and hence significantly affecting the success rate of the pitch.

EdUHK audiology experts have found improved ways to test the hearing of the young and elderly through technological innovation.

With a generous donation from respected social entrepreneur Dr Joseph Lee Chung-tak, Chairman of Wofoo Foundation, the Wofoo Joseph Lee Laboratory has been established to facilitate pioneering research in Lingnan University (LU)’s Department of Applied Psychology.