Communication

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many organisations have adopted work from home (WFH) practice for months. A recent survey conducted by Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong reveals that over 80 per cent of respondents prefer WFH for at least one day per week even after the pandemic. More than 70 per cent of respondents said WFH allowed them to have more time to rest while 64 per cent said the practice helped reduce work stress. Conducted by the School of Graduate Studies of LU from 8 to 26 April 2020, the online survey collected valid responses from 1,976 Hong Kong citizens. The objective of the survey was to understand people’s views and experiences regarding WFH.

In a recent survey conducted by the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong on international/non-local higher education students’ physical and psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 90 per cent of respondents said the outbreak had caused “moderate to extreme” disruption to learning activities. Over 70 per cent expressed concern about the outbreak, while 45 per cent said they were feeling lonely. The research team advises higher education institutions to find creative and effective ways of supporting international students during this challenging time.

Only 27 per cent of university students in Hong Kong were satisfied with their online learning during the COVID-19 outbreak, and 60 per cent found online learning less beneficial than classroom teaching, a recent survey by the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong reveals. The study also notes that over 85 per cent of respondents hope to resume face-to-face teaching supplemented by online learning after the pandemic. The research team suggests that traditional classroom teaching cannot be replaced by online learning at present, but that higher education institutions should seriously consider the role of online learning.

The ever-increasing growth in data traffic requires more powerful transmission networks. To respond to such demand, a group of researchers led by Prof. Xiankai Sun and Prof. Hon Ki Tsang in the Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has recently revealed a way to use light to convey large rates of data in advanced optical chips. Their findings and demonstrations shed new light on increasing the data capacity with low insertion loss and crosstalk. These research results have been recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications.

Filipino youth organization, UN SDSN Youth – Philippines, is paving the way for accessible information on the current pandemic.

Developed by The Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies (CSLDS) of the Department of Linguistics and Modern Language at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment in Deaf Education (SLCO) Programme has been awarded the Zero Project 2020 - Innovative Practice Award on Education by the Essl Foundation, in recognition of the Programme’s distinguished contribution in driving access to mainstream inclusive education for the deaf.

In our Asia Research News Podcast, we delve into Doing Research in Myanmar: a systematic study of how social science research is produced, distributed and used in the country.

The MarTech Summit takes its first steps out into the virtual world! Taking place on the 16th and 17th of June, the Virtual MarTech Summit will gather over 1000 attendees from a range of backgrounds, the only common denominator is the love of MarTech.

Nature Index 2020 South Korea, published in the May 28 issue of Nature, investigates South Korea’s strategy to become a “first mover” by investing in basic research grants and original discoveries.

Publisher becomes largest research publisher to sign DORA (San Francisco Declaration of Research Assessment), joining thousands of research institutions, publishers, imprints and funders in the commitment to ensure a balanced and fair approach to research assessment

Open access book output has doubled in two years, supporting Springer Nature’s commitment to open research

First open access publisher, BMC celebrates its 20th Anniversary

Springer Nature and UNESCO have signed an agreement to publish open access books on a range of issues cutting across major research areas such as education, culture, the natural sciences, the human and social sciences and communication and information

Application period now open for award programme that acknowledges and celebrates outstanding women working in STEM* research and outreach

Approach means Plan S-funded authors will be able to continue to submit research to these journals

New white paper analyses data from Springer Nature authors and interviews with institutions to better understand the fragmented and varied funding currently available for article processing charges (APCs)

New transformative read and publish deal agreed with Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India

A range of essential textbooks from all disciplines will be freely available to support higher education institutions worldwide

The Responsible Business report provides insight into how Springer Nature is supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and addressing material issues.

Open access chemistry database PubChem will now include thousands of links to chemical and physical properties of materials from the SpringerMaterials database

Springer Nature achieves new milestone in 2019 in publishing over 100,000 OA articles in one year, and is the largest OA publisher of primary research

Springer Nature Group commits to be net carbon neutral this year, as part of an ongoing reduction in emissions and broader responsible business programme.

Communications Materials and Communications Earth & Environment join Springer Nature’s comprehensive portfolio of around 600 open access journals

Springer Nature continues its commitment to opening up research and enabling the advancement of discovery with the rollout of the SharedIt initiative to proceedings books.

Applications are now open for The Spinoff Prize – a new award for visionary, science- based companies that are on their way to making a commercial impact; winning Spinoff to receive a prize of €30,000; applications open until Feb 28, 2020

Users of Nature.com to benefit from better off campus user experience

Latest Nature Index supplement shows US-China research collaborations to be stronger than ever, while UK-EU collaborations stall

Forward Leading is to host Digital Marketing Leaders Summit in Hong Kong on December 5 & 6, at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui, bringing together over 150 senior marketers from a wide range of industries.

Sensing a hug from your friend through a video call with him/her may become a reality soon. A joint-research team consisted of scientists and engineers from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and Northwestern University in the United States has developed a skin-integrated virtual reality (VR) system, which can be controlled and powered wirelessly. The innovation has great application potential in communications, prosthetic control and rehabilitation, as well as gaming and entertainment.

Survey of over 6,300 PhD students worldwide shows most to be satisfied with their PhD experience, but highlights issues affecting student well-being such as working hours, funding and bullying