People

The Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI) of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong has developed the CREW Wheelchair Control System which intelligently predicts a carer’s intentions so as to better control a wheelchair, improving the safety of both wheelchair users and carers. The research team recently won the Gold award at the international MUSE Design Awards, and has already filed patent applications in Hong Kong and Mainland for this ground-breaking system.

Lockdowns and restricted mobility have devastated labour markets across the world. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the equivalent of 225 million jobs was wiped out globally due to employment and working hour losses in 2020 compared to 2019 (Q4). These working hour losses are four times higher than those experienced during the global financial crisis in 2009. The COVID-19-instigated recession has affected the quantity and the quality of jobs, with increasing levels of informal types of work with lower remuneration. Restoration of labour markets is important to minimise damage to human development and increase aggregate demand, thereby boosting economic recovery. This blog looks at why it is important to have targetted policy interventions to revive the labour market by illustrating that the impact of COVID-19 is different across occupations and industries.

The Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI) of Lingnan University has received two Gold awards at the MUSE Design Award in the category Conceptual Design for their “CREW Wheelchair Control System” and “12° Mask” respectively.

Would you feel depressed if it has rained for several days? Sunshine affects our mood. The medical sector generally believes that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is related to shorter sunshine duration in autumn and winter, as sunlight affects the activity of the brain. A study participated by an accounting scholar from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) found that if the weather is sunny immediately before releasing an earnings forecast, firm managers tend to issue more upwardly biased forecasts. The study results provided insight into the role that transient emotional states play in shaping managerial judgment.

Social vulnerabilities of coastal communities and their reliance on blue carbon ecosystem services may be improved by addressing three major factors, according to a study led by Hokkaido University researchers.

A novel CT scan-based approach has revealed significant changes in a parameter indicating lung destruction in some asthmatics. This finding could lead to more personalized treatments for asthma accompanied by persistent airflow limitation.

Dr. Hyunki Lee's team selected for developing a system that precisely measures human movements

A recent study conducted by Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong confirms a positive association between educational attainment and life satisfaction at the individual level. However, once labour market outcomes and especially income levels are accounted for, this positive relationship disappears.

Researchers have shown that postpartum depression can inhibit a mother’s ability to instill healthy tooth brushing habits in children. The study demonstrates the need to foster greater mental support and management for mothers and incorporate these factors when assessing children’s oral health.

The Covid-19 pandemic has improved perceptions of facial attractiveness and healthiness of people wearing face masks in Japan.

- Gowoon Son, DGIST, to earn a Doctorate from Maastricht University

- 7 Graduate Students in 3 Departments including Department of Emerging Materials Science - Entitled to Support Needed for Conducting Independent Research for 2 Years

Productive ageing is an internationally clear direction of social policy development. A recent survey conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong confirmed that an age-friendly city framework would help to promote the productive engagement of older adults in Hong Kong. The research team recommended that the Hong Kong Government to enact policies and programmes improving intergenerational communication and interaction, promoting inclusivity to address ageism for positive engagement leading to healthy and productive ageing.

Researchers at The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have developed an algorithmic approach to predict progression of a condition called pterygium, which involves abnormal tissue growth across the eye.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami devastated fishing communities along the Miyagi coast. A Tohoku University anthropologist carried field research in the small fishing community in Isohama. Here he found elements of competitive and collective behavior ensuing following the earthquake.

A recent survey conducted by Lingnan University (LU) and the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) finds that 11 to 14 per cent of older adults eligible for the current three cash welfare subsidies do not claim them, mainly because of the complexity of application procedures, high transaction costs and perceived stigma. The research team suggests the Government should reduce administrative burdens, and re-brand welfare subsidies for older adults.

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.

Inspirational figures from our ongoing Giants in History series are featured in the Asia Research News 2021 magazine. Because role models matter.

Many hurdles remain to achieve gender equality in Myanmar politics and society at large. Research supported by Canada’s Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar Initiative is identifying opportunities to close the gap.

Everyone has to wear a mask to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, this is an additional communication barrier for people with a hearing impairment as they cannot read lips or facial expressions behind a mask. Invited by The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative of Lingnan University in Hong Kong (LU) recently designed a transparent ASTM Level 3 face mask based on the needs of hearing-impaired people, and its fully transparent and anti-reflective design makes lip-reading easier.

A survey conducted by Lingnan University in Hong Kong's (LU) Department of Cultural Studies finds 65 per cent of lesbian and bisexual female respondents perceived a glass ceiling in financial services in Hong Kong. The research team noted an urgent need for employers to build inclusive workplaces for LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and related communities) employees.

Tony Z. Jia is a specially-appointed assistant professor and lab manager at Japan’s Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), based at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. He is an astrobiologist and shared highlights from his dual research/management role.

Tomohiro Mochizuki tracks down viruses inside single-cell organisms thriving in boiling hot springs. His fieldwork is conducted in relatively extreme environments and, despite the significance of his investigations, he doesn’t need many fancy gadgets back at his lab at Japan’s Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI). ARN asked Mochizuki about his virus-hunting exploits and what they involve.

“By looking at substances in volcanos, lakes and hotsprings, you can start to see the ecosystems that existed billions of years ago,” says Mayuko Nakagawa, a microbiologist and specially-appointed assistant professor at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) based at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. She analyses components left by microorganisms with colleagues from various disciplines, while as a lab manager, she looks after cutting-edge equipment and visitors from different countries.

火山や湖、温泉の物質からは数十億年前に存在した微生物の生態系が見えてくると語るのは、東京工業大学・地球生命研究所（ELSI）の中川麻悠子特任助教。異分野の研究者たちと共に微生物の作り出した成分を解析する傍ら、ラボマネージャーとして国内外の訪問者サポートや最先端の機材の管理などを行っている。

Earth scientist Hitoshi Gomi investigates how plants are made by studying materials from the deep Earth, while creating a hospitable workplace at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. He shared his research and the role of a lab manager with Asia Research News.

地球の中心部の物質を研究しながら、共に研究をしている仲間が働きやすい環境を作るのが五味斎特任助教の日常だ。所属先の東京工業大学・地球生命研究所(ELSI)で地球科学者として行う研究活動と、ラボマネージャーの役目について、お話しを伺った。

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted personal lives and created a great deal of uncertainty, imposing additional pressure as well as new challenges at work. However, a survey of healthcare professionals in Wuhan during the COVID-19 lockdown conducted by the Faculty of Business of Lingnan University in Hong Kong (LU) found that individual employees with proactive personality do well in the face of challenging circumstances. The research suggests that individual employees also play critical roles in managing crisis and uncertainty, thus maintaining effective organisational functions.

Prof. June.M. Kwak, and Prof. Chang-Hee Cho are selected for the research funds granted by Samsung Science & Technology Foundation

- Research Professor Kyung Ah Han of the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and postdoctoral researcher Heejin Lim of the Department of New Biology selected for the program