Announcement

The Department of Psychology of Lingnan University and the Department of Psychology of Renmin University of China (RUC) signed a new five-year cooperation agreement on 11 April 2024, marking the start of a fresh chapter. The agreement covers teaching exchanges, research collaboration, and professional development, and includes a sub-agreement on the Master's Degree Student Exchange Programme. The agreement will promote academic exchanges between the two departments, and further strengthen their partnership.

The Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability at Hiroshima University is calling for short articles, analyses, and commentary submissions that explore the peace and sustainability nexus.

The Council of Lingnan University, in consultation with the Court, approved the appointment of Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu as the Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost of Lingnan University for a term of five years, effective from 1 June 2024. As one of the world-renowned scholars recruited by the University’s recent “Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment”, Prof Chan is appointed concurrently as Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, and will take the lead on the University’s strategic development on academic education and oversee the academic operations of the University, including the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Business and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. He will also oversee faculty affairs including recruiting, developing, and retention, and a number of academic support units, including the Office of Service-Learning (OSL), Lingnan Institute of Further Education (LIFE), the Library and the Information Technology Services Centre (ITSC) as well as the Office of Global Education (OGE) and the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) via the Associate Vice-President (Academic Quality Assurance and Internationalisation).

Applied Microbiology International has announced it will be launching a new series of educational online content called The Microbiologist Masterclass.

A German aircraft flying out of Cairns is measuring the chemistry of the clouds above Australia and the Pacific.

The estate of the late Ms Diana Koh gifted S$1M to Duke-NUS Medical School and NUS Medicine to fund young cancer researchers and raise awareness about cancer research advances. The gift establishes research funds, grants, prizes, and learning series to support innovative approaches to cancer treatment by the next generation of scientists and clinicians.

Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies’ Master of Arts in China and Regional Studies Programme and Kyung Hee University in Korea recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote inter-university cooperation.

This week sees the launch of the first published content in Sustainable Microbiology, the new open access journal which will apply microbiology to sustainability. The journal is published by Applied Microbiology International.

The Council of Lingnan University approved the Search Committee’s recommendation to appoint Prof Yao Xin as Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and concurrently Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning, effective from 22 January 2024, for a term of five years. Prof Yao is also appointed as Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning and will oversee and steer the development of research, innovation and knowledge transfer at the University, and provide leadership for the research institutes and centres with the Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research). He will oversee the School of Graduate Studies and the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer directly.

Prof Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, have been elected Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) for the year 2023. This recognition highlights their exceptional contributions and expertise in the field of engineering.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, has been elected a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) in the Technical and Environmental Sciences class, making him the first scholar from Lingnan to receive this prestigious honour. Prof Klaus Mainzer, President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, extended his congratulations to President Qin. This recognition follows Prof Qin's election as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, marking another distinguished membership in a globally renowned scientific academy.

Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and their collaborators have come up with new methods to cultivate brain cells from stem cells to treat and study neurodegenerative diseases.

Researchers at Tohoku University and the University of California, Santa Barbara have shown a proof-of-concept of an energy-efficient computer compatible with current AI.

World-renowned professors from six leading institutions in four countries launched the Pandemic Research Alliance (PRA) today (4 December) to drive concerted research into respiratory viruses from animals to humans, improved surveillance, and new solutions to better manage the next pandemic.

Mycorrhiza biofertilizer Uttam Superrhiza has been named as the winner of the Applied Microbiology International Product of the Year 2023. The prestigious prize recognizes a commercial product derived from microbiology research, with special consideration given to those products that have addressed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the latest report by Clarivate, Lingnan University's Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, has been named on the list of "Highly Cited Researchers 2023”. Out of the 6,849 scholars from 67 countries and regions worldwide who were named as Highly Cited Researchers for 2023, this recognition is given to those whose work ranks in the top 1 per cent by citations for their fields and publication year over the past decade.

The winners of the Applied Microbiology International Horizon Awards were announced at the prestigious Environmental Microbiology lecture 2023, held at BMA House in London on November 16.

On 14 November 2023, Lingnan University and the Shenzhen Technology and Innovation Commission signed an agreement at the 2023 Assembly of Shenzhen Virtual University Park, announcing that Lingnan University will officially become a member of the Shenzhen Virtual University Park.

Applied Microbiology International (AMI) has launched its reviewer training scheme for the journal Letters in Applied Microbiology (LAM), building upon its development opportunities for early career scientists in journal publishing.

Osaka University and NEC Corporation are jointly developing a data infrastructure called RED-ONION to accelerate open science by reducing the burden on researchers to record the research process, share research data and publish them on the data aggregation platform. They are currently engaged in the R & D of three elemental technologies: (1) Technology to integrate a data aggregation platform and data publication platform, (2) Technology to generate research process information on supercomputers, and (3) A high-speed data transmission function. These research results will be showcased at the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis (SC23) scheduled to be held from November 12 to 17, 2023 in Denver, Colorado.

It is estimated that over 80% of engineering failures are due to material fatigue, so the fight against metal fatigue failures continues, as this is a key parameter for lightweight structures for all mechanical systems, such as aircraft, automobile and energy-production systems. Recently, joint research by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University achieved a breakthrough by creating an aluminium alloy with unprecedented fatigue resistance using advanced 3D printing techniques. The new fatigue-resistance strategy can be applied in other 3D-printed alloys to help develop lightweight components with increased load efficiency for various industries.

The shortlist for the Applied Microbiology International Awards 2023 has now been announced. The AMI Awards programme is designed to celebrate the brightest minds in our field and promote the research, group, projects, products and individuals who continue to help shape the future of applied microbiology.

Lingnan University will confer Honorary Fellowships upon three distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their professions and valuable contributions to the community.

The finalists in the Applied Microbiology International Product of the Year Award 2023 have been announced. The awards promote the research, groups, projects, products and individuals who are shaping the future of applied microbiology.

Lingnan University celebrated the achievements of 50 faculty members during the Research and Knowledge Transfer Excellence Awards Presentation Ceremony 2023 held on 21 September. These awards recognise their outstanding performance in academic research and knowledge transfer in raising quality of life and contributions to society.

Lingnan University’s Faculty of Business signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lenovo PCCW Solutions (LPS), announcing a shared commitment to cultivating the next generation of tech talents. The partnership aims to capitalize on LPS’ experience as a leading technology solutions powerhouse to provide students with additional experience in AI and digital technologies, connecting the dots from academia to technology field adoption.

Cache side-channel attacks exploit vulnerabilities in computer operating systems and are notoriously difficult to counter. Now, a group of international researchers has a new and highly efficient cipher for cache randomization that helps strengthen computer security against these attacks

Comprehensive study to understand the health, social, and psychological wellbeing of older individuals aims to provide insights for effective policies and programs that support Singapore’s ageing population.

The consortium’s multidisciplinary executive committee comprises of both local and international oral health researchers.

US$500,000 Gruber Genetics Prize awarded in Melbourne