Hong Kong

The topping-out ceremony for Lingnan Hub, Lingnan University’s first comprehensive building offering shared living space for teachers and students, took place today (5 January). The ceremony was officiated by Mr Andrew Yao Cho-fai, Council Chairman of Lingnan University; Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming, Deputy Chairman of the Council; Ms Katherine Cheung Marn-kay, Council Treasurer; Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University; and Prof. S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University. The event was also attended by distinguished guests, faculty, staff and students. The construction of Lingnan Hub began in February 2022 and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024, after approximately three years of construction. Interior work has already commenced, and Lingnan Hub is anticipated to officially open in the academic year 2024/25.

A research team led by Lingnan University's School of Interdisciplinary Studies Assistant Professor Xiao Hang recently devised a “crystal language” that enables artificial intelligence (AI) to create new materials with desired properties (Figure 1). This groundbreaking discovery holds the potential for creating the next revolutionary semiconductor material that makes solar energy abundant and affordable, and opens possibilities for the development of novel superconductors that effortlessly transport clean electricity with zero losses. The findings of this breakthrough research have been published in the prestigious academic journal Nature Communications, which is also the first time Lingnan University scholar published a lead-author paper on the esteemed Nature series.

Lingnan University held a flag-raising ceremony on New Year’s Day on campus today (1 January) to promote national education and cultivate students' sense of national identity and citizenship.

On 29 December 2023, Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President of Lingnan University and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, visited the Foshan Campus of South China Normal University (SCNU).

The State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (SKLMP) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was awarded the prestigious Gold Award at the Hong Kong Green Innovations Award (HKGIA) as part of the 2022 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence (HKAEE). This recognition highlights the remarkable achievements of the CityU team in the field of green innovation. Organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee of the Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) Government, the HKAEE is renowned as the city’s annual “Oscars of Environmental Protection.”

The School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University has initiated a research project to address growing concerns regarding the emotional well-being of Hong Kong students and the academic stress they have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic. The project focuses on "Enhancing positive values among primary students through digital storytelling." Research findings indicate that incorporating digital storytelling in primary schools’ English language classes helps inculcate positive values among students. It is found that this pedagogical approach not only improves students’ engagement in class, but also significantly contributes to their holistic development, and emotional and mental well-being, and cultivates positive values in young learners.

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.

Lingnan University and Manchester University co-hosted a two-day China and Higher Education Conference 2023 on 13-14 December, exploring the theme "New Spaces and Places in Education: Technology and Innovation in Chinese Higher Education". The conference brought together distinguished representatives from the global academic community. The keynote address by Prof S. Joe Qin, the President of Lingnan University, at this event was particularly noteworthy, adding a touch of brilliance to the entire proceedings.

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.

Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Lingnan University's Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, has been elected as a 2023 class Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Prof Kwong is one of only two Hong Kong scholars to receive this prestigious recognition. The NAI Fellows Selection Committee chose Prof Kwong for induction for his spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society. Prof Kwong will receive his medal at the NAI 13th Annual Meeting on 18 June 2024 in the US.

The Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies presented its fourth session on 7 December “Creating a better future: harnessing AI for social and environmental responsibility” was delivered by Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence and Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) at Lingnan University. Prof Kwong was recently on the “Highly Cited Researchers 2023” list and in the seminar, he analysed how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and robots in recent years will affect human work and daily life.

Lingnan University held the opening ceremony for Lingnan@WestKowloon and Lingnan Arts Biennale 2023 Digital Art Exhibition “Digital Matter” at M+ Tower of West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) today (7 December). The unveiling ceremony of it was officiated by Council Chairman Mr Andrew Yao Cho-fai, Council Treasurer Ms Katherine Cheung Marn-kay, Chairman of the Court Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, and Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University. They marked the launch of the Lingnan@WestKowloon by presiding over the switching-on ceremony.

A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has developed a novel drug delivery system for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The researchers have engineered exosomes, extracellular vesicles released by cells, to effectively carry the bioactive compound Corynoxine-B extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Gouteng to the brain of mice with AD. As Corynoxine-B can induce autophagy, a process that maintains the health of cells, this new drug delivery system using exosomes can improve cognitive function and movement while reducing the symptoms of AD.

Lingnan University and Harvard University jointly hosted the Harvard-Lingnan Symposium: “The Avant-Garde X Hong Kong and the New South” at the Lingnan@WestKowloon at M+ Tower of West Kowloon Cultural District from 4 to 5 December 2023. The symposium brought together 18 distinguished scholars from top universities worldwide, along with three prominent Sinophone writers: Ban Yu from Northern China, Chen Chuncheng from Southern China, and Lee Wai-yi from Hong Kong. The symposium attracted an online audience of more than 600 and 100 scholars and students were present at the venue. Taking Hong Kong as both a physical nexus and symbolic vantage point, the symposium explored the theoretical prospects of the avant-garde in relation to the emerging discourse of the “New South”, a concept derived from recent studies in Chinese literature.

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.

Last Tuesday (21 December), Lingnan University staged the “Networking Evening - Thriving Together upon the Return to Normalcy” at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong aiming to connect the elites from various industries and Lingnan students. It was managed to serve as a platform for the former (future employers) and latter (potential employees) to work hand-in-hand to strive for Hong Kong’s prosperity after suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

A team of Business Faculty students from Lingnan University led by Prof Nancy Chen Yifeng, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Business, represented Hong Kong, China in the "National Sales Challenge," the longest-running university sales competition in the US, winning the championship in the final round of competition on 17 November 2023.

Riding on the success of the previous two seminar sessions, the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies continues with the delivery of its third seminar. The seminar series takes place between November and December 2023 and features world-renowned scholars sharing their insights and expertise on various topics.

The School of Graduate Studies at Lingnan University recently kicked off its much-awaited Conference for Higher Education Research (CHER) – Hong Kong 2023. This year, over 180 participants from 12 regions registered for this two-day conference, including scholars from Australia, United States, Finland, England, Turkey, Singapore, Kazakhstan, China. The conference is centered on the theme of "Education for Sustainability: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Higher Education." The conference aims to bring together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world to explore the latest trends, challenges, and good practices to promote education for sustainability in the higher education setting.

Lingnan University in Hong Kong held its 54th Congregation for the Conferment of Degrees today (16 November) with Council Chairman Mr Andrew Yao Cho-fai and Deputy Council Chairman Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming presiding. This year the University conferred degrees on 2,473 graduates, of whom 719 were undergraduates, 1,721 masters, 30 doctors, and 110 postgraduate diploma holders (of whom 107 graduates were awarded both a Master of Accountancy and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy).

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.

Riding on the success of the first seminar on 2 November 2023, the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies continues with the delivery of its second seminar. The seminar series takes place between November and December 2023 with world-renowned scholars sharing their insights and expertise on various topics.

Most Chinese-language media reports concerning migrant domestic workers (MDW) in Hong Kong fail to report their mistreatment factually, independently and critically, and focus on news appeal while neglecting the deeper roots of this important issue, related to power and the interplay of gender, race, ethnicity, and class, according to a recent study by Lingnan University. These news stories distance the community from the sufferings of MDW, reinforcing inequalities, and inhibiting any discussion that might lead to improved policies, practices and awareness.

The School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) found that 55% of the patients who sought medical treatment from the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to experience at least one long COVID symptom for six months to a year after diagnosed with an infection. The most common symptoms are fatigue, brain fog and cough.

A research led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has discovered that hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA), a bile acid generated in human intestine, can reduce fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, demonstrating its strong therapeutic potential for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The research also found that HDCA’s intervention in NAFLD works by reshaping the population of beneficial gut bacteria, which affects the metabolic interactions between the gut and the liver. The result highlighted the critical role of gut health in liver disease.

Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies is proud to announce the launch of its Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series. The seminar series will take place between November and December 2023, and will feature world famous academics who will share their insights and expertise on various topics.

The QS Higher Education APAC Summit 2023, a pivotal event for academics and administrators, will take place in Kuala Lumpur from 7-9 November 2023. In a noteworthy precursor to this, Lingnan University successfully hosted a Pre-Summit APAC 2023 at its Hong Kong campus today (3 November 2023). The pre-summit was particularly focused on liberal arts, and it explored the ongoing evolution of these disciplines along with the increasing impact of technology in and beyond the classroom.

A huge step forward in the evolution of perovskite solar cells recorded by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will have significant implications for renewable energy development. The CityU innovation paves the way for commercialising perovskite solar cells, bringing us closer to an energy-efficient future powered by sustainable sources.

Chemotherapy for cancer treatment often results in collateral damage to healthy cells and other adverse effects. A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently developed “sono-sensitised chemotherapy” (SSCT), a new form of ultrasound-activated chemotherapy, which further enhances the precision for eradicating deeper tumours with centimetre range of tissue penetration and minimises side effects.