Admission Talks and Expert Talks

State-of-the-art Business Education
• Contemporary Business Education
• Choices Available
• Career Development Possibility

[Speaker] Prof. Raymond WONG
[Language] English/Cantonese

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting
1. The importance and content of ESG reporting
2. The role of ESG reporting in our daily life decision making (e.g., consumer and community)
3. Case study and discussion of a ESG report prepared by a Hong Kong Company

[Speaker] Prof. CHEN Yi-Chun
[Language] English

New Technology and Accounting
a) New Technologies in the Business World
b) Industry Leaders’ Practice: What are the Big 4 Firms are Doing?
c) Embracing the Future: Connecting New Technologies to Business Insights

[Speaker] Prof. HU Xiaoli
[Language] English

Today's Accountant
• Tax, auditing, accounting and business community
• Accountants’ role in promoting competitive intelligence and economic growth efficiencies
• Internationalisation of accountants

[Speaker] Prof. Raymond WONG
[Language] English/Cantonese

Fintech and Future of Finance
Fintech is the new business word in the finance world. It is a term that financial services are built upon technology. New technologies are disrupting the financial services industry, like they have in many other markets. The application of technological innovations to the finance industry has been attracting billions of dollars in new start-up in recent years. It is reshaping the finance sector and consumer behavior. A wide variety of technological interventions in the finance industry, such as virtual banking, digital wallets, robo-advice, Blockchain and cryptocurrencies. How Fintech is revolutionizing the finance sector?

[Speaker] Prof. Stephanie FAN
[Language] English

Artificial Intelligence for Business
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the business today as it can perform tasks such as identifying business patterns more efficiently than humans can do, enabling the business to gain better insights with their big data. With the recent event of AlphaGo defeating a Go world champion, it is believed that over 40% of business jobs could be replaced by AI robots in 2040. AlphaGo uses advanced self-learning AI such as Machine Learning and Deep Learning, which are useful technologies that will have a major impact on almost every aspect of the business today.

This talk is for those who are interested to know what artificial intelligence is and how it can help business to improve performance. It is also for those who want to think about how AI can be useful for them to plan their careers of the future.

[Speaker] Prof. MA Jian
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

Big Data for Business
It is believed that big data will have a major impact on every single business today, as data collection, data analysis and visualization are becoming readily accessible. For example, companies have websites, social media presences, business transactions and the customers, with big data analytics, they can have better insights on what customer wants and what channels customers use, etc.

This talk is for those who are interested to know what big data is, and how big data can help the business make smart decisions with customers using business intelligence. It is also for those who want to think about how big data can be useful for them to plan the careers of the future.

[Speaker] Prof. MA Jian
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

An overview of the degree programs offered by the Department of Management and topics related to the field of management
Introduction to the degree programmes in the Department of Management (two streams):
• BBA Management – Human Resources Management (BBAMGMT – HRM)
• BBA Management – Strategic and International Management (BBAMGMT – SIM)
Introduction to management-related topics in today's business world.

[Speaker] Prof. You Jin KIM
[Language] English

Predicting the Future: Data Analytics in Healthcare and Beyond
Predictive analytics has become a popular topic in many areas, including but not limited to service systems, marketing and healthcare. In this talk, the speaker will discuss what predictive analytics is and how it can help the decision-making process.

[Speaker] Prof. SUN Zhankun
[Language] English/Putonghua

JUPAS Interview Skills and Future of Studies in 4-Year BBA Marketing
• How to stand out in the JUPAS interview
• The CityU BBA Marketing learning experience

[Speaker] Mr. Alex THAM
[Language] Cantonese

Why Do You Need to Know Marketing?
• Marketing is much more than sales and advertising
• Marketing is not only for business people
• Marketing can be applied in daily life
• Marketing’s future: Digital and China

[Speaker] Dr. Vincent FOK
[Language] English/Cantonese

Architectural Engineering: Past, Present and Future
建築工程：過去、現在及將來
As a secondary school student, you might hear the words “smart city”, “sustainable development”, or “carbon neutrality” from TV, newspaper or social media. But you might not know how these issues are strongly relevant to architectural engineering, or building services engineering. Architectural engineering is so close to our daily life, affecting our society, our city and our world. Then, what is architectural engineering? How does it affect our daily life and environment? What is the future of architectural engineering? Please attend this talk, which will cover all these questions and also introduce you to the uniqueness of architectural engineering.

[Speaker] Prof. HUANG Gongsheng
[Language] English

Stacking Blocks into a Building: An Innovation in Construction
創新的拼裝積木式建築法
Shortages and unaffordable prices are the unsolved housing problems in Hong Kong. To increase the housing supply and reduce construction costs, we need to change the traditional way of building with innovations. Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) is an innovative method that revolutionises the construction industry. With the aid of the Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology, project teams fabricate building modules inside the factory, truck them to the site, and then stack them on top of each other to construct a building. Such modular construction offers a novel approach that is faster, greener, and smarter than ever.

[Speaker] Dr. KEUNG Chung Wai Calvin
[Language] English/ Cantonese

The Rise of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the Building Sector: Changing Your Lives
建成環境中的增強現實及虛擬現實: 點亮新生活
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) create a new environment in which the physical and virtual objects are integrated. They allow buyers staying at home to walk through virtual tours of the properties worldwide and allow users to enter the metaverse to interact with virtual avatars. What is the difference between AR and VR? How do they break the temporal-spatial boundaries? How could they enhance our daily life? What would be the challenges and opportunities of AR and VR? In this talk, the speaker will introduce AR and VR, their applications, status quo, and future.

[Speaker] Prof. LUO Xiaowei
[Language] English/ Cantonese

Automatic Control in Daily Life
This talk introduces the role played by automatic control in our daily lives. Have you ever imagined your life, or even one day of your life, without automatic control? Almost nothing would work properly or as you desired. For example, buses would not maintain speed or go up hills, air conditioners would not be able to adjust the room to the temperature you desire and helicopters would be unable to fly!

[Speaker] Prof. LIU Lu
[Language] English

Human-Robot Interaction
人機互動
This talk introduces developments in robotic technology. Various robotic systems, such as nanorobots, biorobots and industrial robots, are discussed. The ultimate aim of the talk is to promote students’ innovation and creativity through the observation and exploration of current robotic studies and applications.

[Speaker] Prof. King Wai Chiu LAI
[Language] English/ Cantonese

Imaging and Smart Healthcare
成像與智能醫療
We all take photos using different imaging tools, such as cell phones and cameras. Do you know how scientists and doctors make use of imaging tools to understand our body? This talk will introduce the role of medical imaging in this aspect. Imaging is not just for finding the location of tumours. It also allows us to see molecules in our mysterious brains. The information provided by medical imaging is important for smart healthcare.

[Speaker] Prof. Kannie W Y CHAN
[Language] English/ Cantonese

How Materials Steer Tomorrow’s Technology
In this talk, the speaker will present the role of Materials Science and Engineering in today’s fast-growing high-tech industry, and the career perspectives for MSE graduates locally in Hong Kong and opportunities overseas.

[Speaker] Prof. Stephen TSANG
[Language] English/ Cantonese

Climate Change and Nuclear Power
核能在氣候變化中的角色
Climate change has far-reaching socio and economic impacts across the globe, some people even go to the extent of saying that climate change is a real threat to human civilization. This to some extent has some truths in it – from heatwaves to hurricanes, floods to famine. All of these disasters can certainly threaten our existence on earth. In order to avoid all these disasters to occur, all the countries need to have consolidated effort to reduce CO2 emission (a major culprit causing global warming). As a member of the global village, Hong Kong has also played its part. As announced by the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address, Hong Kong is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The talk will also explain the pros and cons of various fuel sources, and the importance of a balance fuel mix for a well-developed city like Hong Kong to reduce the Carbon dioxide emission on the one hand and maintain the vibrant economic activity of the city on the other hand. The talk will then examine how nuclear power can work with other renewable energy sources to keep global warming to below 1.5 degrees, according to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC). The talk will also present the public concern about nuclear safety and the lessons learnt in the 3 major nuclear accidents. Finally, the talk will explain the development of the nuclear industry in China and also potential opportunity for Hong Kong.

Depending on the request of the participants, a guided tour can be organised after the talk to visit the CityU’s CLP Power Low Carbon Energy Education Centre.

[Speaker] Dr. LUK Bing Lam
[Language] English/ Cantonese

MetaSLAM: Towards long-term and Large-scale General AI & Robotics Metaslam
面向長航程大規模的通用機器人技術
Parallel with the development of autonomous driving and space robotic exploration, the requirements for long-term and large-scale robotic navigation in field environments is increasing. However, in most GPS-denied applications, such as MARS colonizing, underground mining, and forest exploration, the major restriction for robustly long-term and large-scale robotic operations lies in their localization, mapping, and cooperation ability. In the real-world navigation task, robotics’ localization and mapping could be affected by the viewpoint difference and appearance changing, which can indirectly cause troubles in multi-agent cooperation. In this talk, we will focus on our current projects with DARPA and NASA and investigate our solution for UAV, UGV, and multi-agent systems in robotics applications, which include:
• Large-scale UAV Localization with Multi-Domain Transfer
• Large-scale Multi-Agent Mapping with Unknown Initials
• Asynchronous Multi-Agent Exploration for Long-term Navigation
• Bio-inspired Robotic Memory System for Lifelong SLAM

[Speaker] Prof. YIN Peng Max
[Language] English

Smart Inventions Inspired by Nature
受大自然啟發的發明
We are drawing lessons from nature to engineer innovative solutions to our grand challenges in energy, water, materials and health. In this seminar, the speaker will discuss several inventions mainly inspired by nature. In particular, the speaker will provide several examples of our ongoing nature-inspired projects emphasizing some interesting applications. Our findings will be illustrated by some images and videos from experiments, with concise remarks about new theoretical insights.

[Speaker] Prof. Steven WANG
[Language] English/ Cantonese

Why Teeth are Important in Our Lives: A View from a Mechanical Engineer
This talk discusses the importance of teeth to human life from the perspective of an engineer. Dental health plays an important role in people's overall health. Yet, dental health and its related education are generally poor in Hong Kong. To improve dental health, it is crucial to educate the young generation. This talk introduces some introductory knowledge on dental structures and material properties, as well as the recent progress in dental research.

[Speaker] Prof. NIU Xinrui
[Language] English

Business Operation of Supply Chain and Logistics
Due to the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people realise that supply chain and logistics is essential to business operation because online shopping becomes more and more popular. Supply Chain and Logistics consist of all stages involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. The stages include manufacturers, suppliers, transporters, warehouses, retailers, and customers. Within each company or stage, the supply chain and logistics consist of all functions involved in marketing, operations, distribution, finance, customer service, etc.

[Speaker] Dr. LIU K P Louis
[Language] English/ Cantonese

Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing
Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing are the current trend of automation and data analytics in manufacturing technologies. Since 2016, the Hong Kong government has been pushing for re-industrialisation, with the aim to develop “high-end manufacturing (manufacturing with high technology, high added value, low pollution, low emissions and strong competitive advantage) based on new technologies and intelligent production”. In the “Hong Kong 2030+: A Smart, Green and Resilient City Strategy” published by the Planning Department of Hong Kong, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing are identified as key components for Hong Kong’s future planning. In this talk, the speaker will introduce the main technologies in Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing and discuss its importance to the future development of Hong Kong.

[Speaker] Prof. Andy CHOW
[Language] English

Operations Research
Operations research is a discipline that deals with the application of advanced analytical methods to help make better decisions, and is closely related with the fields of management science, data science and mathematical science. Employing techniques such as mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and optimisation, operations research arrives at optimal or near-optimal solutions to complex decision-making problems. In this talk, the speaker will provide an overview of the field of operations research and use some real cases to show its application in practice.

[Speaker] Prof. GAO Siyang
[Language] English

Smart City, STEM, and Future of Hong Kong
Hong Kong government released its ‘smart city’ blueprint in 2017, which is a plan to make Hong Kong ‘smart’ with digital data, innovation, and technology. So, what is a smart city? How does our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education in secondary school relate to the development of smart city? And why is the concept of smart city important to the future of Hong Kong? We will discuss these topics in the talk.

[Speaker] Prof. Andy CHOW
[Language] English

下筆如有神：聯想構思法
對於初中的大多數學生來説，作文最難的還是整體佈局。即使想好要寫什麽，但常常寫到一半也會有寫不下去的時候。這種現象總的來説，就是沒有打開佈局的思路，聯想斷了綫。學習聯想構思作文法，學生作文才能下筆如有神。本講座分享如何運用寫作思維導圖，教會學生寫出好文章。

[Speaker] Dr. Crystal H QIAN
[Language] Putonghua

中國古典小說戲曲中的人鬼戀故事
傳統中國古典小說戲曲中的人鬼戀，多是女鬼凡男配搭，而且是女鬼自薦枕蓆，走去慰解精神苦悶的書生。這個講座將會談談傳統中國人鬼戀故事的流變，女鬼凡男背後的性別意識、男性的焦慮與欲望，以及人鬼相戀故事的社會文化的意義。

[Speaker] Dr. LAM Hok Chung
[Language] Cantonese

中國孝文化之推廣與體現
孝是中國文化道德的本源。這個講座主要探討中國孝文化如何在家庭、社會、國家層面推廣，從而理解孝文化的精神。另外通過文人書寫、歷史文獻等資料，窺探傳統中國人怎樣體現和實踐孝文化。

[Speaker] Dr. LO Kar Kee
[Language] Cantonese

古代中國繪畫的「儒」、「道」思想
老師和同學們曾否想過，傳統中國繪畫與西方繪畫在學習方法、風格特點、品評原則等很多方面的差別，歸根究底，乃源自於中西美學的不同？美學是哲學的一個分支，中國哲學史始自諸子百家。講者將重點分析諸子百家中「儒」、「道」思想對中國繪畫史的影響，並介紹傳統中國繪畫的原則、藝術精神、學習與欣賞方法。

[Speaker] Dr. Marianne P Y WONG
[Language] Cantonese

香港早期移民「客家人」的民居與生活：三棟屋考察
「客家人」是香港的早期移民，他們在港落地生根，成為香港最早的居民之一。現今新界地區仍保留不少傳統客家圍屋古蹟。荃灣是早期「客家人」聚居的地區，而三棟屋是著名的客家圍村。隨著城市發展，荃灣成為了新界最早發展的新市鎮，而三棟屋亦改建為博物館。是次考察將以荃灣三棟屋為對象，透過對全屋之建築、佈局及陳設的觀察，藉以觀察傳統香港客家人的宗族理念及純樸的生活風貌，繼而思考城市變遷對歷史文化古蹟的影響。
考察地點：荃灣三棟屋 (地址: 荃灣古屋里2號)

[Speaker] Dr. LO Kar Kee
[Language] Cantonese

香港粵劇的前世今生
中國戲曲一直伴隨中國歷史變遷，是一種結合音樂、語言、文學、舞蹈、雜技、戲劇綜合表演藝術。粵劇是中國戲曲大家庭其中一員，流行於廣東、香港、澳門及海外粵語方言的社群。在內容上，粵劇劇目包含不少中國文化價值觀；同時，粵劇發展過程出了不少中西文化交流的成果。本講座會以香港粵劇為例，探索她的前世今生。

[Speaker] Mr. WONG King Chung
[Language] Cantonese

從文學世界中探索中國文化
文學課程、文學閱讀有何意義？中國文學傳統豐富而精彩，它揭示了種種人生的境遇，能促進我們對於人生意義的思考，它還隱藏了中國文化的種種密碼，等待我們的探索，加深我們對中國文化的認識。

[Speaker] Prof. ZHANG Wanmin
[Language] Cantonese/Putonghua

誰為漢胡定分界 ─ 談談古代中國的華夷世界
《天龍八部》中「北喬峰」(蕭峰)的悲劇根源是什麼？要回答這疑問，我們必須了解所謂「華─夷」、「漢─胡」究竟是什麼東西。本講題將帶領同學思考傳統中國的民族觀、文化觀和世界觀，探討古代中國錯綜複雜的民族問題。

[Speaker] Dr. LAM Hok Chung
[Language] Cantonese

歷史與醫學的相遇：古今防疫措施漫
這個講座將會簡述古代防疫方法和思想，以及反防疫思想，並探討在古人防疫與儒家思想的關係。

[Speaker] Prof. FAN Ka Wai
[Language] Cantonese

English Medium Instruction: Challenges and Coping Strategies for Teachers and Students
Teaching through English is a growing phenomenon around the world. In this talk, it will discuss the latest research into English medium of instruction (EMI) around the globe and the challenges that teachers and students face when learning content subjects such as Science through English in many cultural contexts. In particular, this talk will report a study in Hong Kong which explores the teaching and learning process in EMI secondary science classrooms.

[Speaker] Prof. Jack PUN
[Language] English

Exploring the Language of Sustainability: Understanding and Communicating for a Better Future
In today's world, sustainability has become a crucial topic for our planet's well-being. The language we use to discuss sustainability plays a vital role in shaping our understanding and actions. This talk will focus on the analysis of texts about sustainability disseminated across different channels to discuss how meanings are constructed through the use of various resources such as language, images, colours, sound, and more. The talk will begin by introducing the concept of sustainability and its significance in addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It emphasizes that the language we use can inspire positive change and foster a better future.

[Speaker] Prof. NERVINO Esterina
[Language] English

Language and Society: Reading the Texts of Our Times
Advertising, newspapers, social media posts, movies, fashion, art, literary texts, we continuously consume information under different forms. This talk will focus on the analysis of texts disseminated across different channels to discuss how meanings are constructed through the use of various resources such as language, images, colours, sound, and more. Participants will also have the chance to reflect on how language shapes the society and at the same time how society can shape language.

[Speaker] Prof. NERVINO Esterina
[Language] English

When English Learning Meets Online Database
This talk introduces how to use online language database (also called corpus) for English learning. In the past decades, various types of corpora have been built for the purposes of language studies, and the existing corpora also have great potential for language learning. As an English scholar, the speaker finds online corpora can improve two aspects of English learning for secondary school students in Hong Kong: 1) students' motivation of English learning and 2) students' learning autonomy outside classroom. Therefore, this talk will explain background information of corpus, present some existing corpora, and showcase specific techniques of using online corpora.

[Speaker] Prof. Ge LAN
[Language] English

Linguistics for a Better Tomorrow
語言學讓明天更美好
The speaker will talk about what linguistics studies and how we can apply this scientific study of language to make smart applications that help shape a better world. Language is the basic communication tool used by all members of a society. We learn, think and advance using language. In the big data era, where most of the data are in the form of language, definitely linguists can find more applications to work on. Let us explore them together.

[Speaker] Prof. LUN Suen Caesar
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

Creativity in Communication
This talk discusses the creative techniques used in communication media such as photos and videos. Some examples of students’ work will be presented.

[Speaker] Mr. Sunny CHAN
[Language] English/Cantonese

Mobile Media for Behaviour Change: A Health Promotion Perspective
This talk introduces the application of mobile technologies in promoting health behaviours, with a particular focus on the efficacy of fitness mobile apps for motivating physical activity participation. The speaker will discuss what social scientific theories for behaviour change have been adopted for designing various features of fitness apps and how effective these features are in terms of increasing actual physical activity and reducing body dissatisfaction.

[Speaker] Prof. Guanxiong HUANG
[Language] English

Technology and Relational Communication
Technology plays an important part in how we initiate and maintain relationships in contemporary society — Just think about the number of text messages you exchange with your friends and family every day, and how you constantly browse Facebook for status updates from people around you. But are you aware that when relational communication is mediated by technology, it changes the way we interact and the effects that result from this process? This talk will address the implications of technology on relational communication by describing three theoretical perspectives. It will help you reflect on your relational communication in a more critical way and prepares you to become more effective users of communication technology for relational purposes. This talk will last around 1.5 hours.

[Speaker] Prof. Nancy DAI
[Language] English

Thinking Theoretically in Human-computer Interaction Research
Human–computer interaction (HCI) is often perceived as a largely technical, practical, and industry-centered field of study, focusing on the usability and design of technological products or services. Although such perception is partly true, HCI is really a transdisciplinary integration that requires theoretical thinking of why and how humans interact with technology in a certain way. This talk will draw on the variable-centered and heuristic approaches to the study of communication technology, and demonstrate theoretical mechanisms by which technological affordances of emerging media, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and the Internet of Things, contribute to shaping user perceptions of the technology and of transmitted media content.

[Speaker] Prof. KIM Ki Joon
[Language] English

Climate Change and Sustainability in Carbon Reduction
This talk discusses and evaluates climate change and sustainability in carbon reduction.

[Speaker] Prof. Felix CHUNG Kwok-pan
[Language] Cantonese

Ethics and Public Policy
This talk examines how ethics are relevant in formulating and evaluating public policies.

[Speaker] Dr. Lawrence YUNG
[Language] Cantonese

Hong Kong Reindustrialisation and Future Opportunities for Secondary School Students
Hong Kong is re-positioning itself for the new industrial economy that is more knowledge- and hi-tech oriented. In this process, Hong Kong youth and educators need to think about how they should prepare for the trend and create competitive advantages for the next generation of Hong Kong economic and community leaders. This talk will discuss what the Hong Kong SAR Government is doing to pursue re-industrialisation and how secondary school students should prepare themselves for the foreseeable economic opportunities and challenges.

[Speaker] Prof. Alfred HO
[Language] English/Cantonese

Smart Cities in Globalisation: Transnational Infrastructures and Mobility of the New Economy
This is about the smart cities development at the global scale and the new economic landscape in the making.

The booming knowledge-based economy has nurtured a growing number of startups, small business and with them, a new distributed way of production, all of which requires infrastructures networks to connect firms, cities and regions. These infrastructures entail both hard infrastructures for mobility of human capitals and soft infrastructures for mobilities of information, the design of which largely affects how production and consumption are coordinated. As such, urban landscape is no more patterned upon conventional bounded zones, but patterned upon networks and nodes for an increasingly fluid way of work and life.

[Speaker] Prof. WANG Jun
[Language] English

Workers and Revolutions
Workers have shaped modern society just as much as money, entrepreneurs and governments. Their organisations have helped shape the modern world, from maintaining the status quo through to sparking revolutionary change. This talk will take an excursion around the world looking at some of the ways such change or continuity occurs.

[Speaker] Prof. Bill TAYLOR
[Language] English

Department of Public and International Affairs
Prof. Bill TAYLOR
[Email] sabill@cityu.edu.hk
[Phone] 3442-9612
[Website]

Adolescent mental health – posttraumatic growth
People of all ages can experience mental health issues in their life courses. Adolescence is incredibly challenging in human growth and development. Experiencing unpleasant, significant life events or even traumatic experiences does not necessarily lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.  Research and real-life experiences of my students show that traumatic experiences made them even stronger, and they have a thriving life, which proves post-traumatic growth is real. So, adolescents who are having negative life experiences or mental health issues do not give up on recovery.  You can have a promising future.

[Speaker] Dr. Estella CHAN
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

Anti-cyberbullying and school bullying
How do teachers and helping professionals distinguish bullies and victims? Then, how do they handle and reduce school bullying and cyberbullying incidents at schools? Next, how do they help parents with children involved in school bullying and cyberbullying?

[Speaker] Prof. Annis FUNG Lai-chu
[Language] English/Cantonese

Catching and avoiding criminals in the cryptocurrency world
This talk will introduce students to the intriguing world of digital currencies, and how they are changing the face of finance. We will also touch on the darker side of cryptocurrencies: including the rising number of frauds and scams. We will talk about how to avoid them, and what we can do to stop and catch the criminals behind these next-generation crimes.

[Speaker] Prof. Arda AKARTUNA / Prof. Rebecca WONG
[Language] English

Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a multicultural society with about 8.4% non-Chinese residents from diverse cultural backgrounds. Who are they? Are they Hong Kong citizens? Do they enjoy the same advantages and privileges? If not, what are the reasons? Educational level? Cultural background? Or our own deep-rooted perceptions and bias? What can we do to reduce bias and to make Hong Kong a better place for all non-Chinese people? We will explore these questions in this talk.  
(about 90 minutes, including Q & A)

[Speaker] Prof. Kim KWOK
[Language] Cantonese

Social Welfare and People Living under Poverty in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a rich and prosperous city. At the same time, thousands of people are living in poverty. Who are they? Subdivided unit residents? Homeless people? Disabled person? What are the reasons for poverty? Laziness? Luck? Or distribution of resources? How could social welfare provide support for them? This talk provides some hints to answer such questions.
(about 60 minutes, including with Q and A)

[Speaker] Prof. CHAN Siu-ming
[Language] Cantonese

Workplace inclusion, CSR and ESG
In this presentation, we will delve into how companies can foster diversity and inclusion to cultivate sustainable and responsible business environments. By recognizing the importance of workplace inclusion in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, students can appreciate the role of diversity in promoting positive social impact and ethical decision-making.

[Speaker] Prof. KWAN Chi-kin
[Language] Cantonese

Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab - Health Assessment of Marine Tetrapods
海洋動物影像解剖研究組－當海豚遇上海龜？
Since 2014, our team has been applied a cutting-edge technique named ''virtopsy'' on local Cetacean Stranding Investigation. This technique was later extended to the research on stranded sea turtle since 2019. This technique enhances better understanding and gives insights into health conditions and life history of the stranded aquatic animals, and their injuries and deaths caused by human interactions. The collected data enables assessment of aquatic animals' health and provides an important reference to the development of a unique centralised database and long-term strategies for conservation of aquatic animals. Such a complete ecosystem indicator may eventually support the conservation and policy decision for all oceans, leading to an "One Ocean-One Health" paradigm.

自2014年起，我們研究組率先應用影像解剖在香港鯨豚擱淺調查的研究，並在2019年延伸至在本港擱淺的海龜。這種創新科技能協助研究人員進一步瞭解海洋動物的健康狀況、其生活史與及由人類活動所造成的損傷和死亡。這些資料有助評估動物健康情況，並可用以建立獨特的資料庫，以協助制定動物保育的長遠策略，以至為整個海洋生態制定保育措施與政策的生態系統指標，從而達至「海洋健康一體化」的目標。

[Speaker] Prof. KOT Brian Chin Wing
[Language] English/Cantonese

Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs in Hong Kong
馬蹄蟹在香港的保育現況
In March 2019, the Chinese horseshoe crab is updated from “data deficient” to “endangered” in the IUCN red list. This talk will introduce to the audience the IUCN red list, the basic biology and ecology of horseshoe crabs, their significance to human beings, the risk of extinction, and the conservation work being done in Hong Kong.

在2019年3月，中國鱟（馬蹄蟹）在國際自然保護聯盟瀕危物種紅色名錄中，從“資料缺乏” 更新為“瀕危”。這個講座會介紹甚麼是紅色名錄、馬蹄蟹的生物學和生態學知識、牠們對人類的重要性、滅絕危機，和香港在保育馬蹄蟹所做的工作。

[Speaker] Prof. CHEUNG Siu Gin
[Language] Cantonese

CSI of the Cetaceans: Virtopsy and One Ocean One Health
鯨豚法醫：影像解剖與海洋健康一體化
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are prime sentinel species because of their long life spans, long-term coastal residences, high trophic level diets, and unique fat storage that can serve as depots for anthropogenic toxins. Cetaceans may be exposed to environmental stressors such as chemical pollutants, harmful algal biotoxins, and emerging pathogens. Since many cetaceans share the coastal environment with humans and consume the same food, they also may serve as effective sentinels for public health concerns.

This talk aims to introduce a cutting-edge technique named ''virtopsy'', which has been applied on Cetacean Stranding Investigation in Hong Kong and adjacent waters since 2014. This technique enhances better understanding and gives insights into health conditions and life history of the stranded carcasses and their injuries and deaths caused by human interaction. The collected data allow measurement of cetacean health trends and provide an important reference to the development of a unique centralised database and long-term strategies for the conservation of local cetaceans. Such a complete ecosystem indicator may eventually not only benefit the cetaceans being studied, but also human health as well by keeping the entire marine environment healthy and supporting the conservation and policy decision for all oceans, leading to an ‘One Ocean−One Health’ paradigm using cetaceans as sentinels of potential emerging hazards.

[Speaker] Prof. KOT Brian Chin Wing
[Language] English/Cantonese

Ecologically Engineered Man-made Shorelines: Theory and Practice
人工生態海堤的理論與實踐
Seawalls are important infrastructure to protect the shorelines from wave action, land erosion and flooding. However, their surfaces are smooth, leading to the lack of shade and water retention which makes marine organisms hard to live. Research team from City University of Hong Kong incorporate fundamental ecological concepts and retrofit ecologically engineered components on the seawalls to increase the habitat complexity and enhance marine biodiversity on the seawalls.

防波堤是保護海岸線免受海浪衝擊、侵蝕和水浸的重要建設，不過其表面平滑，缺乏遮蔭和儲水的生境，令海洋生物難以棲息。香港城市大學研究團隊以生態學理論為基礎在防波堤上設置人工生態組件，以提升生境的複雜性，並增加防波堤上的海洋生物多樣性。

[Speaker] Prof. Kenneth M Y LEUNG
[Language] English/Cantonese

How The Periodic Table Can Nearly Explain Everything
If you want to understand how our world works, the periodic table holds the answers. This talk will take you on a journey through the history of the periodic table, from ancient times when people only knew a handful of elements to the present day, where scientists have used nuclear chemistry to create new elements and complete the table. You'll also get answers to intriguing questions like: What would be the chemical symbol for a human? What happens if you mix all the elements together? Which liquid can go through walls?

[Speaker] Prof. XU Jijian
[Language] English/Putonghua

How to Transform Artificial Seawalls into Living Shorelines?
如何把人工海堤改造成富有生命的海岸線?
Seawalls are important infrastructure to protect the shorelines from wave action, land erosion and flooding. However, their surfaces are smooth, leading to the lack of shade and water retention which makes marine organisms hard to live. Research team from City University of Hong Kong incorporate fundamental ecological concepts and retrofit ecologically engineered components on the seawalls to effecitvely increase the habitat complexity and enhance marine biodiversity on the seawalls.

防波堤是保護海岸線免受海浪衝擊、侵蝕和水浸的重要建設，不過其表面平滑，缺乏遮蔭和儲水的生境，令海洋生物難以棲息。香港城市大學研究團隊以生態學理論為基礎在防波堤上設置人工生態組件，有效地提升生境的複雜性，並增加防波堤上的海洋生物多樣性。

[Speaker] Prof. Kenneth M Y LEUNG
[Language] English/Cantonese

Invisible Armour: The Power of Sunscreen
Sunscreen, also known as sunblock, is essential for the protection against sunburn. In this 1-hour talk, not only the working principle of various sunscreen components will be discussed and illustrated, but tips on how to use sunscreen wisely will also be provided.

[Speaker] Prof. Alex C Y WONG
[Language] Cantonese

Mask of Makeup Products Unveiled: The Use of Colorants
Makeup products are known to enhance physical appearance, conceal flaws, and boost the self-confidence of the users. In this one-hour talk, not only the working principle of various colorants in cosmetics will be discussed and illustrated, but tips on how to choose color cosmetics wisely will also be provided.

[Speaker] Prof. Alex C Y WONG
[Language] Cantonese

The discovery of chemical elements
化学元素的发现
In this talk, the speaker will introduce the discovery of various chemical elements, including their origin, physical/chemical properties and applications.

[Speaker] Prof. Zhenpin LU
[Language] English/Putonghua

The Problem of Microplastic Pollution in the Marine Environment of Hong Kong
香港海洋環境的微塑膠污染現况
Microplastic pollution has become a major global environmental issue, and Hong Kong is one of the hotspots of the problem. This talk will introduce what microplastics are and how they are produced, how scientists collect and study microplastics, how microplastics affect marine organisms, and the current situation of such pollution in the marine environment of Hong Kong.

微塑膠污染已經成為全球主要環境問題，香港亦是受此問題影響的熱點之一。這個講座會介紹何謂微塑膠和它們如何產生，科學家如何收集和研究微塑膠，微塑膠對海洋生物有何影響，以及微塑膠污染在香港海洋環境的現况。

[Speaker] Prof. CHEUNG Siu Gin
[Language] Cantonese

The Untold Secret of Thickeners in Cosmetics
Thickeners, also known as thickening agents, are not just substances to increase the viscosity of liquids but are the soul in a wide range of cosmetic products that we use every day. In this 1-hour talk, not only will the working principle of thickeners be discussed and illustrated, but also their versatile applications, which may blow your mind.

[Speaker] Prof. Alex C Y WONG
[Language] Cantonese

The World Changed by DNA
DNA is the molecule that stores and transmits genetic information in biological systems. In this talk, the field of nanotechnology takes DNA out of its biological context will be discussed. Recent advance of DNA nanotechnology in emerging applications will also be illustrated.

[Speaker] Prof. Peggy P K LO
[Language] English/Cantonese

Counting Life: From the Game of Sequence to Theoretical Biology
數算生命 - 從數列遊戲到理論生物學
Mathematics is everywhere. What we learned in mathematics can be linked to some surprising applications. In this talk, we start from a simple sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, ... to the famous Fibonacci Sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, ... and discuss how to apply these interesting sequences to model the dynamics of biological population growth. Rather than talking about abstract theoretical knowledge, the aim of the talk is to inspire students to apply mathematical concepts to some real-world applications.

數學無處不在，一些令人驚訝的數學應用是我們沒有想過的。 本次演講中，我們會從簡單的數列1,2,3,4 ......開始，到著名的斐波那契數列 1,1,2,3,5......，並討論如何使用這些有趣的數列來模擬生物學上人口增長的過程。數學不是只有抽象的理論，本次演講的目的是鼓勵學生將數學概念應用在實際生活中，從而真正明白「數學無處不在」的意思。

[Speaker] Prof. LO Wing Cheong
[Language] Cantonese

Mathematics at the Interface of Network Science and Global Challenges
數學在網絡科學上的發展與挑戰
Network science is an academic field that studies complex networks such as telecommunication networks, computer networks, biological networks, cognitive and semantic networks and social networks. In recent years, the increased interconnectivity of the mathematical sciences community has led to an increase in joint work from different fields. This talk will give a brief introduction on the recent development of mathematics in the development of network science. The speaker will identify various priority themes where multidisciplinary corporation will have greatest impact in technology, business and industry innovations.

網絡科學是一個研究複雜網絡性質的學術領域，例如信息技術網絡、計算機網絡、生物圈網絡、學習和認知網絡、以及社會關係網絡。近年來，隨着數學科學界互聯性的提高，不同領域的合作機會也大大增加。本講座將介紹數學在網絡科學中的最新進展，講者將探討誇學科合作，並談述在科技、商業和工業創新方面有着最大的影響相關議題。

[Speaker] Prof. Daniel W C HO
[Language] English/Cantonese

Matrix and Imaging
矩陣與圖像
"The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church or when you pay your taxes." -- Morpheus in the movie MATRIX.

Indeed, matrices are everywhere, not only in the movie. This talk will tell you how matrices are used from everyday life like making a phone call and watching a video to high tech fields such as medical imaging and satellite reconnaissance.

「The Matrix 無處不在，它就在我們周圍的世界，甚至就在現在這個房間。你可以在窗外或電視裏看到它，你可以在你去工作、去教堂或者納稅的時候感覺到它的存在。」— 出自電影《MATRIX》Morpheus。

的確，矩陣 (Matrix) 無處不在。是次講座將會介紹如何把矩陣應用於日常生活和高科技範疇當中，例如打電話、看錄影片、醫學圖像和衛星偵察。

[Speaker] Prof. Raymond CHAN
[Language] Cantonese

Random: Simple Probability Games
RAND: 從骰子開始的數學世界
Dice are sometimes used for many games, for example, Sorry!, Monopoly, Mahjong, etc. We believe that if you can understand and control the outcome of dice, you can always be the final winner of the games. In this talk, we apply some simple probability games with dice, cards or coins to verify if you have the potential to become the future king of games.

骰子在很多遊戲中都有著重要的位置，如飛行棋、大富翁、麻將等。我們相信，如果你能明白和控制骰子的結果，你就能成為遊戲的最後贏家。 在這次演講活動中，我們會以一些簡單的概率遊戲來驗證你是否有潛能成為未來的遊戲之王。

[Speaker] Prof. LO Wing Cheong
[Language] Cantonese

Amazing Neutrons: Making Movies for Proteins
神奇的中子 : 為蛋白質拍電影
The story began with the second world war. Neutrons played a key role in making the first atomic bomb to end the war. Thereafter, scientists started to utilise neutrons in different occasions, from nuclear power plants to neutron bombs, and even making movies for proteins. How do we make it happen?

[Speaker] Prof. Xiangqiang CHU
[Language] English/Putonghua

Amazing Quantum World at Low Temperature
奇妙的低温量子世界
It is a familiar phenomenon that water freezes to become ice or evaporates into thin air when temperature change induces the classic phase transition. At low temperature, amazing things such as friction disappearing or object floating at remembered height happens as a consequence of quantum phase transition.

隨著溫度變化，水可以結冰或者變成蒸氣，這些都是大家熟悉的經典相變現象。在低溫環境下，量子相變可以產生阻力消失等更加奇妙的宏觀量子效應。這個講座將帶領學生進入奇妙的低温量子世界。

[Speaker] Prof. Wei BAO
[Language] English/Putonghua

China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan and What it Means to Hong Kong
位於東莞的中國散裂中子源及其與香港社會的關聯
The recent commission of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), a 2.2-billion-yuan facility for neutron scattering research in Dongguan, about 70 km north of Hong Kong, has caused a sensation in the international community. Neutron scattering is a powerful method for materials research and industry development. This talk highlights applications of neutron scattering and discusses scientific opportunities at the CSNS and what it means to Hong Kong.

[Speaker] Prof. Xun-Li WANG
[Language] English/Putonghua

Dark Matter and Dark Sectors
暗物質和暗域
Modern cosmology and astrophysics reveal that 85% of the matter in the universe is comprised of dark matter, which seemingly interacts with ordinary matter only through gravitational forces. Despite compelling evidence for its existence, the properties of dark matter remain largely unknown. Considering that ordinary matter consists of a variety of particles engaging in complex interactions, it is natural to hypothesise that dark matter is not "alone". It could be part of the "dark sectors", a collection of hidden particles such as dark photons and dark Higgs bosons. These dark sector particles could mediate the feeble interactions between dark matter and ordinary matter, mediate self-interactions within dark matter, or even be dark matter themselves. I will explore theories related to dark matter and dark sectors, as well as the ongoing searches for them through terrestrial experiments and astrophysical observations.

[Speaker] Prof. Yiming ZHONG
[Language] English/Putonghua

Electronic Devices Made of Molecules
分子造成的電子元件
Electronic devices such as computers and phones are so important in our everyday life. We can hardly live a day without using our phones. Is it possible to use individual atoms and molecules, which are extremely small and can't be seen by bare eyes, to make electronic circuits and devices? We will discuss and explore the possibilities in this talk.

[Speaker] Prof. Haixing Li
[Language] English

Gravity's Secrets Unveiled: A Journey into the Abyss of Black Holes
揭開重力的祕密：踏入黑洞的深淵之旅
After an overview of fundamental concepts in the modern understanding of gravity, we will delve into two commonly asked questions: How did Einstein's theory of general relativity predict the existence of black holes, and what happens when an object falls into a black hole? By exploring these intriguing inquiries, we aim to shed light on the fascinating predictions and consequences associated with Einstein's groundbreaking theory.

[Speaker] Prof. Sung Ching Sam WONG
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

Introduction to Light-induced Forces
淺談光力
In this talk, the speaker will provide an introduction to various light-induced forces (including radiation pressure, trapping force, pulling force, and lateral force, etc.) and discuss their applications in physics, chemistry and biology.

[Speaker] Prof. Shubo WANG
[Language] English/Putonghua

Lithium-ion Batteries for Portable Electronics
用於便攜式電子產品的鋰離子電池
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have revolutionised today’s mobile and fast-paced society by powering portable electronics and electric vehicles. In 2019, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for their pioneering work in the development of LIBs. The LIBs, used in the smart phones, are composed of four different part: LiCoO2 cathode, graphite anode, separator and electrolyte. This talk will take you to look back at the milestone discoveries that shaped the modern LIBs especially for the portable electronics application.

[Speaker] Prof. Qi LIU
[Language] English/Putonghua

Quantum Technology
量子科技
Quantum mechanics successfully explains the atomic world. In the past, quantum mechanics is only explored by scientists in the laboratory. Nowadays, big companies, such as Google and IBM, have put a lot of effort into developing quantum computers, transferring science to technology. Just similar to transistors, quantum technology will revolutionise nowadays’ technology. This talk will guide you through the past, present and future of quantum.

[Speaker] Prof. IoChun HOI
[Language] Cantonese

The Exotic Quantum World - An Introduction to Quantum Computing
奇異的量子世界 — 淺談量子計算
In this talk, the speaker will discuss how the quest of structure of an atom has led to the discovery of quantum-mechanical laws, which completely changed our view of the universe. The speaker will also discuss how the exotic properties of quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement are used in secure communication as well as quantum computing.

[Speaker] Prof. Sunny WANG
[Language] English/Putonghua

The Wonderland of Superconductivity
超導奇境
Have you ever wondered about the magic physics of "Planet Pandora" in the movie Avatar? Do you know what is the phenomenon that even Albert Einstein failed to understand? It's all about one word, "Superconductivity". This lecture will guide you through the mystery of superconductivity.

[Speaker] Prof. Denver LI
[Language] English/Putonghua

Virtual Tissue Staining by Artificial Intelligence for Disease Diagnosis
用於疾病診斷的人工智能虛擬組織染色
Tissue staining is essential for the diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. However, current staining methods based on chemicals and antibodies are often time consuming and complicated. In this talk, I will introduce virtual tissue staining by artificial intelligence methods, which greatly reduces the time required and complexity.

[Speaker] Prof. Condon LAU
[Language] English/ Cantonese/ Putonghua

Aquatic Animal Virtopsy Lab - Health Assessment of Marine Tetrapods
海洋動物影像解剖研究組－當海豚遇上海龜？
Since 2014, our team has been applied a cutting-edge technique named ''virtopsy'' on local Cetacean Stranding Investigation. This technique was later extended to the research on stranded sea turtle since 2019. This technique enhances better understanding and gives insights into health conditions and life history of the stranded aquatic animals, and their injuries and deaths caused by human interactions. The collected data enables assessment of aquatic animals' health and provides an important reference to the development of a unique centralised database and long-term strategies for conservation of aquatic animals. Such a complete ecosystem indicator may eventually support the conservation and policy decision for all oceans, leading to an "One Ocean-One Health" paradigm.

自2014年起，我們研究組率先應用影像解剖在香港鯨豚擱淺調查的研究，並在2019年延伸至在本港擱淺的海龜。這種創新科技能協助研究人員進一步瞭解海洋動物的健康狀況、其生活史與及由人類活動所造成的損傷和死亡。這些資料有助評估動物健康情況，並可用以建立獨特的資料庫，以協助制定動物保育的長遠策略，以至為整個海洋生態制定保育措施與政策的生態系統指標，從而達至「海洋健康一體化」的目標。

[Speaker] Prof. Brian C W KOT
[Language] English/Cantonese

CSI of the Cetaceans: Virtopsy and One Ocean One Health
鯨豚法醫：影像解剖與海洋健康一體化
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are prime sentinel species because of their long life spans, long-term coastal residences, high trophic level diets, and unique fat storage that can serve as depots for anthropogenic toxins. Cetaceans may be exposed to environmental stressors such as chemical pollutants, harmful algal biotoxins, and emerging pathogens. Since many cetaceans share the coastal environment with humans and consume the same food, they also may serve as effective sentinels for public health concerns.

This talk aims to introduce a cutting-edge technique named ''virtopsy'', which has been applied on Cetacean Stranding Investigation in Hong Kong and adjacent waters since 2014. This technique enhances better understanding and gives insights into health conditions and life history of the stranded carcasses and their injuries and deaths caused by human interaction. The collected data allow measurement of cetacean health trends and provide an important reference to the development of a unique centralized database and long-term strategies for the conservation of local cetaceans. Such a complete ecosystem indicator may eventually not only benefit the cetaceans being studied, but also human health as well by keeping the entire marine environment healthy and supporting the conservation and policy decision for all oceans, leading to an ‘One Ocean−One Health’ paradigm using cetaceans as sentinels of potential emerging hazards.

[Speaker] Prof. Brian C W KOT
[Language] English/Cantonese

Linking Human Health with Animal and Environmental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us that despite all of our technological advances, our survival as human beings remains closely dependent on the health of the ecosystem in which we live. This is as true in urban as it is in rural areas. Humans are exposed to a wide variety of pathogens, most of them through direct or indirect contact with other humans, and some of them as a result of exposure to animals. The global human population is still growing rapidly, resulting in a continual demand for more land for humans to live on and to produce food. This situation provides new opportunities for transmitting infectious diseases from wild to domestic animals and to humans. This, together with the intense global interconnectedness through human travel and the food trade, allows for the rapid and potentially undetected spread of diseases. The aim of this talk is to examine the importance of the One Health approach in the context of human and animal disease control.

[Speaker] Prof. Dirk PFEIFFER
[Language] English

Models and Infectious Diseases
Despite the enormous scientific advances over the last 100 years, infectious diseases still cause significant human disease and death across the globe. In fact, we are all experiencing this currently with the COVID-19 pandemic. This talk will provide an introduction to the principles of disease spread at the population level. It will examine the influence of different disease control options on the spread of disease, based on modelling of the relative changes in the numbers of susceptible, infectious and recovered individuals. The aim of this talk is to demonstrate the importance of recognising the dependence between individuals within a human or animal population in relation to the spread of infectious diseases and their control.

[Speaker] Prof. Dirk PFEIFFER
[Language] English

The Importance of Cattle in Feeding the World
Cattle are a very important species for the human being in the world. Cattle provide human beings with noble products such as milk and meat, but cattle are also used for labour and transportation in agriculture, for certain entertainment, and finally they are considered a prodigious deity in certain countries such as India and Nepal. In this talk we are going to present a brief description of the importance of cattle for humans in the world.

[Speaker] Prof. Pedro Guillermo Melendez Retamal
[Language] English

Alternative Power Sources for Vehicles
Conventional vehicles are driven by the combustion of gasoline and diesel, which process releases CO2 emissions and causes harm to the environment. In order to mitigate the emission issue, the Hong Kong government has set the goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and launched the “Climate Action Plan 2030+”. For that, developing clean power sources to replace the currently dominant internal combustion engine is critical. In this talk, two advanced technologies, i.e., lithium ion batteries and fuel cells, will be introduced as alternative power sources for vehicles. The speaker will give a general picture of their working principles, current progress, technological bottlenecks, future development, and the speaker will answer why those technologies can be successfully applied in vehicles (e.g., Tesla and Toyota).

[Speaker] Dr. WANG Jian
[Language] English

Building Energy Efficiency – Energy Saving is Just around You
Buildings consume a huge amount of energy, responsible for 90% of the total electricity use in Hong Kong. There are many energy management opportunities (EMOs) for building energy efficiency. They can not only lower your energy bill, but also reduce your carbon footprint. Some EMOs requires significant renovations for systems or buildings, while many EMOs are easy to implement. In this talk, we will discuss various EMOs in our daily life and you will obtain effective energy savings right away.

[Speaker] Dr. WU Wei
[Language] English

Carbon Capture and Storage – An Effective Way to Combat Global Warming
To meet the high demand for energy, the burning of fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas has been increasing since the beginning of industrialisation and will continue to dominate the energy supply for the foreseeable future. Burning fossil fuels leads to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which contributes to global warming. One effective way to mitigate global warming is to capture and store the emitted CO2 to prevent it from polluting the atmosphere. This talk will introduce carbon capture and storage technology with a particular focus on adsorption technology for CO2 capture.

[Speaker] Dr. SHANG Jin
[Language] English

Climate Change Feedback
Why is the polar bear being used as a climate change mascot? Why not penguins? This talk will cover why the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on the Earth and what feedbacks are at work in the climate system. Discuss how various natural phenomena such as carbon dioxide, sea ice, forest fires, and clouds interact with each other. Also, it would be delivered on how climate change is going in the near future and what we can do to stop global heating.

[Speaker] Dr. Jinsoo KIM
[Language] English

Economic Thinking in Energy and Environmental Policy
Pollution and global warming are two of the hottest issues in current public and policy debates. Governmental bodies – local, regional and international – have implemented a series of policies to tackle these issues. In this talk, the speaker will discuss how to understand and evaluate these policies from the perspective of economics.

[Speaker] Dr. ZHANG Lin
[Language] English

Electric Vehicle in Our Life
Electric vehicles (EVs) become more and more popular in our daily lives. Different from conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EVs have more potential to connect with our lives through human-machine interfaces like personal computers. In this way, EVs would possess more intelligent features for near-future applications, such as autonomous driving, autonomous navigation, etc. This talk will introduce emerging technologies of future EVs for our lives.

[Speaker] Dr. LIU Chunhua
[Language] English/Cantonese

Environmental Justice and Quality of Life
In this talk, the speaker will first apply the theory of justice to analysing the distribution of environmental impacts at a global, country, regional, and neighbourhood level. Then the speaker will review, for correcting environmental injustice, public protests and environmental movements have pressured the government to change the paradigm of development. Lastly, the speaker will discuss how quality of life and happiness have guided some pioneer countries in their national development planning. Of course, the implications for Hong Kong will also be discussed.

[Speaker] Dr. LI Wanxin
[Language] English

Extraction of Molecular Hydrogen from Wastewater
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a clean energy carrier with high energy density. It is also a chemical reagent for petroleum refining as well as ammonia production. Currently, major production way is based on fossil fuel transformation, including the steam reformation of methane. Water splitting is another popular potential way in producing H2 with low or zero carbon footprint but water decomposition is a thermodynamically challenging reaction. Wastewater containing organic pollutants such as pharmaceutical wastewater, leachate, and industrial process water, on the other hand, can be potentially used to produce H2 with reduced energy requirement during the oxidative removal of such organic carbon inherently present in the water stream. We examine a few potential methods to simultaneously oxidise the organic component (pollutant) in the water and reduce the proton to liberate molecular H2. In particular, electrocatalysis, photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis are developed. Challenges encountered in this waste-to-energy conversion process will be tackled.

[Speaker] Dr. NG Yunhau
[Language] English

Fail-Safe vs. Safe-To-Fail Systems: How to Design Resilient Infrastructure?
Large direct and indirect impacts across national and international boundaries of natural disasters like 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, infrastructure failures, like the 2001 U.S. North-East blackout, epidemics like the H1N1 influenza, terrorist attacks like the 9/11, and social unrests like the Arab Spring are indicative of the vulnerability associated with growing complexity. There is an urgent need to understand resilience of complex systems to move from the fail-safe paradigm to safe-to-fail approached to engineering. This talk will introduce the concept of resilience along with its various definitions; discuss the relationship between resilience and sustainability; and present ways to build resilient systems of the future.

[Speaker] Dr. Shauhrat CHOPRA
[Language] English

Future Advanced Energy Efficient Technologies
In modern life, people spend a large portion of time in indoor environments. A huge amount of energy is consumed in order to provide a comfortable indoor environment. For example, almost 90% of the total electricity in Hong Kong is consumed by buildings at end-use level as stated by the government. Among different electricity end-uses, thermal systems contribute to a significant consumption of electricity in buildings, with 36% of electricity used to power space conditioning and refrigeration systems. In this talk, the speaker will talk about some new future cooling schemes for use in buildings, followed by a discussion of the current research challenges in energy efficient cooling technologies.

[Speaker] Dr. Edwin TSO
[Language] Cantonese

Green Energy from Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a natural process found in plants and many types of bacteria and algae by which the organisms utilize sunlight, water, and CO2 to produce sugars. Thanks to the global energy and climate crisis we witness today, we are only now stepping into developing sustainable technologies for solar energy harvesting and CO2 capture. However, because of the billions of years of evolution, nature has mastered and fine-tuned the process of harvesting solar energy and capturing atmospheric CO2 by means of photosynthesis. This talk will look at how photosynthesis works and what we can learn from this natural process in developing bioinspired and biohybrid energy technologies. This talk will explore the concepts of Artificial Photosynthesis and Semi-Artificial Photosynthesis and their implications for solar energy harvesting.

[Speaker] Dr. Sai Kishore RAVI
[Language] English

How can we convert waste carbon dioxide to useful things?
The electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR) to valuable chemicals is a promising avenue for the storage of intermittent renewable electricity. Methane, the simplest hydrocarbon product in CO2RR and a widely used fuel, is of particular interest, especially in light of the well-established infrastructure for natural gas storage, distribution, and consumption. Methane production from CO2RR under conditions of ambient pressure and temperature represents a carbon-neutral alternative to fossil gas. In this talk, we will present recent progress towards the more practical methane electrosynthesis from CO2, looking both at the catalyst and at the system.

[Speaker] Prof. WANG XUE
[Language] English

How to Turn Food Waste into Chemicals and Materials
Current technologies for the production of chemicals, materials and fuels depend mainly on fossilised hydrocarbons. However, the depletion of fossil resources and the increasing concern of environmental issues have created the need for the development of the sustainable alternatives based on renewable raw materials. Many chemicals that used to produce via chemical processes can now potentially be generated biologically from renewable raw materials. The talk will introduce a novel food waste-based biorefining strategy for the production of nutrient-complete feedstocks for the production of biochemicals, biofuels and biopolymers.

[Speaker] Dr. Carol LIN
[Language] Cantonese

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Materials for Solar Energy Application
Hybrid organic-inorganic materials will play a critical role in the development of advanced functional materials. They can be broadly defined as molecular or nano-compositions with organic and inorganic components. Hybrid perovskite materials have been rapidly adopted for solar energy applications since 2009 because of their impressive features, such as a high absorption coefficient and long exciton diffusion length. We are right at the start of this material revolution, which is expected to have a positive influence on renewable and alternative energy. The speaker will introduce the basic knowledge related to hybrid materials, photophysical properties, photoelectrochemistry and solar cells.

[Speaker] Dr. Sam HY HSU
[Language] English

Is the Air in Your House Safe?
Many people may think that indoor air is safer than outdoor air. They close the windows and turn on their air conditioners for the whole day. However, indoor air is not always clean. In fact, there are a number of pollutant sources found in your house.

Some indoor pollutant sources are quite “obvious”, such as cooking fumes in the kitchen and cigarette smoking. However, some of them are hiding secretly and harm our health. Indoor air quality is a critical environmental issue that all of us should be aware of. In this talk, the speaker will discuss where they are and how to mitigate the dangers of poor indoor air quality.

[Speaker] Prof. LAI Chi Keung Alvin
[Language] Cantonese

Marine Water Environment in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is surrounded by coastal and marine environments, which are very unique. Human and marine are inter-connected and closely related. What are the interesting marine environments in Hong Kong? How the human activity in Hong Kong can affect the marine environment, and conversely, how the marine environments can provide important resources to people in Hong Kong? In this talk, I will highlight some of the very unique marine environments in Hong Kong, especially with respect to the protection of marine environment.

[Speaker] Prof. WANG Wenxiong
[Language] English

New Technology for Drinkable Seawater
Water is everywhere: in the air, clouds, rivers, oceans, ice, plants and inside the Earth. However, 97% of water is saline and in the oceans. Therefore, converting seawater into drinking water can be considered one of the best alternative water resources: the new desalination plant will be located in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, in the near future. This talk will review water technologies and novel technologies that have the potential to achieve sustainability for desalination. It will also discuss the next generation of desalination in three folds: increase water recovery (reduce brine/concentrate), lower energy use, and increase resource (minerals) recovery.

[Speaker] Dr. Alicia AN
[Language] English

Renewable Energy - The Only Way to Go for a Sustainable Future
Our heavy reliance on fossil fuel and nuclear power has caused serious environmental impacts and energy crisis. The ultimate solution is to switch to renewable energy, such as solar, wind and ocean energy, for achieving a sustainable future. In this talk, the Speaker will give an overview of the renewable energy resources and technologies, followed by a discussion of the upcoming challenges and opportunities in the renewable energy industry.

[Speaker] Prof. Michael LEUNG
[Language] Cantonese

Sustainability Thinking on Waste Management
The phenomenon of “trolleys and the elderly” is typical in Hong Kong and Asia, behind it are the coupling economic (e.g., incomplete pension system), social (e.g., urban inclusiveness) and environmental (e.g., circular economy and its trade-offs) challenges. Therefore, we need a thinking from the perspective of sustainability (the so called "Triple bottom line", in terms of economic efficiency, social equity and environmental responsibility), to design an inclusive waste management system. This talk will take you a tour to see the sustainability challenges for integrated waste management, and how we could tackle such challenges, with the development of an inclusive policy making.

[Speaker] Dr. DONG Liang
[Language] English

Tackling the Pressing Energy Challenges: From Fundamentals to Real-life Examples
In the modern society, we consume a large amount of energy every day. The ever-increasing energy consumption and reliance on the fossil fuels have resulted in pressing challenges like energy shortage and environmental problems. Addressing these issues requires innovative solutions in areas like renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency and pollution control. To develop such solutions, one needs knowledge crossing the boundaries of traditional scientific and engineering disciplines. In this talk, we will discuss some interesting in scientific and engineering knowledge. Then, we will highlight innovative examples to tackle the energy challenges we face nowadays.

[Speaker] Dr. Patrick SIT
[Language] Cantonese

The Afterlife of Smartphones
Where do smartphones go when they “die”? Come find out! This talk explores how smartphones are recycled and what kind of valuable resources can be recirculated back to the electronic industries. We will also talk about how smartphone companies can improve their future product designs to enhance smartphone’s recyclability.

[Speaker] Dr. Jason LAM
[Language] English/Cantonese

The Chemicals We Are Discharging into the Environment
Many chemicals and chemical products are considered essential to modern life because of the benefits they provide to human beings. Some of them, if not most, will inevitably enter the environment through acts of nature, accidental spills, or intentional discharges. Several chemicals of concern will be discussed to illustrate how our daily life can impact ecological health by discharging them into the ecosystem.

[Speaker] Dr. Henry HE
[Language] English

The Essential Role of Fundamental Laboratory Studies in Solving Today’s Air Pollution Issues
Air pollution poses serious impacts on climate, human and ecological health. Addressing today’s most pressing and complex air pollution issues will require a three-legged stool approach of laboratory experiments, ambient observations, and modeling studies. Each leg of the stool is only as stable as the fundamental chemistry that underpins it. This talk will discuss how laboratory studies serve as an essential bridge between ambient measurements and air quality models, and provide the fundamental physics and chemistry of the underlying mechanisms of phenomena observed in the field, which is the basis for generating physically meaningful parameterizations for use in air quality models.

[Speaker] Dr. Theodora NAH
[Language] English

The Science Behind Haze
Haze is one of the most important forms of air pollution which causes harmful effects on human health and reduces visibility. The formation of haze is related to pollutant emissions from a variety of natural and human-made sources, and more important, the meteorological condition and atmospheric chemical reactions. The talk will focus on the basic chemistry and physics related to haze formation, and the corresponding scientific strategies on solving haze pollution.

[Speaker] Dr. WANG Xuan
[Language] English

Towards Sustainable Chemical Production
Chemicals are the invisible heroes shaping our world, from the plastics in our phones to the medicines that save lives. But did you know that traditional methods of chemical production often come at a hidden cost to our planet?

In this talk, we will embark on a journey into the fascinating world of sustainable chemical production. We'll uncover the environmental challenges posed by conventional methods and explore innovative solutions that are reshaping the industry. From harnessing the power of renewable resources to pioneering cutting-edge technologies, we will discuss how science is leading the charge towards a greener, cleaner future and how students as the next generation of innovators can play a vital role in shaping a more sustainable world.

[Speaker] Prof. Fatwa Firdaus ABDI
[Language] English

Turning Food Waste to Energy
Everyday Hong Kong generates 3,500 tons of food waste. Sending food waste to landfills will not be sustainable in the long run. Instead, we can use biological processes to turn these organic matters into energy. Let's find out together how we can make use of biology to make this happen.

[Speaker] Dr. Patrick LEE
[Language] Cantonese

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ourselves
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. They were set up in 2015 by the UN general Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030. These goals look at the economic development, innovation, environment, justice, equality, life below water and on land, etc. They touch upon everyone’s life. Their achievement also depends on each one of us, the citizen of the plant. In this sharing, we’ll analyze the goals that affect People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. This talk will discuss about how we can do to help those SDGs to be achieved.

[Speaker] Prof. CHEN Guohua
[Language] English

Urban Solar Photovoltaic Technologies
The Hong Kong government has set an ambitious goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. A critical strategy in its overall planning is to increase the deployment of renewable solar energy. In this talk, the speaker will discuss how we can rely on technological innovation to tackle this grand challenge; particularly, we have identified a new generation of printable, flexible, transparent, and color-tunable solar cells as the most prominent photovoltaic technology to promote solar energy deployment in Hong Kong. Such a new solar cell technology can be integrated as tinted solar windows, façades, or curtains with buildings to generate significantly more solar electricity in an urban city, which usually has limited lands and rooftops for installing conventional silicon solar panels.

[Speaker] Prof. Angus Hin Lap YIP
[Language] English/Cantonese

Urbanisation and Climate Change in Asia: Impacts and Adaptation
During the last 20 to 30 years, because of rapid economic growth, extensive areas of agricultural and rural land in many countries in Asia have been transformed into cities. Such changes have substantially modified the exchanges of atmospheric properties between the land surface and the atmosphere. In addition, these cities, many of which have been known as mega-cities, generate additional heat and pollutants that are injected into the atmosphere. Furthermore, many of these cities have been developed over a short period of time, and hence city planning in general has been minimal. All these consequences of urbanization have great impacts on the regional climate, which will also be affected by global climate change. Thus, cities in Asia have suffered, and will likely continue to suffer, significantly in terms of climate hazards.

In this talk, how urbanization and global climate change can modify the regional climate will first be presented using examples from the Pearl River Delta of China (including Hong Kong) and other mega-cities. The possible impacts of such climate hazards will then be discussed. Examples of actions taken by governments to reduce the consequences of such impacts will be presented.

[Speaker] Prof. Johnny CHAN
[Language] English/Cantonese

What Controls the Formation and Movement of Tropical Cyclones?
Tropical cyclones, a global name of typhoons, are one of the most destructive natural disasters on Earth. Every year, around 85 tropical cyclones are formed in the tropical ocean, and they move to higher latitudes. Among them, more than 30% of tropical cyclones are formed in the western Pacific. In this talk, you will learn what controls the formation, movement, and destructiveness of tropical cyclones.

[Speaker] Dr. Jung-Eun CHU
[Language] English

地球，水，你我
Earth, Water, You and Me
水是地球上最寶貴的資源。 有了水，才有了我們藍色的星球，才有了生命，也才有了人類。 隨著全球人口的爆炸式增長，持續的城市化，以及全球氣候變化，我們賴以生存的水資源，尤其是城市水資源正受到前所未有的挑戰。 本講座將深入淺出的介紹水的起源，自然水迴圈，城市水迴圈，以及城市水安全。 水資源保護及確保水安全不但是專業人士的責任，也是全體居民的共同義務。

Water is the most precious resource on earth. With water, we have our blue planet, life, and human beings. With the explosive growth of the global population, continued urbanization, and global climate change, the water resources we depend on, especially in cities, are being challenged like never before. This lecture will introduce the origin of water, the natural water cycle, the urban water cycle, and urban water security. Protecting water resources and ensuring water security is not only the responsibility of professionals, but also the shared responsibility of all residents.

[Speaker] Prof. YUAN Zhiguo
[Language] English/Putonghua