In recent years,there has been growing public awareness of people with disabilities and the need for social inclusion.Interest-based communities,corporates and the philanthropic sector are keen to contribute to the cause,and yet many organisations promoting social inclusion are unable to gain headway on projects due to alack of resources.To resolve this mismatch,the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong has launched the mobile app“InMatch”under the Inclusive Career Platform of the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment.As aresource-matching platform connecting different sectors,“InMatch”fosters aconducive environment in which communities of interest can engender asocially inclusive and cohesive society,while also facilitating more efficient and effective allocation of community resources.The main features of the app include:Publishing innovative inclusive project ideas and activities;Search function for suitable resources(including seeking job openings for people with disabilities);Resources to support inclusive projects(including recruitment of people with disabilities);and Announcing and browsing the latest inclusive activities and information.Among the user groups served by the app,corporates can use it to connect with and support organisations that promote social inclusion,enabling them to optimise their“Environmental,Social and Governance”(ESG)performance.Schools,NGOs,parent organisations and social enterprises can find resources and promote activities through the app.Parents and people with special education needs and disabilities can browse the inclusive information to find related messages and resources.Meanwhile,community members can offer their resources to those in need.The mobile app“InMatch”,launched by the project team,is available for free download from the App Store and Google Play.Media Enquiries Ms Karen Chan,Centre for Civil Society and Governance,The University of Hong Kong(Tel:3917 4762;email:karenckmk hku.hk)About the Project-Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment In collaboration with the four key NGO partners–CareER,Heep Hong Society,SAHK and St.James’Settlement–and funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust,Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment adopts astakeholder-based and collaborative approach to attaining inclusive employment.The three-year Project aspires to not only raise stakeholders’awareness and knowledge on inclusive employment,but also to inspire them to take action and become advocates for inclusive employment.We hope to encourage members of the society to think outside the box in terms of job types for people with disabilities(PWD)and provide them with more suitable opportunities,so their talents and contributions can be fully acknowledged from multiple perspectives.Organised by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong,the Project’s Inclusive Career Platform will conduct adiagnostic study of inclusive employment and engage members of the community and key stakeholders to participate in acommunity-wide re-visioning exercise to reflect upon what inclusive employment and social inclusion entail.We will also establish an information commons for assessing and sharing information,and build an action platform to empower talents,incubate ideas,leverage resources and form working networks.We trust that such collaboration can ultimately lead to the raising societal awareness on and furthering the cause of inclusive employment,achieving an inclusive and sustainable society.About the Centre for Civil Society and Governance,The University of Hong Kong Established in December 2002,the Centre for Civil Society and Governance(the Centre)strives to enhance our knowledge of civil society and its contribution towards good governance,and to facilitate the attainment of asustainable society through forging community-based innovative solutions to inform policy deliberation and collective actions.The work of the Centre is organised around the three Labs–the Policy for Sustainability Lab(PSL),the Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab(SECAL),and the Nonprofits and Philanthropy Lab(NPPL);each of them representing aresearch focus and an area of excellence of the Centre. 查看详细>>

Oysters have been an important commodity in Hong Kong for more than 700 years.While serving as atasty and highly nutritious food source,oysters also clean and enrich our seawater,and their reefs provide habitat and nursery grounds for many native species that are otherwise lost from our shores.However,the local oyster agriculture in Lau Fau Shan and the surrounding waters of Deep Bay has been severely hindered by coastal modification,the seasonal shift in temperature and salinity due to climate change,pollution and emerging pathogens in the recent years,which not only leads to huge summer and winter mortality of oysters(as high as 80%),but has also affected the livelihood of thousands of growers around the area.As demand for sustainable supply of this precious seafood is rapidly growing,there is an urgency to identify an oyster strain with relatively high-stress tolerance and immune resistance power to overcome at least some of these novel human-induced environmental constraints.In view of this,Marine Scientists at the School of Biological Sciences and The Swire Institute of Marine Science(SWIMS)of The University of Hong Kong(HKU),joined hands with the local oyster industry to set up the Hong Kong Oyster Hatchery&Innovation Research Unit,which aims to develop innovative hatchery technology in partnership with growers and industry that re-establishes high-quality natural resources and delivers superior oyster seeds for sustainable coastal aquaculture particularly in South China and Hong Kong.The facility will commence operation in July 2022.On 27 May,2022,the hatchery and aquaculture experts from the northern,middle and southern part of mainland China gathered at HKU to discuss the oyster hatchery and its relevance for sustainable aquaculture with Hong Kong’s oyster growers,government agency,industry,NGOs researchers,and other stakeholders,in order to identify ways through which the proposed oyster hatchery could be integrated with national efforts to develop sustainable oyster aquaculture with aglobal perspective.The project received 5.28 million funding from the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund(SFDF)of the Agriculture,Fisheries and Conservation Department(AFCD),and agenerous donation of 3million from Lee Kum Kee Company Limited.Under their support,an oyster hatchery at aresearch scale will be set up at HKU campus,using novel hatchery technologies to enhance oyster seed production.After the settlement of the oyster spat,the final stage of seed production will take place at the laboratory of SWIMS,which is located in the Cape D’Aguilar marine reserve,where the seeds will be maintained and monitored for afew weeks before being supplied to local growers.The laboratory set up at The Hong Kong Oyster Hatchery The hatchery at HKU Campus contains an Algal Culture area to supply adequate food for the nursery culture of both oyster larvae and spats in the hatchery room.A Larval Culture area made the major part of the hatchery,which has its own re-circulation facility for over 2000L of seawater and supports larval settlement and spat culture facility.A significantly large Chemical Lab area for studying oyster meat quality and food safety parameters.The project aims to produce oyster seeds of three local oyster species:Crassostrea hongkongensis(Hong Kong oysters),Crassostrea ariakensis(Suminoe oysters)and Crassostrea angulata(Portuguese oysters),and estimates to produce 10,000 strings of oyster seeds,with each string holding 200 good quality oysters approximately per year.The trial seed production will start in summer 2022,and full-scale seed production is expected to be done by summer 2023.Local stakeholders,including oyster growers,will adopt the technology for their oyster production by the year 2024. 查看详细>>

With the emerging threats of climate change and human impact on the marine environment,marine ecosystems across the globe are changing rapidly,leading to the urgent need for the conservation and restoration of these key systems.To build asustainable marine environment,the University of Hong Kong(HKU)joins hands with the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(IOCAS)to establish the Joint Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences(JLMEES),fostering collaboration in the fields of marine and environmental sciences between Hong Kong and Mainland China.The two institutes signed the Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)on November 24,2020.This initiative aimed at establishing astrategic platform for interdisciplinary collaboration between IOCAS and HKU,through the Swire Institute of Marine Science(SWIMS)under the Faculty of Science,to facilitate innovative scientific research,promote academic exchange and develop personnel training in the marine science arena.The research directions of this joint laboratory involve,but are not limited to,(1)marine biodiversity and global change,(2)marine biogeochemistry and environmental change,(3)marine ecosystems and ecological disasters,and(4)marine resources and ecological restoration.Professor Fan WANG,Director of IOCAS,is delighted to see the strengthening collaboration between IOCAS and SWIMS.“This marks asubstantial step forward in the cooperation between IOCAS and HKU.The cooperation meets the country‘s urgent need for marine development and represents an opportunity for anew round of development.The two sides will carry out innovative and interdisciplinary cooperative research in marine ecology and environmental sciences to jointly serve Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area,”said Professor Wang.Dr CHEN Heng,Director of the Department of Educational,Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People‘s Government in the HKSAR(LOCPG),envisioned the collaboration would bring mutual benefits to the research developments of both institutes.“These two key marine research academic centres come from the north and the south.Collaboration between the two is acritical event in marine sciences,where we can achieve more together through cooperation and resource sharing.As President Xi Jinping always stresses,we need to show greater care about the ocean,understand more about it and make strategic plans for the use of it.The LOCPG is willing to assist and hope that the two parties can continue to work and succeed in the cooperation,”said Dr Chen.Professor Alfonso NGAN,Acting Vice-President and Pro-Chancellor(Research),Kingboard Professor in Materials Engineering and Chair Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering of HKU,believed that the collaboration could strengthen the leadership position of HKU in this area.“I am very pleased to witness this momentous occasion in establishing closer ties between HKU and CAS to spearhead advanced research in marine ecology and environmental sciences.This collaboration is both well-timed and meaningful.I am confident that this research partnership will drive anew wave of world-class developments in marine sciences and be further advanced with the interdisciplinary research culture in both institutions,raising the research collaboration to new heights,”said Professor Ngan.Professor Matthew EVANS,Dean of HKU Science,regarded the collaborative initiative as amilestone in the development of SWIMS.He said:“This is asignificant moment for marine ecology and environmental science in the Faculty.Only the strongest research areas get approval to launch ajoint laboratory with CAS.The Faculty has recognised for some time that the interdisciplinary work conducted by the Swire Institute of Marine Science is one of our research strengths.I am extremely pleased to see this recognised by the collaboration with the Institute of Oceanology in Qingdao.We are particularly proud as it has been ten years since the formation of the last joint laboratory between CAS and HKU.” 查看详细>>

The University of Hong Kong(HKU)under the auspices of the Laboratory for Space Research(LSR),Faculty of Science,has just signed an MoU with the East Asian Observatory(EAO).HKU thereby becomes an associate partner of this international organisation for 3years in the first instance,and proudly becomes amember of another elite club that has aspirations to grow into the Asian equivalent of the European Southern Observatory.EAO currently consists of Japan,South Korea,Mainland China and Taiwan as full members,while Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand and Vietnam as observer,and with India currently working on joining fully.The EAO currently operates the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope(JCMT).This 15-meter telescope is located on the summit of Hawaii’s Maunakea and is the largest single-dish telescope in the world,designed to operate at submillimeter wavelengths.Our associate partnership gives us 2.5 nights guaranteed time on this facility each year(but with the opportunity to get much more)together with technical and administrative support and much else besides.This includes unique pathways and opportunities for international collaborations.As an associate partner of the EAO,LSR members can access all the facilities that the EAO operates,as well as other facilities to which EAO will have access to in the future.The EAO also acknowledges HKU as one of the university partners of the National Astronomical Observatory of China(NAOC)under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 查看详细>>

The Technology Transfer Office(TTO)of the University of Hong Kong(HKU)announced in aceremony today(July 29)that 25 HKU start-up companies have received funding support under the 2019/2020 Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities(the“TSSSU HKU”).iDendron,of HKU Innovation&Entrepreneurship Hub,has also launched the iDendron Incubation Programme(iIP)to support and incubate HKU Early-Stage Start-ups.Professor Andy Hor,Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor(Research),HKU;Professor Holliday Ian,Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor(Teaching and Learning),HKU;Dr S.C.Kim,Director of Technology Transfer Office,HKU;Ms Zorina Wan,Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology(Policy and Development)of the Innovation and Technology Commission(ITC);Mr Peter Yan,CEO of Cyberport;and representatives from the Hong Kong Science Park(HKSTP)attended the ceremony.TSSSU HKU is an award scheme that provides funding support to technology start-up companies formed by HKU members.The award scheme leverages on“Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities”(TSSSU),a funding scheme provided by the Innovation and Technology Commission(ITC)for six local universities,under which each university receive an annual funding of up to HK$8 million to subsidize technology start-ups. 查看详细>>

The University of Hong Kong(HKU)entered into amemorandum of understanding(MoU)with Microsoft Hong Kong in May 2018 to form an Artificial Intelligence(AI)research partnership to bring breakthroughs to various sectors by accelerating scientific progress and enabling data-driven research.“We are glad to join hands with Microsoft in this AI partnership to enable our professionals and researchers to apply AI in research projects.Moreover,Healthcare and Fintech are the key industries in Hong Kong.Through the collaboration our students have the chance to equip with knowledge on Data Science and AI,which enables them to get prepared for career development,”said Professor Andy Hor,Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor(Research),University of Hong Kong.“The mission of Microsoft AI is to empower our partners in different industries to take asignificant leap forward in accelerating digital transformation and achieve more.Let’s take Healthcare as an example.Healthcare industry is aglobal priority for every region.With AI,we look forward to improving and saving people’s lives through technology.We are excited to partner with HKU,a world-renowned university,to combine AI,Big Data and Cloud to unlock insights in research and academic disciplines,and nurture AI talent in Hong Kong,”said Cally Chan,General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong.The partnership aims to provide HKU students and world-class researchers with Microsoft AI technology for Research and Development projects around Healthcare,FinTech and Smart City areas.Key initiatives include:Applying AI technologies in research projects Through the collaboration,researchers and medical staff are able to leverage the comprehensive Microsoft Platform with AI infrastructure,tools and services to conduct research projects in away that is not possible before.The research team of Dr.Cheung is working on apilot cancer project with past 20 years’data,and run real-time analysis to help doctors decide the best treatment option for Liver cancer patients using Microsoft Machine Learning model.Nurturing talent through structured training Researchers and students are given opportunities to learn Microsoft’s AI technology,including Data Science,Big Data,Machine Learning through the online platform–Microsoft Professional Program,and to obtain Microsoft Professional Certifications on these subjects.A 6-week online course–Asia 1st Fintech MOOC-Introduction to FinTech created by HKU with the support of Microsoft and other industry leaders has been started in May,for students to understand the FinTech landscape and ecosystem.Unleashing the power of Microsoft Academic Graph Services Microsoft Academic Graph Services enable researchers to research more,search less to understand medical trends efficiently through quick access to scientific publication records,citation relationships between publications,as well as authors,institutions,journals,conferences,and fields of study.About The University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong(HKU)is the first and oldest institution of higher learning in Hong Kong,and was founded in 1911,incorporating the Hong Kong College of Medicine(est.1887).For over acentury,the University has dedicated itself to creating knowledge,providing education,and serving society.It has grown with Hong Kong and generations of its graduates have helped shape the city from which the University takes its name.Today,HKU has an established worldwide reputation for being aresearch-led comprehensive University with ten Faculties and astrong commitment to intellectual freedom,liberty and diversity.HKU strives to attract and nurture outstanding scholars through excellence and innovation in its teaching and learning,research and knowledge exchange activities.Regarded as Asia’s Global University,HKU is adiverse community of over 30,000 students,including about 9,000 students from more than 100 countries around the world,and half of its academic staff are international faculty.HKU’s research areas and themes reflect abroad range of issues and bring together experts from diverse disciplines.The University has academic partnerships with over 300 universities and research institutes around the world.The University has 111 professors ranking in the top 1%scientists globally and conducts cutting-edge work in many fields. 查看详细>>