KE Newsletter Issue 13 (October 2017)
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News in Brief
Faculty Knowledge Exchange Awards 2017
Warm congratulations are extended to the following colleagues who have won the Faculty Knowledge Exchange (KE) Awards 2017 of their respective Faculties
HKU DreamCatchers 100K 2017
HKU DreamCatchers 100K is an entrepreneurship seed fund for young entrepreneurs to kick start their businesses, and to experiment and realise their dreams. Each winning team will be awarded $100K seed fund. This programme also includes mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Final Pitch of the DreamCatchers 100K 2017 was held on April 2 where 20 teams pitched before a panel of judges and a full house to compete for ten $100,000 awards. The winning projects include ‘Project Raphael’, an automated and multi-sensory inspection software solution on drone for intelligent inspection in construction and buildings; ‘BioCap’, a portable and inexpensive chip that provides an easy and real-time diagnosis of influenza; and ‘Peacify’, a smart sock designed to keep track of a baby’s vital signs, alerting parents if there are any abnormalities; etc.
See the full list of winners and highlights here.
Global Youth Entrepreneurs Forum 2017
Global Youth Entrepreneurship Forum 2017 was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and HKU DreamCatchers, and co-organised by Shenzhen Youth Federation, Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub (E Hub) and The Dragon Foundation. The theme was “WE THE FUTURE” and the programme included a full day forum in HKU on June 13 and a full day visit to the E Hub on June 14. A wide range of hot topics including IoT, e-commerce, FinTech, social media, and cultural entrepreneurship were covered for participants to share, learn and network together.
At the forum held in HKU, leading figures from various fields and start-ups formed a speaker line-up at the plenary and breakout sessions, including Dov Moran from Israel who is the inventor of USB memory stick. Altogether there were 74 speakers from around the world.
The event attracted over 1,000 young entrepreneurs, industry experts, angel investors, corporate and government representatives and stakeholders from 33 countries and regions around the world to engage in discussions.
Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES)
HKU participated in the Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES), which took place from June 16 to 18 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Jointly organised by the Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office of the HKSAR Government, Hong Kong Council of Social Service and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, GIES was the first large-scale expo and summit in Hong Kong to showcase the latest Gerontechnology products and solutions. GIES aimed to support the Government’s policy of promoting healthy and active ageing. It was also one of the events of the Government to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR.
According to the event organisers, this 3-day event attracted more than 43,000 visitors. Through exhibition, demonstrations, thematic forums and workshops, GIES provided a platform drawing together stakeholders not only to showcase the latest innovative products and inclusive designs from around the world, but also to engage in dialogue to identify the driving forces for encouraging innovation for the ageing population in Hong Kong and the hurdles to overcome.
HKU showcased the following 7 projects from the Faculties of Education, Engineering and Medicine at the GIES:
- New Cartilage Regeneration Technology
Professor Barbara Pui Chan, Department of Mechanical Engineering - Next Generation Bone Implant for the Elderly
Mr Sloan Kulper and faculty members, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology - The Magic of Chinese Yam for Treatment of Menopausal Syndrome
Dr Stephen Cho Wing Sze, School of Chinese Medicine - Prevention of Aging-associated Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease and Glaucoma with a Wolfberry Extract
Dr Raymond Chuen Chung Chang, School of Biomedical Sciences - A Soft Robot Hand for Neural Rehabilitation of Degenerative Neurological Diseases and Strokes
Dr Yong Hu, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology - Technology-based Management of Swallowing Difficulties
Dr Karen Man Kei Chan, Faculty of Education (Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences) - A Wearable Transcranial DC-Stimulator to Help Prevent Degenerative Brain Diseases
Dr Yong Hu, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
The project posters can be viewed on our website.
The following talks delivered by HKU colleagues at the Summit were well-received:
- ‘SeniorCLIC – free legal information website for seniors’
Mr Michael Man-kit Cheung, Law and Technology Centre - ‘Prevention of Ageing-associated Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease and Glaucoma by Anti-ageing Chinese Medicine Wolfberry’
Dr Raymond Chuen Chung Chang, School of Biomedical Sciences
The HKU pavilion was supported by the HKU Knowledge Exchange (KE) Fund granted by the University Grants Committee and the Innovation and Technology Commission's funding to the Technology Transfer Office.