KE Spotlight - Community Engagement - HKU Knowledge Exchange

HKU research team develops economical new liquid-repellent material

The new material developed by the research team in HKU Faculty of Engineering using microfluidic-droplet-based technique can repel water and oil, a breakthrough that could eliminate laundry. Research team leader Professor Wang Liqiu and his student Dr Zhu Pingan said they were inspired by springtail cuticles, and the new material, in the form of a coating, yields robust liquid-repellency with enhanced mechanical durability. There is also the possibility of mass production at a low cost of about HK$1 per square metre, which was much cheaper than commercially available products such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) water-repellent film. Professor Wang added that the materials used for the coating are non-toxic and few fabrics or finishes on the market could achieve such properties.

Three HKU teams win at Cyberport University Partnership Programme

Twelve winning teams of the Cyberport University Partnership Programme, including three from HKU, were each awarded an HK$100,000 seed funding and fast-track interview opportunity to the Cyberport Incubation Programme. Twenty-one teams from six local universities competed in the event.

"My Little Story with Mom" premiere held at HKU

The Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project, in partnership with HKU’s Faculty of Social Sciences, held a premiere and sharing session for its short film “My Little Story with Mom”. About 1,000 participants from the field of healthcare, social welfare, education and the general public attended the event. The full version of mini movie can now be viewed at http://foss.hku.hk/jcecc/en/mini-movie/.

HKU launches Innovation & Entrepreneurship Hub: iDendron

HKU held a launch ceremony on October 23 for iDendron, which serves as a co-working space, event space, and collaborative community for students, staff and alumni and partners. It will facilitate the partnerships of entrepreneurs, innovators and pioneers, through anchor programmes such as DreamCatchers and Entrepreneurship Academy, and with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Hong Kong X-Tech Startup Platform and Cyberport CUPP, etc. Twenty startup teams, led by HKU students and young alumni, have moved in and are working on their projects. The establishment of this innovation and entrepreneurship hub on campus was enabled by the Azalea (1972) Endowment Fund and supported by Sino Group and Stanley Chu.

HKU holds First International Lighthouse Symposium: Saving Our Maritime Icons – A Regional Overview of Historic Lighthouses

The HKU Department of Real Estate and Construction holds a symposium "Saving Our Maritime Icons - A Regional Overview of Historic Lighthouses" today (October 20) on the development of modern lighthouses in the region in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Dr Poon Sun-wah, adjunct professor in the department, and his research team spent three years studying the history of modern lighthouse development in Hong Kong and the region, including Taiwan and Singapore. Mrs Felicity Somers Eve, the great-granddaughter of engineer David Marr Henderson who had designed and supervised more than 30 lighthouses along the region’s coast, will talk about her great grandfather’s life and work. Pictures of the diary of Charles Edwin Nicholas, the first senior keeper at Gap Rock Lighthouse, will be made public for the first time. Heritage lighthouses in Hong Kong include Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse, the oldest surviving one in the territory - completed in 1875 - and five others including two at Green Island, Cape Collinson, Waglan Island and Tang Lung Chau. All are more than 100 years ago old.

HKU School of Public Health launches new version of Hedley Environmental Index

The HKU School of Public Health launched the fourth updated version of the Hedley Environmental Index (HEI). The new HEI is based on the latest scientific evidence for health risks and referenced to the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines with a new approach to aggregate air pollutants. The mobile app offers features including individual profile, real-time air quality, and a map of air quality. A new HEI website comprises new features and modifications including a new aggregating method for the air quality index, Hong Kong map of real-time air quality, rolling clocks of avoidable harm and economic cost to the community, calendar of high pollution days, historical data and education section.

HKU scholar launches new translation app ‘Newssary’

Dr Eva Ng of the HKU School of Chinese developed a new translation app "Newssary", a combination of "news" and "glossary" and is a bilingual news and current affairs glossary of over 7,700 entries built on the website "Resources for Interpreting". The new app can be downloaded for free. Recent popular entries included "kill without mercy" (殺無赦), "soft lobbying" (摸底) and "Rocket Man" (火箭人).