KE Spotlight - Community Engagement - HKU Knowledge Exchange

HKU and Imperial College London develop a new robotic platform technology for inexpensive diagnosis of reproductive disorder

HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and Imperial College London collaborated to develop a new robotic platform technology to measure hormone pulse patterns in reproductive disorder. The new biomedical technology enables repeated or even continuous measurement of hormone and other biomolecule concentrations. It is expected to be applied to a wide range of diagnostic scenarios in the future, with the cost largely reduced. The team expects the technology to be applied in clinical diagnosis in 10 years’ time.

HKU and Ocean Park sign MOU to strengthen collaboration on Education and Research Programmes

HKU and Ocean Park signed a MOU to strengthen collaboration on innovative education and research initiatives. Innovation and knowledge exchange projects planned include the inaugural Ocean Park International STEAM Education Conference and Ocean Park x HKU DreamCatchers’ Hackathon in June 2019, and an International Conservation STEAM Competition with the theme “STEAM and Marine Conservation”. Public engagement initiatives such as Water Fun Fest will be hosted by Ocean Park and the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences from April 19 to May 1 to raise public awareness on water consumption and sustainability.

Knowledge Exchange (KE) Excellence Award 2018

The university-level KE Excellence Award was introduced in 2015-16 to recognise the significant impact that our academic staff had made to benefit society. The KE Excellence Award 2018 was awarded to Ms Rebecca Wing Chi Lee and Professor Lusina Kam Shuen Ho of the Faculty of Law.

HKU study suggests Hong Kong has a high volume and lucrative black market business

Ms Amanda Whitfort, Associate Professor of the HKU Faculty of Law, joined forces with members of the Hong Kong Wildlife Trade Working Group (HKWTWG) to publish a study focusing on the type and volume of seizures related to illegal wildlife trade in Hong Kong. The report suggested that HK$560 m worth of wildlife products was seized between 2013 and 2017, potentially equivalent to the deaths of 3,000 elephants, 65,000 pangolins and 51 rhinoceros. Ms Whitfort said the wildlife trade in the city remained under-policed and under-investigated. The authors urged the government to establish a wildlife crime unit and called for wildlife offences to be included under the same laws against organised crime.

HKU microbiologists discover novel drug compounds for broad-spectrum antiviral therapy including SARS, MERs and H7N9

An HKU team led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung and Dr Shuofeng Yuan of the Department of Microbiology, has found a chemical compound called AM580 which is able to inhibit the activities of seven to eight types of virus, including the deadly SARS coronavirus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus and the bird flu H7N9 virus. The compound stops the virus from multiplying by making changes to the host’s cells. As the virus fails to duplicate, it will naturally be wiped out by white blood cells, causing a person to gradually recover from the infection. US provisional patent application has been filed for this important discovery. HKU hopes that clinical trials can be completed in five years and that patients can start using the drug in six to eight years.

Animal Assisted Intervention for Hong Kong’s ‘Hikikomori’

The therapeutic value of animals to relieve stress in the young, elderly and sick has been documented by academics and medical professionals around the world. But what has not been known until relatively recently is how therapy animals can also help people who have difficulties dealing with modern society and lock themselves away in their rooms. Dr Paul Wong, Associate Professor at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, is working with a non-profit-making social service organisation to study how therapy animals, mainly trained dogs, are helping Hong Kong’s hidden youth to regain their self-belief. Watch the full video.

KE in the Review 2018

The University is providing funding, training and infrastructure to promote the sharing of its knowledge beyond academic circles and support activities that lead to impact in the community.