ABSTRACT

Seven Principles for Embedding the Knowledge Exchange Agenda

Making Knowledge Exchange an integral part of a large organisation means embedding it in the mission, the operating plans, the staff promotion and appraisal, and the organisation's programs, as well as taking a new approach to communication and interaction with partners and stakeholders in the outside world. At a time when knowledge exchange remains quite new, there are few models to follow. Drawing on the story of The University of Melbourne, Australia, where "Engagement" became a core part of the Mission five years ago, this session will trace the successes and failures of a large organisation's journey to becoming a truly engaged institution and a leader in knowledge exchange.

ABSTRACT

Bridging the Gap: What Does it Take for Academic Research to be Translated into Innovative Industries?

Has Hong Kong made the transition to a knowledge economy? From the point of view of many pundits, Hong Kong has not made the transition, judging from the general education level of Hong Kong's population, the percentage of young people attending universities, the expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP, the narrow structure of the economy and the small proportion of technology- or knowledge-intensive production as a component of GDP. Hong Kong remains heavily dependent on economic stimulus generated by pro-growth policies adopted by China. The abundant resources available at our universities, in the form of theoretical knowledge, do not appear to have been fully utilized to create new knowledge-based, innovative services or industries

Despite its dire fiscal situation the US Government provided US$45.8 billion for new drug research in 2009, and established a National Centre for Advancing Translational Sciences to promote commercialization of theoretical knowledge and bridge the divide between academia and industry. What does it take for academic research to be successfully translated into innovative industries? Is it possible to replicate the success of the Silicon Valley in Hong Kong, or Hong Kong in conjunction with the Pearl River Delta? What sort of intermediary organizations, market conditions and government support programs are necessary for Hong Kong's academia and technology entrepreneurs to succeed? These are some of the issues I wish to explore in my presentation.

ABSTRACT

A Multi-pronged Approach to Successful Technology Transfer

Singapore's economy has successfully evolved from being a labour intensive economy to one which is knowledge-based and innovation-driven. Singapore's successful transformation can be attributed to the swift and concerted efforts by both the public and private sectors to grow the country's science and technology assets. Over the years, Singapore has developed a robust national R&D framework and holistic strategy which is predicated on a long term commitment by the Government to invest in R&D.

The R&D landscape in Singapore has evolved in tandem with industry and the Singaporean model of tech transfer seeks to transcend patenting and licensing; Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) looks to anchor key manufacturing activities and fuel the various ecosystems along their value chains in order to drive the economy.

In order to do this, Singapore's Economic Strategies Sub-Committee on "Growing Knowledge Capital" developed a multi pronged approach for research performers in Singapore to engage and anchor Multinational Companies; to nurture and develop capabilities of growing small and medium technology enterprises, with a focus to facilitate the growth of nascent sectors; and to create an environment suitable for nurturing local entrepreneurs and their start-ups.

A*STAR as an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is an engine for transforming the economy through research. Professor Low Teck Seng, MD of A*STAR, will share the Singapore story and describe how A*STAR plays an integral role in the shaping of the national technology transfer strategy.

ABSTRACT

Panel Discussion on Arts for Everyone: The Case for Culture in Hong Kong

Mr Lynch will have a dialogue with Professor Daniel Chua, Head of the School of Humanities, The University of Hong Kong, on "Arts for Everyone: The Case for Culture in Hong Kong".

ABSTRACT

Making Technology Transfer Thrive and Serve the Public Interest

A committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, in a 2010 report, Managing University Intellectual Property in the Public Interest, reviewed America's experience with the 30-year-old system for managing inventions resulting from government-funded research put in place by the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and concluded that it has been more effective than the predecessor system in making research advances available to the public and spurring innovation but that it can be made even more effective and better serve the public interest in rapid, widespread application of new technologies.

University leaders – presidents, chancellors, and trustees – need to articulate a clear mission for intellectual property management -- one that stresses the responsibility to disseminate technologies for the public good and does not predicate licensing on the goal of raising significant revenue for the university -- and should evaluate their institutions' efforts accordingly – involving business, local and regional officials, and other institutions in that evaluation. Universities also should consider additional ways to engage faculty in commercializing their inventions, as successful commercialization often depends on inventor involvement. Universities seeking to encourage entrepreneurial initiative should consider creating expedited procedures and more standardized terms for licensing to start-up enterprises in which staff, faculty, or students are involved. In addition, there should be independent oversight of the relationship between faculty and university technology transfer offices, and faculty who believe their inventions are being ignored or mishandled should have recourse within their institution. Such disputes should be resolved by an advisory committee composed of university faculty, employees, and administrators.

Institutions with sizable research portfolios should also consider creating an additional standing advisory committee to help the technology licensing unit identify opportunities and develop practices consistent with the university's goals. Such committees should include representatives of research parks and business incubators affiliated with the university, relevant business and investment communities, and other stakeholders. Smaller institutions and those with less research experience who want to strengthen their technology transfer should consider permitting greater outreach by faculty to pursue the entrepreneurial development of their ideas, collaborating with larger institutions in the same region, or outsourcing certain functions or technology fields to private entities with appropriate skills and contacts.

ABSTRACT

Academic Technology Transfer Essentials

Academic technology transfer is an important mechanism for the development of a knowledge-based economy. The success of the individual academic technology transfer program often is influenced by many factors of the particular institution.

This lecture reviews of the evolution of academic technology transfer in the United States and examines some of the key factors that are essential to the success of academic technology transfer.

ABSTRACT

十二五时期深圳科技产业发展及深港合作展望

主要介绍深圳市"十二五"时期科技产业的发展规划，并对在新时期、新平台、新政策条件下"深港创新圈"的发展提出我们的思路。

一、深圳科技产业发展环境不断优化
（一）政府对科技创新的投入持续加大。
（二）重大科技基础设施开工建设。
（三）创新载体数量增加。
（四）科技创新与金融服务的结合更加紧密。
（五）协同创新促进了科技创新与成果转化。
（六）引进新型科研机构提升了创新能级。

二、深圳科技创新能力显著提升
（一）核心专利与知识产权产出居全国前列。
（二）制定国际标准数量位居全国大中城市第一。
（三）新一代信息技术占据全球制高点。
（四）生物基因技术取得重大突破。

三、"十二五"深圳科技产业发展规划
"十二五"期间，深圳将做强做大发展高新技术产业，加快培育战略性新兴产业，重点发展生物、互联网、新能源、新材料、文化创意和新一代信息技术产业，通过采取切实有效的政策措施，突破一批核心技术，掌握一批自主知识产权，培育一批核心竞争力较强的骨干企业。深圳将实施一系列的战略性新兴产业振兴发展专项规划、产业专项资金扶持计划，重点布局建设若干个服务功能突出、产业特色鲜明的战略性新兴产业基地，打造一批产业链关联效应明显的集聚区力争成为我国具有国际竞争力和影响力的战略性新兴产业重要基地。

四、深化深港创新科技合作促进深港融合发展
"十二五"期间，深圳将全面加强"深港创新圈"建设。一是加强深港高等院校和研究机构更紧密合作，积极引进香港各类实验室、企业研发中心在深圳设立分支机构。二是加快推进深港创新基地、服务平台和重大研究专项的建设实施。三是建立健全深港科研设备和科技信息开放共享机制，强化创新平台的公共服务功能。在《深圳市国民经济和社会发展第十二个五年规划纲要》中还制定了多项发展政策，促进深港融合发展。主要包括：以前海为载体推动深港现代服务业共同发展；促进深港交通更加便捷；拓宽深港交流合作领域等。 "十二五"时期，深圳将按照国家发展的新要求，发挥先行先试的重要作用，以自主创新增强发展动力，以自主创新加快转型升级，以自主创新促进可持续发展，创新发展、转型发展、绿色发展、和谐发展，努力将深圳建设成为中国特色社会主义示范市和现代化国际化先进城市。

ABSTRACT

Is it Possible for Hong Kong to Develop an Asian Apple Tree Ecosystem?

Mobile Internet has become one of the main trends for ICT industry. It provides lots of opportunities for creative youngsters. With the pattern of open innovation, Apple Inc. has built up some kind of Apple Tree Ecosystem. Its App Store serves as an interactive platform for the development of thousands of mobile apps. I think, in similar way, through knowledge partnerships with Mainland China and Taiwan, Hong Kong can make better use of its international network and multi-lingual capacity to develop an Asian Apple Tree Ecosystem. In order to make this come true, the HKSAR Government should establish an Innovation and Technology Bureau and provide support in infrastructure, policies, and talent development. Our youngsters will then be exposed to more opportunities of high value-added jobs.

ABSTRACT

Knowledge Exchange: A Few Bumps on the Tried and Tested Roads

HKU defines knowledge exchange as engaging, for mutual benefit, with business, government or the public to generate, acquire, apply and make accessible the knowledge needed to enhance material, human, social, cultural and environmental well-being.

Insofar as it pertains to the part of university-industry relationship dealing with academic research, the term "knowledge exchange" is somewhat misleading. Neither party is really interested in exchanging knowledge. Companies want intellectual property rights that would provide them with a significant edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Universities, both administration and faculty, want financial support from the companies. While there are indeed "tried and tested' roads toward these ends, the relationship, never easy, is increasingly fraught for a variety of reasons.

Since the beginning of industrial revolution, science has been responsible for transforming human life in ways inconceivable in any earlier era. Universities have always been a major player in scientific advances through research, and their role is increasingly dominant. On the other hand, technologies that are rooted in scientific research have been a major source of competitive advantage for companies. That role is also more important than ever. In these circumstances, both parties have a strong incentive to align their interests to create a natural synergy. However, in practice, however, it is surprisingly difficult to realize such synergy.

From the perspective of industry, both startups and large companies, the marketplace is increasingly challenging and innovation is the principal component of any successful strategy in dealing with the challenges. While universities will continue to be a major source of innovation, companies are seeking more specific results in their relationship with universities. In this talk, I shall focus on the changing landscape of innovation from the perspective of large and small companies and what universities need to do in building successful KE relationships. The roads may be tried and tested, but they need repairs and upgrading.

ABSTRACT

Creation of a Favourable Ecological Environment for Facilitating Realisation of R&D Results

Moving from an idea or discovery to a product, process, or service on the market is a complex process. Through its focused and yet multi-dimensional initiatives, the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) has long supported applied research and development (R&D) activities that move an idea past the basic discovery stage towards the realisation/commercialisation stage. These initiatives include the provision of funding and infrastructural support, promotion of technology collaboration between Hong Kong and Mainland, and promotion of an innovation culture.

With the designation of innovation and technology as one of the six new economic areas of Hong Kong, Government has since enhanced the policy framework for promoting innovation and technology, with emphasis on fostering a closer collaboration among the government, industry, research and academic sectors (官產學研) to synergise valuable research effort.

In creating a favourable ecological environment, ITC has launched a number of new initiatives that leverage on its vast network of researchers, universities, industries and public sector organisations.  These include -

• Enhancement of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) to support projects with greater prospects of realisation/commercialisation;
• Launching of the “Promotion of Use of Innovation and Technology in the Public Sector Programme” with a view to enhance the use of innovation and technology in government and increase the referencibility of research deliverables for subsequent commercialisation and marketing efforts;
• Motivating the private sector to increase investment in R&D activities, etc.

With a dedicated chapter in the National 12th Five Year Plan that affirms the Central Government’s support on Hong Kong’s development of the six new economic areas – innovation and technology, medical services, environmental industries, testing and certification, education services, cultural and creative industries where Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages, and their expansion into the Mainland, the Government would make every effort to create a favourable ecological environment to dovetail the Plan and enable innovation and technology to flourish. 

ABSTRACT

Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with unique features including fast response time, ultra-thin panel structure, low-power consumption and wide viewing angle, continue to draw substantial attention in the development of next generation of new display technology. Over the decades, we have been doing fundamental research in the development of innovative highly robust phosphorescent metal emitters with practical applications in OLEDs, and improving technology in process and production of these materials. Over the past 10 years, we jointly worked with Sun Yat-Sen University, Clover & Coled Display Ltd., OLED-T Ltd., and Teijin Dupont Films Japan Ltd., to promote the research and development of new materials and printing technologies.

Through partnerships with local, international and Mainland display companies, we have been able to develop novel and patentable materials for OLEDs with practical applications. We have also produced patentable technologies for applications in electronics, displays and lighting. Our recent endeavour is to collaborate with display and materials companies in Mainland to launch the technological know-how for AMOLED panel production with high yields in Hong Kong and in Guangdong. Meanwhile, training of scientists and engineers in local companies promotes research and development in the area of OLEDs. Research findings and technological know-how are subsequently transferred to industries. We are working to promote the development of new lighting industry and innovative electronic consumer products in Hong Kong and South China in the coming decade.

Acknowledgments. We are grateful for financial support from the Innovation and Technology Fund, National Natural Science Foundation of China/Research Grants Council Joint Research Scheme (N_HKU 752/08), Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (HKU 7008/09P), and The Chinese Academy of Sciences–Croucher Foundation Funding Scheme For Joint Laboratories.

ABSTRACT

From ebXML Gateway to the Challenge of Applied Research in Hong Kong

In the area of electronic commerce, a family of XML based standards known as ebXML was sponsored by OASIS and UN/CEFACT in 2002. Its mission is to provide an open XML-based infrastructure to conduct electronic business by trading partners. In 2002, the Center of E-Commerce Infrastructure and Development (CECID) at HKU received an ITF grant for the implementation of the ebXML infrastructure. As a deliverable of the project, a software named Hermes was released as an open source software. It has since become the most popular ebXML messaging gateway in the world. In Hong Kong, Hermes is being used in many B2B systems including the Government Electronic Trading Services (GETS) system, the office supplies procurement system in MTRC. The GETS system processes over 20 million document exchanges annually. In this talk, we will share our success, excitement and difficulties experienced in doing applied research and technology transfer in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT

Interactive Engagement with the Community: From Public Education to Academic Research

Tissue regeneration research team of Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, led by Prof. KS Leung and Louis Cheung, puts effort in the past years on exploring the biology of osteoporotic fracture and enhancement of fracture healing using biophysical interventions. The research team confirms the impaired reparative ability of osteoporotic bones during fractures. This implies difficult clinical management of geriatric fracture patients, including treatment and rehabilitation and hence heavy burden of healthcare budget. The team also spent 6 years to invent a novel biophysical modality, vibration treatment that can effectively accelerate fracture healing by around 30% by enhancing new bone formation and increasing blood circulation.

In view of the escalating aging population in Hong Kong, the research team kicked off to set up a fall prevention team to serve the community in 2000 (http://www.no-fall.hk). The team has organized more than 150 educational talks for community elderly in the past decade to spread the message and knowledge on bone health and fall prevention. We also trained the staff in community centers to learn fall prevention in order to provide a better service for elderly. With the funding of medical foundations, a mobile van for fall prevention purpose was set up to serve the elderly in remote areas like Lantau Island. We therefore have a good network with community centers in Hong Kong. In recent years, a comprehensive fragility fracture program is established as well in Shatin district for rehabilitation of geriatric fracture patients, in which physical exercise classes, doctor consultations, medications and vibration treatment are provided. In the meantime, we make use of this opportunity to conduct large-scale clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of vibration treatment on reducing fall and fracture rates. Overall, this is a good experience of the team to have the model of bench to public education to academic research.

ABSTRACT

A Peptide Targeting Tumor Blood Vessels: From Experimental to Clinical Application

Ligand-mediated diagnosis and targeted therapy would have vital clinical applications in cancer treatment. In this study, an orthotopic model of colorectal cancer was established in the colon of mouse. Using this animal model an in vivo phage library selection was utilized to isolate peptides specifically recognizing the vasculature of colorectal cancer tissues but not the other tissues. A phage (termed TCP-1 phage) was isolated by this manner and it homed to the colorectal cancer tissues by 11- to 90-fold more than other organs. Chemical synthetic peptide (termed TCP-1) displayed by TCP-1 phage inhibited the homing ability of the phage to the tumor mass when co-injected intravenously with the TCP-1 phage into mice with colon cancer. Meanwhile, immunostaining analysis indicated that TCP-1 phage and peptide localized in the vasculature of the colorectal cancer tissue, but not normal tissues. Moreover, TCP-1 peptide bound to blood vessels of surgical tissue samples of human colorectal cancer, in particular in the advanced stages. These findings indicate that TCP-1 binds to a specific site which is localized only in the colonic tumor blood vessels.

In addition, TCP-1 when conjugated with a proapoptotic peptide specifically induced apoptosis in tumor blood vessels in vivo. These data define a novel peptide TCP-1 as an effective agent for imaging detection and drug delivery for colorectal cancers. This peptide and its analogues attract academic and industrial collaborations in the development of drug therapy and diagnosis for gastrointestinal cancers.

ABSTRACT

GPU Computing in Mainland China's Industry

GPU computing means the use of GPUs (graphics processing units) to perform general purpose scientific and engineering computing. This new technology has been successfully applied in many real-world applications because of its low-cost and energy-efficiency. Inspur Group Co., Ltd. is one of the leading IT companies and the largest server manufacturer and server solution supplier in mainland China. In this talk, we will introduce the Inspur-HKBU Joint Laboratory for Heterogeneous Computing, which was recently established by the Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University and Inspur. This joint laboratory combines the strength of both parties and focuses on the research and development of cutting-edge GPU computing technologies in order to provide low-cost and energy-efficient solutions to real-world applications. We will show some successful applications that we have developed together with Inspur and other third parties, including petroleum prospection in oil industry, 3D Reconstruction of Electron tomography, and DNA sequence alignment in bioinformatics.

ABSTRACT

GPU Computing in Mainland China's Industry

GPU computing means the use of GPUs (graphics processing units) to perform general purpose scientific and engineering computing. This new technology has been successfully applied in many real-world applications because of its low-cost and energy-efficiency. Inspur Group Co., Ltd. is one of the leading IT companies and the largest server manufacturer and server solution supplier in mainland China. In this talk, we will introduce the Inspur-HKBU Joint Laboratory for Heterogeneous Computing, which was recently established by the Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University and Inspur. This joint laboratory combines the strength of both parties and focuses on the research and development of cutting-edge GPU computing technologies in order to provide low-cost and energy-efficient solutions to real-world applications. We will show some successful applications that we have developed together with Inspur and other third parties, including petroleum prospection in oil industry, 3D Reconstruction of Electron tomography, and DNA sequence alignment in bioinformatics.

ABSTRACT

Panel Discussion on Arts for Everyone: The Case for Culture in Hong Kong

Professor Chua will have a dialogue with Mr Michael Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, on "Arts for Everyone: The Case for Culture in Hong Kong".

ABSTRACT

Linguistics, Language Industry and Language in Industry

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language in terms of form, meaning and context. With the exponential growth of information, computational approaches to linguistic analysis have constituted a core research area that is collectively known as computational linguistics and have been the major driving force for advances in language engineering. Practical needs such as automatic text retrieval, natural language understanding and text summarization have led to fast development of the language industry. In this presentation, we describe the research and development of speech and language technologies at the Dialogue Systems Group, based at the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong and demonstrate how academic research can be adapted to suit practical needs arising both from the local community and from the industry. In particular, we showcase an interactive spoken dialogue system that has been designed to facilitate speech-driven information retrieval based on terminologies, the processing of which has associated the Group internationally with the industry and professional services.

ABSTRACT

Project C.A.R.E.: Primary and Secondary Hong Kong Students' aggression and Peer Victimization of Bullying

Project C.A.R.E. (Children and Adolescents at Risk Education), spearheaded by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and directed by Dr. Annis Fung Lai-chu (Assistant Professor-Department of Applied Social Studies), received three rounds of funding of $11 million from the Quality Education Fund (QEF) from September 2006 to August 2011. 77 secondary and primary schools participated and 158 schools are on the waiting list. This was a ground-breaking project grounded in theory and empirically driven ecological interventions to reduce student reactive and proactive aggression, and aggressive and passive victimization of school bullying. Employing surveys and individual interviews, the project identified high-risk aggressors and victims from more than 33,000 students. Interventions included students, parents, and parent-child groups, and a "Harmony Ambassador Scheme." Eight to 10 sessions of Cognitive-Behavioural group therapy were offered. Persons in the Ambassador program interacted with elder peers with positive and pro-social behavior through outdoor and experiential activities.

Behavioural changes were assessed by self-report, teachers, and parents at pretest, posttest, and following treatment, supporting the program's long term effectiveness. Significant improvement was found in the proactive aggressors' bullying and reactive aggressor's impulsively aggressive behaviour, and the alleviation of emotional problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger). Aggressive and passive victims also indicated reductions in physical and verbal victimization, property attack, and social manipulation, and increases in school security and confidence establishing interpersonal relationships. Results can strengthen training for teachers, counsellors, social workers, police officers, and psychologists to enhance their skills to address youth aggression. Six sets of manuals, 11 booklets, and DVDs were published for this purpose. The public benefited from the Harmony School Competition, drama competition, slogan writing project, open forums, and radio and television programs promoting "zero" violence and anti-aggressive cultures in communities. Internationally, the project led to publications in top international journals and presentations at worldwide conferences.

ABSTRACT

Extending the Boundary of School-University Partnerships

The major aim of School-University Partnerships (SUP) is to achieve and consolidate in-depth collaboration between schools and the Faculty of Education, HKU, in order to enhance the continuous professional development of schools and teachers, and further the success of initial teacher education.

To achieve this aim, a "whole school mentoring support" has been promoted to involve teachers and principals who share a similar vision. Schools that are committed to this approach are eventually invited to become part of our group of "Professional Partnership Schools (PPS)". This group represents an enlarged collaborative community of 19 PPS, all of which have signed a 3-year memorandum with the Faculty. This has allowed partnership schools to benefit from a mutual exchange of professional experiences, bringing about meaningful school improvements and better student learning.

Since 2007, we have witnessed the extension of the boundary of SUP in the following aspects to strengthen our collaboration:

• Through Initial Teacher Education Practicum Placement within each school, there has been a huge increase in the number of mentor-teachers in each school.
• We have extended the initiative so that it includes primary schools as well as secondary schools.
• As well as knowledge exchange with student-teachers, mentor- teachers and principals, we have also included parents so that they might understand better the collaboration between schools and our faculty.
• We have extended partnership from individual schools to cluster schools as a way of multiplying the positive effects of SUP.
• We have extended our focus from practicum placement to the encouragement of professional teacher development which has led to school improvement by infusing research opportunities into schools.
• We have extended our communication to include major School Sponsoring Bodies as well as individual schools.
• We have extended our geographical locus from the local Hong Kong context to the pioneering of overseas international practicum exchange.

We strongly believe that by extending the boundary of the various forms of KE activities, we have generated a profound impact on the local school community as well as the broader educational community. This has further actualised the spirit of "School-University Partnerships" so that it lives up to the Faculty's mission of nurturing our graduates and transforming them into passionately committed teaching professionals.

ABSTRACT

The Development of Oral Arsenic Trioxide for Cancer Treatment: Academic Success, Economic Implications and Global Perspectives

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has been used medicinally for millennia in both Chinese and Western medicine. It was first demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of chronic myelogneous leukaemia in the nineteenth century. After the Second World War, As2O3 continued to be used as a standard medication for leukaemia treatment until the advent of modern chemotherapy. Its therapeutic efficacy was re-discovered in the 1970s first in Harbin and then in Shanghai for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL). The intravenous (i.v.) formulation was used. Despite its discovery in China, a United States (US) patent was granted to US investigators, resulting in the marketing of i.v.-As2O3 at prohibitive prices, making the medication unaffordable in less affluent countries.

Based on the experience of using "liquor arsenicalis" (oral arsenic) in the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, C.R. Kumana and Y.L. Kwong researched on the preparation of oral-As2O3. The group succeeded in producing an oral-As2O3 formulation, which was shown pharmacokinetically and clinically to be compared with the i.v.-As2O3 formulation. Furthermore, because of slow intestinal absorption, the peak blood arsenic level reached after oral-As2O3 was much lower than that of an equal dose of i.v.-As2O3. Because QTc prolongation that may lead to potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias, a serious side effect of i.v.-As2O3, is directly proportional of blood arsenic level, oral-As2O3 results in minimal QTc prolongation, so that its cardiac safety is much superior to i.v.-As2O3. The administration of oral-As2O3 at home also makes arsenic maintenance therapy feasible. The treatment of APL has therefore been changed dramatically in Hong Kong since the development of oral-As2O3.

In collaboration with Versitech, the technology transfer branch of the University of Hong Kong, oral-As2O3 has successfully secured a US patent and a Japan patent. Oral-As2O3 is posed to replace i.v.-As2O3 globally. Oral-As2O3 may also be available on humanitarian grounds to less affluent countries for the treatment of APL. The development of oral-As2O3 has important lessons and implications. (1). It shows that academic innovation does not necessarily have to come from big investments. (2). Academic innovation can also be commercially successful. (3). Academic and industry collaborations are needed to impact on medical practice. (4) Global societal problems such as expensive medication pricing should also be tackled by academia and industry.

ABSTRACT

Work Creatively: Facilitating Knowledge Transfer in Arts and Cultural Sector

The word "creativity" appears to be a cliché as it may be a self-contained term on what it is about and how may that be achieved. To do and to think creatively means one has to alter and enhance what we have in our existing realm. That is what we need, however, when the situation and structure of economy differs from what we have had before. That is also when the concept Knowledge Transfer comes into place, by allowing us as artists or art practitioners to think outside the box. Indeed, most people reckon that we, as art practitioners, experience no difficulty in expressing and creating; it may however be a myth on how we could sustain our creativity.

As a participant of two Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects, I shall share my thought on the importance of art. It is not a mere out-of-reach interest, rather it is related closely to various industries in our community, may it be light source or shopping malls. Our projects are not just about artistic expressions and values, it is more of how we as artists or art practitioners contribute to the industry concerned, which we are in turn enlightened by the art of living and living up an artistic life.

ABSTRACT

Knowledge Transfer: Commitment to Public and Partnering for Excellence

Drug-related questions are often encountered by people who are on medication or taking health supplements. However, due to various barriers, these questions remain unresolved which lead to possible medication problems. The Outreach Programme organized by the School of Pharmacy showed that more than half (55.3%) of the drug-related problems discovered in the elderly population were associated with lack of knowledge about their medication and their state of disease. Furthermore, sensitive medical issues, such as sexually transmitted diseases, erectile dysfunction, use of contraceptive etc., are not widely discussed among the public. With increasing popularity of self-medication as the first-line treatment for mild diseases, together with the lack of drug knowledge, it is expected that more drug-related questions would arise in the future.

In response to the expected drug information demand, a new online interactive drug enquiry system called AMPOULE (Ask My Pharmacist! - Online University-Led drug Enquiry) Platform was established. Through AMPOULE, pharmacists will provide personalized suggestions to drug-related queries, hoping to reduce possible medication problems faced by the general public. We target to enhance communication between pharmacists and the general public through innovative channels. The demand of drug information is expected to rise with more knowledge and well-educated enquires. Enquirers expect fast and efficient professional assistance for their drug-related problems. The traditional pharmacist consultation in the pharmacy may not be sufficient to fulfill enquirers' demands. It is hoped that the public awareness in proper medication use and drug safety can be enhanced by providing proper drug knowledge, thus improving the overall effectiveness of drug treatment. In this presentation, the following objectives will be achieved:

• Experiences in developing online drug information platform will be shared;
• Factors affecting success knowledge transfer will be discussed;
• Address the areas for partnership in knowledge transfer to ensure medication safety.

ABSTRACT

Community Arts Development---Multiple Knowledge Transferring of Inter-School

"Better Community, Better Life" initiated by Hong Kong British Council's Connecting Classrooms, is a program of co-operation with Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Visual Arts, which has been carrying out community art creation in six secondary schools for nearly a year. The project has developed an inter-school community art creation which is based on multiple concepts of knowledge transfer. Not only has it retained the objectives of knowledge transfer that enables the knowledge of visual arts to be extended and stretched out diversely, but also realized the interaction between schools and community culture and discovered the new functions of schools within a community and their dialogues. This report will go through the details of this project, as well as the conceptual process of knowledge transfer and its consequences within the participating schools.

ABSTRACT

Building a Young Writer Community: A Knowledge Transfer Writing Project in Hong Kong

The integration of language arts into the English curriculum has been strongly advocated in recent years by the Education Bureau (EDB) in Hong Kong as part of the school curriculum reform. As outlined in English Language Education: Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide: Primary 1 to Secondary 3 (2002), schools are encouraged to use literary or imaginative texts more to promote critical thinking, free expression and creativity.

To support the above curriculum reform, a university-school partnership programme is proposed for nurturing young short story writers in secondary schools in Hong Kong.

Through this partnership programme, English teachers from participating schools are trained by experienced facilitators on how to motivate and guide their students through the process of writing short stories in a positive context. Subsequently, students are encouraged to write collaboratively. Participating teachers are also encouraged to exchange ideas and make enquiries in an on-line forum supported by the Centre for Enhancing English Learning and Teaching (CEELT).

To celebrate students' creative efforts and reinforce their practices in this form of language arts, a short story anthology will be published for each participating school. A short story writing competition will be organised and the outstanding short stories will also be published, and sent to all secondary schools in Hong Kong and via a dedicated e-gallery. This presentation will describe how the project is executed to actualize the knowledge transfer among CUHK and the participating schools.Reflections and experiences of the participating teachers and students as well as sustainability of projects of such kind will also be discussed.

ABSTRACT

Boosting Industry-University Partnership by Academic Collaboration

We are now living in the "knowledge- and technology-based society", which is rapidly globalizing and inevitably requires effective systems of knowledge and technology transfer. In this context, mission of today's academic institutions is to contribute, through creation and dissemination of innovative knowledge and technology, to business/industry world. One unique feature of the knowledge and technology transfer system in Japan is the concerted collaboration among academia, business/industry and government. This system was inaugurated and strengthened in the 1990s by the enforcement of the "Law of Promoting University-Industry Technology Transfer "in 1998 and the "Law on Special Measures for Industrial Revitalization (Japanese version of the Bayh-Dole Act in USA)" in 1999. In 2004, 86 national universities in Japan have become corporatized. Corporatization consequently promoted reformation of national universities, which became equipped with a leading initiative in the strategic management of their corporate activities. Since then academia-industry-government collaboration in Japan has become more diverse and grown enormously under specialized approaches, though with many problems waiting for elaborate solutions. In this presentation, we deliver a brief introduction of Kobe University's strategies on building industry collaborations. Particular emphasis will be put on our efforts towards building multi-bilateral collaborations among partner universities and research/educational institutions with common interests both in the local and global context. Our presentation explores Kobe University's approach with a vision of "boosting corporate partnerships via academic collaborations". It hopefully offers you a comprehensive and easy access to real situations of national universities in Japan including Kobe University in the post-reform era, with several informative sample cases.

ABSTRACT

Enhancing Teacher Professional Development through Professional Dialogue: An Investigation into a University-school Partnership Project on Enquiry Learning

In pursuit of professional development, teachers are encouraged to participate actively in professional dialogue. It has been shown in the literature that professional dialogue allows teachers to converse about the challenges in their workplace, brainstorm solutions, share experiences, and consider alternative teaching approaches. Based on a two-year university-school partnership project on enquiry learning, this study aims at empowering teachers to cultivate students' ability in enquiry learning through professional dialogue. School visit reports, final reports of the project, lesson observation reports, and semi-structured interviews carried out at the end of the project were analyzed. The findings show that the university support team created the fundamental basis for professional dialogue by conveying information regarding enquiry learning, introducing new pedagogies, conducting lesson observations, and reviewing school-based teaching materials. In addition, the support team sustained the dialogue by promoting collaborative work, including analyzing students' assignments and configuring ways to address diverse student needs with the teachers. Given the stimulations through professional dialogue, teachers involved in this study were able to familiarize themselves with enquiry learning and to gain confidence in adopting new pedagogies to facilitate student learning.

ABSTRACT

The Jockey Club Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment in Deaf Education Programme: From Sign Linguistics to Inclusive Deaf Education

Professor Gladys Wai Lan Tang
Chairman, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages; Centre Director, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Professor Scholastica Wai Sze Lam
Research Assistant Professor, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Mr. Chris Kun Man Yiu
Senior Programme Officer, Centre for Sign Linguistics and Deaf Studies, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Sign linguistics research aims to identify ways to examine how sign languages is structured as a natural language and how it is acquired by deaf children. To date, a significant research outcome is that early acquisition of sign language supports deaf children in becoming 'sign bilingual' (i.e. proficient in a signed and a spoken language). Such bilingual knowledge in turn facilitates their literacy development in spoken language as well as deaf education. While this understanding is gaining grounds in many parts of the world, its lack is the norm in Asia. As a result, educators and parents of deaf children are still harping on the misconception that the oralist approach (i.e. learning through residual hearing and speech) is the only way to resolve the problem in deaf education.

In HK, unique research efforts into various lines of sign linguistics research have paved the way for applying this new-found knowledge to an experimental programme "The Jockey Club Sign Bilingualism and Co-enrolment in Deaf Education Programme (JC-SLCO Progamme). The Programme represents an unprecedented attempt in Asia to incorporate natural sign language into an inclusive education setting. It aims to maximally utilize the linguistic resources of both signed and spoken language provided by hearing and Deaf teachers in educating deaf as well as hearing children under the same educational environment following the same syllabus. Most important of all, the Programme will inform the community that the model lives up to the philosophy of inclusive deaf education: both hearing and deaf children have the benefits of being sign bilingual, and hearing children will come to appreciate the special educational needs of deaf children who in turn grow up understanding the values and culture of the majority hearing society. In this paper, we will present how sign linguistics research in HK has led to the establishment of a programme that nurtures successful school partnership between researchers at university, professional teacher trainers at teacher training institutions, parents of deaf and hearing children, government units, deaf organizations and NGOs in the local community.

ABSTRACT

Capturing Research Value with Application

The vision of PolyU is to be a leading University that excels in professional education, applied research and partnership for the betterment of Hong Kong, the nation and the world. The University devotes a great deal of effort to research. PolyU is a place where innovation meets application. Our research is meant to serve the practical needs of society.

PolyU's ability to transfer cutting edge knowledge to industry and business has led to numerous life-changing inventions and innovations which have reaped international awards. Many of them have been put to good use benefitting the community. A vast range of researches and technologies have found their place in the real world, including aerospace, infrastructure, engineering, textile, biotech and healthcare.

Over the years, PolyU has lined up many successful partnerships with business and industry in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland through the University's high impact research projects, creating great societal impetus and strategic significance for the nation. In this speech, Prof. Wai will present a number of cases, demonstrating how PolyU has successfully captured research value with application. These include: National and International Space Programs, China High Speed Railway Monitoring System, novel multi-potent anti-cancer drug, etc. These home-grown innovations are of high relevance to the community, at the same time, it illustrates well how Hong Kong can contribute to advancement of frontier technologies through academic knowledge transfer.

ABSTRACT

Seeding Sustainable Leader Learning Communities

This paper details a concerted strategy to design, implement and embed school leadership learning communities as a way of improving education leadership and school improvement. Given the impact of school leaders on school and student outcomes, the paper holds that knowledgeable, ethical and connected leaders are a key ingredient in any improvement effort. The philosophy underpinning a suite of programmes for local and international educators holds that to be worthwhile, learning must be context-based and context-placed; and focus on building enduring learning networks, not simply on the transmission of established knowledge. For this to happen, strategies must adapt to fluid school realities and disentangle traditional learning hierarchies and institutional boundaries. Design strategies combine: respect for new and emerging knowledge, 'flexibility within structure', individual and group responsibility and participation, inquiry learning, an ethical focus and holding a future-orientation. The paper will outline an initiative designed for leaders of international schools. Ongoing research into completed programmes provides a number of useful insights for making sustainable leadership learning networks work and for planning their further spread.

ABSTRACT

The Review of Hong Kong's Animal Welfare Laws

From 2007-2009, the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong Government and the Research Grants Council funded the authors to conduct a comprehensive review of Hong Kong's animal welfare legislation. Hong Kong's animal welfare laws were drafted in the 1930's and a review of current law was timely. Media publicity had focused on increasing public concern as to the adequacy of legislation available to address cases of cruelty to animals and the government is currently under pressure to update legislation.

In the course of the two year review, the authors identified that Hong Kong's anti cruelty legislation, as currently drafted, is unable to assist animals in danger and distress. The authors found licensing conditions for pet shops seriously out of date with modern welfare science and a lack of legislation controlling hobby breeders allowing animals of dubious origin and health to be widely sold throughout the Territory.

The authors also uncovered serious failures, at local slaughterhouses, on farms and in live food wet markets to meet animal welfare standards prescribed by the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009 (Slaughter of Animals), to which China is a signatory.

The review has now been released and is being studied by the Hong Kong government, with the view to reform. The primary author will discuss the review findings and recommendations for extensive amendment to laws, regulations and codes of welfare affecting animals in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT

Knowledge Transfer in Humanities and Social Sciences: What Are They?

One question that often baffles scholars in the fields of social sciences and humanities is: what constitutes a knowledge transfer activity in these fields? In sciences, knowledge transfer activities may involve the design of a product which has high commercial values and may in turn resulting in patenting and licensing of the product. In humanities and social sciences, the object of the transfer is not necessarily a tangible product. Instead, it may take the form of a contribution that helps develop and improve services, decision-making processes, and cultural events and products. Indeed, many of these activities revolve around the provision of advice, through consultancies and informal communications. In this presentation, drawing on the knowledge transfer activities of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, the author would cite examples of the activities to illustrate the possible parameters of knowledge transfer in humanities and social sciences. Specifically, it aims to delineate the possible nature, processes and outcomes of knowledge transfer activities in humanities and social sciences. In addition, it also attempts to highlight the difficulties academics face while engaging in knowledge transfer activities in humanities and social sciences in educational institutions in Hong Kong.

ABSTRACT

The Roles of Hong Kong in the National Twelve Five Year Strategic Plan

The Chinese's National Twelve Strategic Plan (abbreviated 12.5) has been announced in the 2011Q2. It defines the directions and missions of the development of China in the coming five years 2011-2015. Innovation and technology are one of the key investment targets. For this, it is the goal of the Chinese Central Government to raise the R&D to GDP ratio from the currently 1.7% to 2.2% in 2015. Hong Kong has three local universities ranked within top 100 in the QS world ranking. They are also within the best in engineering and medical research. In view of this, how can Hong Kong contribute to the implementation of the 12.5 plan. In this talk, the advantages and hence the roles of Hong Kong for this purpose are identified.

ABSTRACT

Building Mainland China Partnerships at HKUST

Hong Kong stands in the unique position of a truly international city linking the East and the West and is a strategic gateway to Mainland China. Similarly, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has established global distinction as a research university with highly international orientation in focus, reach and impact, while at the same time has been actively pursuing opportunities to participate in the Mainland research schemes and collaborations with various Mainland organizations ranging from public to private sectors.

As of today, there have been over 50 collaborative arrangements with various universities and research institutes in the Mainland. The University formed early links with Shenzhen through an alliance in 1999 with Peking University and the Shenzhen Municipal Government leading to the establishment of the Shenzhen Industry, Education and Research (IER) Base and the Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Center. With the support of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, HKUST opened its new research base in Shenzhen on 22 September this year, which marks another milestone in HKUST's development in the Mainland.

In Nansha of Guangzhou City, the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School was formed as the fifth school of HKUST in January 2007 with the mission to foster research and technology advancement and provides education through PG program, academic exchange and professional training.

Other collaborations in the Mainland include the Zhejiang Institute for Advanced Materials in Hangzhou City and Foshan LED Technology R&D Center in Foshan City, with which HKUST has established platforms for research, innovation, and technology transfer, along with training for local entrepreneurs. Private sector collaborative efforts include the Huawei-HKUST Innovation Lab set up on the HKUST campus, funded by world-leading telecoms solution provider Huawei Technologies.

Fostering these diversified links is an important part of our strategic outlook and mission at HKUST. Working together with our Mainland partners can complement each others' strengths to energize regional development in order to achieve win-win situation for innovation and strategic R&D development in the long run.

ABSTRACT

A Public Health Approach for Suicide Prevention: from Research to Practice

Traditionally, suicide has been viewed as a mental health issue best addressed primarily through clinical interventions, especially through the treatment of depression. However, it has been found that the majority of people who committed suicide had not received psychiatric services prior to death. Furthermore, in view of the size of the problem and the limited resources, the medical and clinical model involving intensive professional care service might not be practical in Asia. In our daily lives, stopping people from reaching the edge of a cliff is always easier than trying to save them when they are on the edge. In the same sense, drug-clot busters might be useful in providing temporary relief for those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, but this is not as cost-efficient or cost-effective as a healthy diet and routine exercise for the population as a whole. The public health approach to suicide prevention shares the same vision. By using information and knowledge generated from research studies, a multilayer intervention, holistic and integrated approach together with community collaboration, we can make a difference.

ABSTRACT

Establishment of the PolyU Shenzhen Base as a Strategy to foster Industry-University Partnership in the Pearl River Delta

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Base (the PolyU SZ Base) is a strategic move of PolyU to engage in education, research, knowledge transfer and commercialization of its outcomes targeting at the needs of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The Base builds on PolyU's strengths in applied research, its pioneering experience in offering postgraduate award programmes in the Chinese Mainland, and its long-term connections with industries in the region. The SZ Base supports the strategic goal of PolyU to excel as a world-class applied university.

The mission of the PolyU SZ Base is to become the headquarter of PolyU in PRD and to provide one stop service for the region. The PolyU SZ Base is an interdisciplinary and multi-purpose platform where the research expertise, innovative power, knowledge transfer experience, education and executive development strengths of PolyU congregate to meet the challenges of the real world at one of the world's fastest growing economic regions.

The PolyU SZ Base will also serve as a one stop service centre for PolyU colleagues in PRD to develop research, consultancy, training and other professional endeavours. Through its support services, the PolyU SZ Base will facilitate academic colleagues to develop cutting-edge research projects in Mainland, to establish strategic partnership with renowned scholars and universities, to provide needed consultancy to businesses, industries and government bodies, and to secure national/regional research funds through the legal entity of the PolyU SZ Base.

In this speech, the speaker will present the mission and vision of the Shenzhen Base, its strategies and activities and the work in which PolyU Shenzhen Base foster industry-university partnership in the Pearl River Delta.