HKU Bulletin May 2022 Issue Available Online

Cover Story:
Bursting Bubbles

Research:
Fighting Back against COVID-19

Money is shrouded in two myths – that it is a creation of markets, not the state, and that people use it in rational ways. HKU scholars have been poking holes in these ideas, focussing on our psychological and social relationships with money and money’s role in the Russian Revolution and the emergence of modern China. At the same time, they are giving consideration to the contradictory promises of digital currency, which could both free us from government oversight and empower greater oversight.

Researchers at HKU have been finding new ways to contain the COVID-19 virus and protect people from infection. Professor Chen Honglin and Professor Chen Zhiwei in the Medical Faculty have developed a novel vaccine strategy using an injection and nasal spray that may offer better protection and prevention against asymptomatic transmission of the virus. And engineers led by Professor Mingxin Huang have developed a new stainless steel that is COVID-resistant and effectively kills the virus.

Research:
Sweet Deal for Songbirds

Research:
Something to Chew on

Scientists have discovered that songbirds evolved the ability to taste sweetness and believe that this has far-reaching implications for their subsequent evolution and radiation.

People with asymmetric jaws can have difficulties eating and talking. Research by Dr Mike Leung Yiu-yan in the Faculty of Dentistry confirms they are also at higher risk of jaw pain and shows that there is a solution.

Research:
The Public Knows Best

Research:
Men Win out in Divorce in China

Determining the influence of broad government policy over the economy has been an elusive pursuit. But Dr Yang Liu has found a workaround. By combining public approval ratings of the US President and Congress with think tank assessments, he has shown how evaluations of today’s policies correlate with future economic impacts.

Professor He Xin’s research shows that a combination of institutional constraints on Chinese judges, traditional values about gender, and income inequality frequently result in divorce decisions that are more favourable to men than women.

Research:
All Systems Go

Teaching and Learning:
The Common Core Turns 10!

A smart city data project could help Hong Kong better coordinate its various public and private transport systems, enabling passengers to enjoy maximum use and spend minimum time getting from A to B.

For the past decade, HKU’s innovative Common Core programme has been taking all undergraduate students out of the comfort zone of their majors and into new horizons.

Knowledge Exchange:
Food for Thought

Books:
Your Right to Technology

Food is more than a source of sustenance and pleasure. It is also a vehicle for thinking more deeply about the human condition and our place in the world, as explored by Dr Joe Lau in a recent knowledge exchange project.

Access to COVID-19 vaccines, broadband connections and other beneficial technologies should be a human right, argues legal scholar Dr Haochen Sun in a new book.