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As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2011–2012, the University will be holding a series of Centenary Distinguished Lectures. The first inaugural lecture delivered by 1992 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences Laureate, Professor Gary S. Becker, titled ’Causes of the Worldwide Boom in Higher Education, Especially of Women’ was held on September 20, 2010.
Speaking about Hong Kong’s higher education development, Professor Becker emphasized the need to have a competitive higher education system. He would like to see strong competition among the public universities, and the development of private universities competing against the public ones.
He cited the example of the United States, where up to 25 to 30% of young people go to higher education, among them 75% are in public universities, the rest going to private institutions.
“You need to continue to increase the number of students getting into higher education, continue to have competition among the universities here and in the mainland in particular,” said Professor Becker.
2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine Laureate Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi delivered the second Centenary Distinguished Lecture ’HIV/AIDS – a Scientific and Human Adventure in Response to an Emerging Epidemic’ on November 22, 2010.
After outlining the emergence of HIV in 1980’s and how scientists and society tried to fight this quick spreading disease, Professor Barré-Sinoussi also reviewed the advancement of research in HIV prevention and treatment. In the lecture, Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi reminded us that HIV ranks second in the list of deaths caused by infectious diseases. She noticed that there is less information about the disease now than in the past, and called for more public education on AIDS, which would help increase public awareness, and as a result, help prevent the spread of the disease.
To further promote these knowledge exchange activities beyond the University, the ’Lunch with a Nobel Laureate’ activity has been specially arranged for each of the visiting Nobel Laureates to ’meet and eat with’ both HKU undergraduates as well as local secondary school students. The lunches, which are held in the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, the University Lodge, provide a rare opportunity for the young students to meet the Nobel Laureates face-to-face, outside of a lecture hall. In the two-hour sessions, students are expected to initiate discussions of various issues with the Laureates, who in turn, share their own stories and observations, and expertise and experience with the students.
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