HKU Bulletin May 2016 (Vol. 17 No.2)

Professor So Kwok-fai Named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors Professor So Kwok-fai, Jessie Ho Professor in Neuroscience, Chair Professor of Anatomy, Department of Ophthalmology of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) of the United States (US). Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. Professor So said: “I feel very honoured to be elected as the Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. I hope this will encourage more scientists in Hong Kong to pay attention to invention and translational research. I would like to thank the members of my research team for their exceptional work over the years. This is an honour for all members of my team.” As a pioneer in the field of axonal regeneration in visual system, Professor So is a leader in the area of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration of the mammalian optic nerve, spinal cord and brain. He holds four US patents, 16 international patents and three China patents, with 16 patents in the field of hemostasis (stop bleeding) and sealant (control leaking) and is the recipient of the China National Natural Science Award, the China Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Contribution Award, the Rick Hansen Difference Maker Award, and the Everfront Award for Stem Cells Research. He is also a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Inventors is a non-profit member organisation founded in 2010. The 168 newly named Fellows bring the total number of NAI Fellows to 582, representing more than 190 prestigious research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutions. The NAI Fellows will be inducted in April, 2016, as part of the Fifth Annual Conference of the NAI at Professor Vivian Yam in the Department of Chemistry has been elected as a Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea. Professor Vivian Yam Wing-wah, Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy and Chair Professor in the Department of Chemistry, was elected to be a Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea (The Academy of Europe) in September, 2015. Professor Yam was delighted and said: “It is my great honour to become the Foreign Member of this distinguished Academy and I am looking forward to meeting other well-known chemists and scientists within Europe and all over the world.” President Peter Mathieson congratulated Professor Yam on her election as a Foreign Member: “I and all of Vivian’s colleagues here at HKU are of course delighted to see her receive yet another international accolade in recognition of her distinguished achievements in the field. That the only Foreign Member in Chemical Sciences of the Academy should be from HKU is further evidence of the University’s impact and research standing in the world.” Professor Yam’s research interests include inorganic and organometallic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and metal- based molecular functional materials for sensing, organic optoelectronics and energy research. As a prominent scientist with international acclaim, she was elected to Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001 at the age of 38 as the youngest member of the Academy. Founded in 1988, the Academia Europaea is an international, non-governmental association of individual scientists and scholars from all disciplines, who are experts and leaders of international distinction in their own subject areas as recognised by their peers, irrespective of nationality, gender, location or discipline. Professor Yam was the only Foreign Member elected in 2015 in the Chemical Sciences section and she will be inducted into the Academy in June, 2016 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. HKU academics joined other scientists of international stature to help advance Hong Kong’s scientific research and education with the establishment of the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong. Distinguished HKU scientists Professor Che Chi-ming, Professor Vivian Yam, Professor Malik Peiris and Professor Yuen Kwok-yung were among the 27 Founding Members of the Academy. The Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong is an independent and non-profit making organisation and was established in 2015 with a commitment to promote the development and advancement of science and technology in Hong Kong, and foster Hong Kong as a centre of scientific excellence. The Academy will also conduct studies and periodic summits to bring together international expert scientists and the business sector to discuss on issues relevant to Hong Kong’s science and technology development. The inauguration ceremony of the Academy was held in Government House in December 2015, officiated by Professor Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative HKU and Sciences Po are collaborating to launch an undergraduate dual degree programme in the coming 2016–2017 academic year. President Peter Mathieson and Mr Frédéric Mion, President of Sciences Po, signed the HKU-Sciences Po Dual Degree Programme agreement in Paris in January, 2016. The new programme capitalises on the strengths of the two world-class universities and aims to provide a global education for students interested in business, humanities or social sciences. Successful completion of this programme will give students Bachelor’s degrees from both universities. The first two years of study will be at Sciences Po in France and will include a common core of social sciences courses – law, economics, history, political science, sociology and programmes with a regional focus. Students will spend their third and Conference and Minister of Science and Technology; the Honourable CY Leung, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Professor Bai Chunli, President of Chinese Academy of Science; and Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, HKU’s 14 th Vice- Chancellor and President of the new Academy. Professor Tsui said at the inauguration ceremony: “My fellow members of the Academy and I are aware of the importance of interplay between science and society; besides HKU and Sciences Po Launch Dual Degree Programme A Hub for Scientific and Technological Development The Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong Established fourth years at HKU pursuing a major in one of three faculties: Arts, Business and Economics, or Social Sciences. Exceptional students may be awarded a scholarship covering full tuition plus an annual HK$40,000 living allowance. Officiating guests, Founding Members of the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong (ASHK) and international academicians came together to celebrate its establishment. President Peter Mathieson and Mr Frédéric Mion, President of Sciences Po signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the HKU-Sciences Po Dual Degree Programme in Paris in January, 2016. working within the scientific community, we will enhance our role in the business sector, to facilitate application and commercialisation of our research findings, and to assist research and development in the industry sector, and in promoting STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] education in schools to nurture the next generation of scientists. I am confident that the Academy will have a lot to contribute towards steering Hong Kong to become Asia’s leading centre of scientific research and development.” Sciences Po, established in 1872, is a world preeminent university in the social sciences and humanities, with its alumni playing an important role in both public and private sectors around the world. Professor Vivian Yam Elected Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea Professor So Kwok-fai in the Department of Ophthalmology has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. 03 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin | May 2016 02 | News in Brief