Events

8 Jun 2013

7:00pm

Lecture Theatre, Hong Kong Central Library

Prof. Cheung Kwok Wai

Professor Kwok-Wai Cheung received his B.S.(1^st Hon.), M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Hong Kong, Yale University and Caltech respectively.  He joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Dec.1992 and is currently Professor, Department of Information Engineering. From 1987 to 1992, he worked at Bell Communications Research, USA. He has made pioneering contributions in optical communications, including the first patent on wavelength selective switch (WSS) and tunable multi-wavelength filter which laid the foundation for later generations of Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) and have been the most important driving force for the optical communications industry in recent years.

From 1996 to 2001, he served as the Founding Director of the Centre for Innovation and Technology with a one-time support of $24M from the University to help the growth of high-tech industries in Hong Kong and facilitate the spinning off of technology start-ups from the University. From 1995 to 1998, he initiated the Electronics News Media and Publishing Consortium with about $7M from the Industry Support Fund and successfully spun out Wisers Information Limited, which is now partnering with over a thousand news and media companies world-wide to deliver electronic news clipping service to thousands of companies. It has become an important service for the Liberal Studies curriculum of Hong Kong schools. From 1998 to 2002, he initiated the Integrated Communications Laboratory Project and received a support of $15M from the Innovation and Technology Fund and the local industries to develop smart phone and set-top box products.

Since 2002, he has focused his efforts on creative innovations and development of intellectual properties. His inventions spanned over a broad spectrum of technologies and applications, including wavelength-selective switch, tunable multi-wavelength filter, directional speaker, video-on-demand system, aircraft cabin design, converged communication system, etc. He has published over a hundred journal and conference papers and holds thirty-five international patents, including fifteen US patents. He served as the General Technical Program Chair of Asia Pacific Optical Communication Conference in 2008, the General Chair of the Asia Communications and Photonic Conference and Exhibit in 2009 and the Steering Committee Chair in 2010.

How can young people cultivate an innovative mind-set? How can Hong Kong nurture creative and innovative industries? These questions are of great interest and importance. In this lecture, Prof. Cheung Kwok-wai will present some insane but easy-to-understand examples of innovations, and incorporate his first-hand experience, to introduce the wonders and joy of the innovation process in a delightful and relaxed manner. The talk will touch upon science and technology, music, culture, genuine and fake innovations, knowledge-based industries, and will start with our favorite tea drinking culture…

To view the programme schedule of the 50^th Anniversary Fair, please click here.