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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will present another two sessions of CUHK 50^th Anniversary Fair Public Lecture at Hong Kong Central Library next Tuesday (17 Sept) and Saturday (21 Sept). One of the lectures entitled ‘Sailing the Seas of Science: The Dream of Hong Kong Plant Scientists’ will be given by Prof. Samuel S.M. Sun from the School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science at CUHK. Another one entitled ‘Shaking off Internet Addiction: Issues and Challenges’ will be jointly delivered by four speakers from the Faculty of Education at CUHK, including Mr. Chan Tak-hang, Prof. Alvin Leung, Prof. Barley Mak, and Dr. Yuen Pong-yiu. Members of the public are welcome with details as follows: 

The Dream of Hong Kong Plant Scientists

A group of plant scientists from different universities in Hong Kong formed a team in 2000 and succeeded in establishing an Area of Excellence in Plant Biotechnology with the support of the University Grants Committee (UGC). In 2006, the team’s outstanding achievements received concluding assessment as world class by the international monitoring panel of UGC and secured further sustained funding support. The team was later approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China with the status of State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology in 2008. Over the years, those scientists have been working together towards a common goal. What bonds them together and sustains their efforts? What motivates them? In the lecture, Prof. Samuel S.M. Sun will share with the audience the dream of plant scientists in Hong Kong. 

Professor Sun received his BSc cum laude from CUHK, his BSc Special Honour and MSc from the University of Hong Kong, and his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. While conducting research at the University of Wisconsin from 1975 to 1980, he cloned the first plant gene and discovered plant gene introns. He joined CUHK in 1996 and is now Research Professor of Biology, Director of the Institute of Plant Molecular Biology and Agricultural Biotechnology, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and Master of the S.H. Ho College at CUHK. In 2003 and 2008, he was elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Eurasian Academy of Sciences respectively. Professor Sun has been working on rice improvement, including on the yield and nutritional quality of hybrid rice; plants as bioreactor; and engineering nutrient-rich rice as a member of the international ProVitaMin Rice Consortium supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

An All-rounded Perspective on the Issue of Internet Addiction

With the rising popularity of smartphones and the vastly improved Internet accessibility, the Internet has become an essential component in our lives. While people are enjoying the instant pleasure that the Internet brings, they are much less aware of the potential threat of Internet addiction, which may adversely affect one’s academic or work performance, social relationships and health. In the form of an open forum, four speakers from CUHK will define and discuss Internet addiction, a problematic issue for modern people worldwide, especially adolescents and emerging adults. Through case study analysis, the four speakers will probe the issue from psychological and mental perspectives, as well as from the point of views of principals, teachers and parents. Upon addressing the challenges that different stakeholders face, the speakers will indicate directions and provide recommendations for schools and families to deal with Internet addiction. 

As one of the four speakers, Mr. Chan Tak-hang is an experienced educator. He served as a secondary school teacher for 34 years and as a part-time lecturer in universities in Hong Kong for 22 years. He is now the School Development Officer of the Hong Kong Institute of Education Research at CUHK. Prof. Alvin Leung is Dean of Education of CUHK. He has been engaged actively in training counselors, teachers, and psychologists for over 20 years in Hong Kong and internationally. Dr. Yuen Pong-yiu is the Principal of Tin Ka Ping Secondary School, Director of Tin Ka Ping Foundation, and an Honorary Consultant to the Faculty of Education at CUHK. Prof. Barley Mak is Assistant Professor at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education; and Founding Director of the Centre for Enhancing English Learning and Teaching at CUHK. Her research interests include teacher professional development, language testing and assessment, as well as second language writing and reading. 

The 50^th Anniversary Public Lecture Series consists of eight lectures, covering a wide range of interesting topics in philosophy, medicine, innovative technology, business, science, education and social science. It aims at disseminating knowledge and enlightening thoughts. All the lectures will be given by CUHK professors. The previous lectures on a wide range of topics have been successfully held. Interested parties can review the lectures at www.50.cuhk.edu.hk/event-recap. 

Roving Exhibitions to be Rolled Out in Secondary Schools

With the theme of ‘Embrace our Culture. Empower our Future’, CUHK has launched the 50^th Anniversary Fair to celebrate Golden Jubilee. The Fair comprises a series of public lectures and roving exhibitions, which lasts from March to December this year. In order to provide an opportunity for Hong Kong students to have a deeper understanding of CUHK’s history, campus life, study and research, the University will arrange exhibitions for over 10 secondary schools starting from 18 September. The first stop of the school exhibitions is Christian Alliance S C Chan Memorial College, which will last from 18 September to 24 September. 

As for the roving exhibition around the community, the current one is being held at the Event Hall, ground floor of Citywalk at Tsuen Wan from today till 13 September. Members of the public are welcome.

For more information on the 50^th anniversary of CUHK, please visit:
http://www.50.cuhk.edu.hk/en

For more photos, please visit:
‘Sailing the Seas of Science: The Dream of Hong Kong Plant Scientists’
https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/events_recap_detail.php?id=135&s=
‘Shaking off Internet Addiction: Issues and Challenges’
https://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/events_recap_detail.php?id=138&s=