The University is not only dedicated to teaching and research but it also has a mission to apply knowledge and research results to society and make contributions to improving lives. Recently, a research project on the Vision-based Intelligent Forklift AGV System led by Prof. Liu Yun-hui, Professor, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, and Director, CUHK T Stone Robotics Institute, was successfully translated into a practical method for improving the efficiency of the logistics industry.

The robotic technology enables a forklift truck to navigate and control its motion, and avoid obstacles independently, realizing the automation of transportation tasks in factories and warehouses. It replaces manually operated forklift trucks without the need to change the current settings of the workplace, so providing an automatic and cost-effective solution for the industry. To introduce the System into the logistics sector, Prof. Liu and his students set up a high-technology company in 2015 with funding from the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities under the Innovation and Technology Commission. In just one year, their company has received over HK$15 million in venture capital funding for exploring the Mainland market.

The great success of Prof. Liu’s project is also a result of the University’s endeavor in fostering and supporting entrepreneurial culture. Along with the funding to start the business, the team received training on team buildup, strategy implementation and getting resources for start-ups from the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services. As the company has grown, the Office has helped to increase its publicity through promotions and exhibitions, and assisted in its communication with investors.

Over the past three years, the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services has assisted hundreds of research projects to transfer into products and services for the benefit of the community. Moreover, the University also established the Center for Entrepreneurship and Centre for Innovation and Technology to stimulate entrepreneurial ideas among teachers and students, and foster technology transfer to society.

The Taskforce for Reviewing the Size and Composition of the Council (the Taskforce) was established in January 2016 to advise the Council on how to expedite the implementation of the Council’s reorganization. The Taskforce has decided to conduct consultation sessions for different constituent groups of the University in order to listen to their views before making any recommendations to the Council. The first consultation session was held with students on 21 April 2016, and the following sessions for alumni, academic and non-academic staff members will be conducted in the following two weeks as listed in the table below. All members of CUHK are cordially invited to attend.

In response to the recommendations on university governance by the Government, the University Grants Committee and the Audit Commission, an Ad Hoc Committee on the Reorganization of the Council was established in 2009 to discuss the desirable composition of the reorganized Council with different stakeholders of the University, and its final report was approved by the Council in June 2009 (Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Reorganization of the Council: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/council-reorganization/FinalReport_English.pdf ).

The Amendment Statute that would have given effect to the Council reorganization was prepared, and submitted to the LegCo Panel on Education for consideration in November 2013. The Panel advised the University to reconsider the proposals on Council reorganization due to concerns on the part of a significant number of Panel members regarding the differences between the Council and the students on several issues.

The Council earnestly wants to achieve the reorganization as soon as possible, and therefore established the Taskforce in January. Without any preconceived stance or plan, the Taskforce encourages all members of the University to join the sessions and express their opinions. For enquiries, please contact Mrs. Amelia Wong, Secretary to the Taskforce, c/o University Secretariat (email council_reorganization@cuhk.edu.hk, fax 2603 5503 or telephone 3943 7263).

On 16 April, three artists Ms Loi-Che Chan, Mr Mark van Praagh and Ms Sarah van Praagh staged on campus a unique performance, an interlocking inspiration of calligraphy, music and dance, as one of the events of the “Dutch Days in Hong Kong” festival.

As an alumna of CUHK, Loi-Che has been living in the Netherlands for more than 30 years. She has practiced Chinese calligraphy since childhood, and she is particularly interested in the cursive style. As Loi-Che kept practicing her calligraphy, melody echoed from the lines of the characters. Therefore she started to write to music and let the rhythm of the music guide her hand. Her calligraphy, which is like an abstract image with dynamic lines, is also appreciated by Western audiences who cannot read Chinese. When Loi-Che met Mark, who creates ‘unreadable letters and characters’ inspired by manuscripts from different cultures, and Sarah, who developed her skills in dance improvisation, modern dance and classical ballet, the three artists were inspired by each other and created “Dancing Lines”.

The performance began with solo demonstrations by the three artists: Sarah danced captivating solos, Loi-Che wrote ancient Chinese poems in free style calligraphy, and Mark transcribed characters in rapid tempo. Collaboration of the three artists pushed the performance to another climax. Working in trios, the artists reacted to each other: Mark and Loi-Che observing Sarah’s dancing lines, and Sarah reacting to their free style calligraphy in her dance, demonstrating the form, expression, and tempo of the emerging characters.

After the show, Loi-Che invited the audience to dance with her 1,000-meter long ribbon of Chinese calligraphy. Inspired by the fascinating performance, the audience enjoyed playing with the calligraphy in their own creative ways.

The video capturing the highlights of the performance is now available online for public view.