KE Spotlight - Community Engagement - HKU Knowledge Exchange

HKU launches free legal information website for families in Hong Kong

The HKU Law and Technology Centre has launched the fourth legal information website to provide free bilingual legal information on 19 topics involving legal issues commonly encountered by families in HK. The website serves as a quick and handy guide for family members with no legal background. The contents of the website have been summarized to 100 Q&As, which are printed into booklets and are available to the public for free.

HKU partners with Observatory and Space Museum to launch weather information for astronomical observation

The HKU Department of Physics has partnered with the Hong Kong Observatory and Hong Kong Space Museum to launch the "Weather Information for Astronomical Observation" website. This website provides star maps, sky brightness and weather information for star watchers among the general public. The information will also be provided to the University to study light pollution.

HKU partners with the University of Toronto and Queen Elizabeth Hospital to develop new test for detecting early nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC)

Researchers of HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine have partnered with the University of Toronto and Queen Elizabeth Hospital to develop a simple brush test which allows early detection of NPC. This test is simple and non-invasive. It can be performed in even remote regions reached by few specialists with high accuracy rate of 99%. Hopefully this test can be applied on a large scale global screening of NPC to help patients before the cancer develops further.

Let's Yoga! FITMIND IS ATTITUDE

Targeting at psychosis patients' problems of weak physical and learning abilities, the Department of Psychiatry of HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and the Early Psychosis Foundation (EPISO) jointly developed a simple 23-step yoga sequence named "FITMIND Yoga 23-postures" to enable patients to keep the momentum of practising yoga. Research by the Department of Psychiatry found that yoga could help improve the patients' movement and senses, as well as their abilities to receive and process information. In the next few months, the Department of Psychiatry and EPISO will organise a series of charity activities to promote "FITMIND Yoga", including free yoga classes, distribution of promotional pamphlets and instructional yoga videos to patients for self-learning. A 3D photo exhibition named "FITMIND IS ATTITUDE" was held at Times Square, Causeway Bay from March 11 to 16, and a "FITMIND Yoga Mega Fund-raising Event" at Diocesan Boys' School will be held on April 6.

HKU develops new technology for identifying rare cancer cells and detecting early cancer

A multi-disciplinary research project, led by the HKU Engineering Faculty with members from the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, has developed a new optical microcopy approach integrating existing fiber-optic and laser technologies, called Asymmetric-detection Time-stretch Optical Microscopy (ATOM), which can better detect rare cancer cells at an earlier stage in an ultrafast speed more accurately and efficiently. The development and application of this technology will hold great promise in advancing early cancer diagnosis or post-chemotherapy relapse detection.

HKU holds Science and Art Crossover Programme for secondary students

Over 100 junior secondary students from 48 secondary schools took part in a workshop organised by the HKU Faculty of Science in January 18. The participants learned about the intertwining possibilities between science and art through drawing the spiral patterns in nature, making molecular gastronomy, folding paper Platonic solids, etc. Artworks of the participants are on exhibition at the University until February 17, and will be showcased at the Central MTR station in April.

HKU to expand "Youth Quitline" services to contribute to a smoke-free Hong Kong

HKU's "Youth Quitline", established to help young people quit smoking, has received over 5,000 telephone enquiries and provided cessation counselling for 1,257 (up till September, 2013) youth smokers over the past eight years. 21.9% of participants quitted smoking after receiving services of the "Youth Quitline". It was found that the main reasons for young people to quit smoking were to lead a healthy life and save money. The Tobacco Control Office has granted further funding for the University to continue the existing services, as well as to expand the services through multi-media platforms to reach more youth smokers.