Knowledge Exchange Conference cum ''3+3+4'' Symposium on Knowledge Transfer

The Knowledge Exchange Conference: Knowledge Transforming Society, led by HKU, was successfully held on December 5-6, 2011 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Knowledge Exchange, or Knowledge Transfer, has formally been recognized by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and is described as the "third mission" of higher education. With support and sponsorship from UGC, HKU together with all the other UGC-funded institutions jointly organized the KE Conference, which incorporated the ''3+3+4'' Symposium on Knowledge Transfer.

The development of KE as an institutional mission, alongside teaching & learning and research, is still a relatively new concept to the higher education sector in Hong Kong.  The Conference provided a platform for experience sharing between overseas experts and local academics and practitioners, and for exchange of views on issues of common concern in taking KE forward.

The Conference has explored issues that have implications on effective delivery of the KE mission, including the intricate interplay between government policies, institutional policies and culture, and changing business and community needs; impact assessments of technology-based and non-technology-related KE activities; and open access. It also provided new insights on how higher education institutions and industry, business, the public sector, non-governmental organizations, and schools, etc., could work in concert through knowledge partnerships to address the many complex issues facing Hong Kong and the region.

The 2-day Conference featured a total of 15 overseas speakers and 63 local speakers, of which 55 were from the eight UGC-funded institutions. The Conference also provided an avenue for the UGC-funded institutions to showcase their accomplishments in KE to interested stakeholders. In addition to conference presentations by speakers from the eight institutions, an exhibition with 43 posters was held concurrently. HKU presented a total of 27 success stories through conference presentations and posters.

''We see knowledge exchange as not only being intrinsically interwoven with research and teaching, but accepted as almost an everyday part of what we do,'' says Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor and President of HKU.  ''Knowledge flows both ways; while we contribute our knowledge to our community, stakeholder input will further enrich our teaching and learning, and research activities.''

The Conference was very well attended, with over 550 participants from Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, Japan, Indonesia and UK. Apart from academics, administrators and students of the UGC-funded institutions, there were participants from different stakeholder groups, e.g. government, consulates, non-governmental organizations, charitable organizations, professional associations, primary and secondary schools, R&D companies and legal firms. 

Presentations and posters are available on the Conference website.

Back row from left: Professor Paul Cheung (HKU; Co-chairman of Organizing Committee), Professor Teck Seng Low (Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore), Dr Alan Paau (Cornell University, USA), Professor Paul Tam (HKU; Advisor to Organizing Committee), Professor Rick Wong (HKBU), Professor John Malpas (HKU; Advisor to Organizing Committee), Professor Mitchell Tseng (HKUST), Professor Alfred Chan (LU), Ms Sharon Tam (CUHK), Professor John Bacon-Shone (HKU; Co-chairman of Organizing Committee)

Front row from left: Professor Warren Bebbington (The University of Melbourne, Australia), Professor Anthony Cheung (HKIEd), Ir Dr Hon. Samson Tam, JP (Legislative Council, Hong Kong), Miss Janet Wong, JP (Innovation and Technology Commission, HKSAR Government), Professor Lap-Chee Tsui (HKU), Professor Eng Kiong Yeoh, JP, GBS (UGC), Hon. Mrs Regina Ip, GBS, JP (Legislative Council, Hong Kong), Professor Way Kuo (CityU), Professor Philip Chan (PolyU), Professor Eugene Wong (University of California, Berkeley, United States)

From left: Professor John Bacon-Shone (HKU; Co-chairman of Organizing Committee), Mr Jerry de la Harpe (The University of Melbourne, Australia), Professor John Houghton (Victoria University, Australia), Professor Kim Knott (University of Leeds, UK), Professor dr. Maurits van Rooijen (Nyenrode Business Universiteit, The Netherlands), Professor Walter Yuen (PolyU), Sir Brian Fender (The Institute of Knowledge Transfer, UK), Professor Christopher Megone (University of Leeds, UK), Mr Tom Hockaday (Isis Innovation Ltd, UK), Professor Paul Cheung (HKU; Co-chairman of Organizing Committee)