Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS14/B02/14
Project Title: Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Gateway and Barriers
Principal Investigator: Prof CHOW Irene Hau-siu (Hang Seng)

Abstract
This conference will bridge the gap between theory and practices as it offers a good opportunity for sharing and exchanges between academic researchers and entrepreneurs. The major objective is to provide scholars, educators, and entrepreneurs with a forum for discussion about the impacts of entrepreneurial and innovative theory and practices that will pave the way for a better understanding of the role of entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives in fostering a sustainable and competitive advantage.

On the academic side, it features two prominent keynote speakers from local and overseas universities as well as a panel of academic speakers to share their ideas and experience in the plenary sessions of the conference. Besides, a panel of local entrepreneurs with more than 30 years of business experience will share their views and down-to-earth approaches in the industry.

In addition, guests and faculty members from across departments together with facilitators will bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical approaches in the roundtable session. To explore more possible business practices and strategies of the industry to capture market opportunities, we will also organize a day trip to a Dongguan factory. The factory management team will share their practical experience in recent product development and operations in and for the meantime.

 

Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS13/E01/14
Project Title: Inter-institutional Architectural and Urban Design Programme - 'Adaptive Urbanism - Hong Kong New Town development 1960-2046'
Principal Investigator: Mr CHU Hoi-shan (Chu Hai)

Abstract
Preamble
Through international collaboration, Inter-institutional Architectural and Urban Design Programme (IAUDP) promotes thematic research amongst universities of different regions. With the proposed topic, 'Adpative Urbanism- Hong Kong New Town development 1960-2046' international scholars and professionals in the field of Architecture and Urban Design would collaborate with our faculites to perform academic interflow and experience sharing, with a mission to derive a sustainable new town development model for the future of Hong Kong. The investigation results would be summarized in a report format. Students and our young faculties would also take part in data collection and idea generation process to enhance their professional development. The programme would also benefit pedagogical development (interactive learning mode) and curriculum design (sustainable architecture and city design).

Proposed Research Programme
The proposed topic, 'Adpative Urbanism- Hong Kong New Town development 1960-2046', investigates the history, design and sustainability of New Town Development in the context of Hong Kong.

A devastating fire in the informal settlement of Shek Kip Mei in 1953 left 53,000 refugees from Mainland China homeless. This led the British government to institute a program of building satellite cities - "New Towns" - to address the post-war housing crisis. Tsuen Wan New Town, one of the first, was constructed in 1959. It houses residential, factories, hospitals, open spaces, etc programmes in an 'all-in-one' manner. The recent introduction of new underground train line, the deterioration of factory buildings and the construction of new residential towers provide the opportunity to consider the recycling of the city space of Hong Kong's New Towns, spaces that have become under utilized with the rise of popularity of more spectacular shopping complex in Central Hong Kong and Kowloon. The programme can serve as a model for the larger issue of recycling Hong Kong's New Towns in the face of the rapid transformation of Hong Kong following the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.

With the term 'Adaptive Urbanism' the programme would first extend the definition of ecology to encompass the 'social-natural' complex system dynamics of New Town development. The programme will put into play two methodologies: Cinemetrics and Digital Modelling to document.

Cinemetrics offers an ethnographic approach of closely observing and documenting the movement, gestures and rhythms of everyday life in Riviera Gardens today. Digital Modelling looks at the projected removal of empty podium spaces from Riviera Garden and the possibilities this subtraction provides to recycle Hong Kong's New Towns.

Digital Modelling techniques would be employed to model the morphology of such - from removal of old villages in 1960s to Satellite Town model, to the development that relates to the recent reclamation plan and Metroplan of Hong Kong.

 

Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS16/H01/14
Project Title: Research Capability Enhancement Programme (1) for the Self-financing Degree Sector of Hong Kong
Principal Investigator: Prof IP Yiu-keung (OUHK)

Abstract
This project intends to be the first of a series of programmes for the self-financing degree sector of Hong Kong for enhancing the research capability of academics in the sector. As the first one, this project will organize a series of workshops/seminars to strengthen the generic research skills of relevant academic staff. The events will be jointly organized by The Open University of Hong Kong, together with Centennial College and Caritas Institute of Higher Education.

The series will cover a number of topics related to the research process, including research planning and design, communication skills for creating and managing research space, use of software tools for research, research ethics and writing research reports and papers. Suitable scholars and experts have been invited as speakers for the series of workshops/seminars. The series will be open to all academics and students in the tertiary sector in Hong Kong, including both self-financing and government-funded institutions, and the general public.

The workshops/seminars will be video recorded, for those with individual speakers' approval. The recording will be made available on the internet for future professional development purposes and for training of research students. This project helps cultivate a research culture in the local self-financing degree sector, which can ultimately support teaching and learning in the institutions.

 

Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS14/P01/14
Project Title: Workshop Series in Applied Statistics
Principal Investigator: Dr LIU Nga-wai (Hang Seng)

Abstract
This project is a 5-day workshop with about three to four lectures/talks each day given by invited speakers on topics within the realm of Applied Statistics. Speakers include scholars from our college, other local UGC funded as well as private universities, and overseas. Topics chosen include
Applied Statistics in Image Processing
Statistical Methods in Medical Science/Bioinfomatics
Statistics in Finance and Operation Research
Teaching & Learning Data Science
Statistical Theory and Data Analysis Techniques

 

Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS13/E02/14
Project Title: Highway Development and the Environment
Principal Investigator: Prof PUN Kwok-leung (Chu Hai)

Abstract
In Hong Kong, the road network is about 2,000 km in length and is one of the high-density road systems in the world. Many highway and road infrastructure projects have been completed in the past decades and more are being planned and constructed. However, there are not many research studies to focus on the unique climate and geographical conditions of the Hong Kong's road system. Highway and road research is therefore crucial to the advancement of the design and engineering work in this field. The research needs to integrate the concept of sustainable development, minimizing the short-term and long-term impacts to the environment. This proposed project covers the studies of sustainable construction materials in roadwork, ecological effects of road construction, environmental impacts of road runoff, development of a road marking system, and application of fiber optic sensing technologies in highway pavements.

Large quantities of construction materials are required for highway and road construction. Construction wastes are also generated from regular maintenance of roads. Use of sustainable materials and techniques for road construction and maintenance can minimize the harmful effects to the environment. The involvement of specialists and engineers from the local government, the industry and academic units in exploring the use of sustainable materials and techniques for roadwork is crucial to achieving sustainability in highway and road design, construction and maintenance.

Highways often lead to urbanization, and change in land-use and landscape patterns. The ecological effects of road construction include road kills, habitat loss and reduced habitat quality. It is important to understand how road construction may affect these indicators when developing regional planning policies. Another important aspect of highway development is the generation of road runoff as a result of rainstorm events. The polluted runoff carries sediments and contaminants that may cause long-term impacts to the natural environment. There are, however, not many studies in Hong Kong to investigate highway pollutant loadings and the negative effects of polluted road runoff on the receiving water bodies.

In highway design, road marking is used to indicate a road section and provides visual aid to drivers. It is in general the local authority to issue specifications to control the performance of road marking. Currently, there is no well-developed road marking system that is suitable for Hong Kong's climate with high annual rainfall. There is a need to carry study in this area.

With the recent development of fiber optic sensing technologies, many applications of fiber optic sensors in civil infrastructures have been achieved. As compared with traditional sensors, the fiber optic sensors have many advantages, such as small size, light weight, high accuracy, resistance to electromagnetic interference and corrosion, and multiplexing capability. As part of the project, feasibility analysis of using fiber optic sensors for health monitoring of highway pavements is one of the key areas to be investigated.

This project creates a platform for researchers and practitioners to exchange knowledge and findings, and will contribute to the advancement of highway and road engineering.

 

Project Reference No.: UGC/IIDS13/B01/14
Project Title: China and Australia: Links through Education, Trade, Investment and Mirgration
Principal Investigator: Prof YU Eden Siu-hung (Chu Hai)

Abstract
This proposed project will consist of a series of collaborative research activities between the Faculty of Business, Chu Hai College (Hong Kong) and Graduate School of Business, Deakin University (Australia) focusing on the current development of educational programs, economic trends and business opportunities existing in and particularly between China and Australia via the increasingly closer links of education, trade, investment, and migration between the two nations. It may be noted that the two institutions signed a MoU on academic collaboration in July 2013 (please see attachment 7), and this project can be seen as a concrete way of implementing the collaboration on research.

China is now the largest market for Australia's exports, but mainly on resource and energy commodities. International trade can promote economic welfare of trading countries by way of increasing total consumer demand, providing jobs and creating business opportunities. However, during the past 10 years, strong demand by foreign buyers, especially from China, has led the Australia currency to appreciate by more than 30 percent, thereby weakening her competitiveness in the world markets. However, due to the recent slowdown in the Chinese economy as reflected by the fall of her GDP growth, the Australian exports and hence economy have declined too. To revive the economy, the Royal Bank of Australia has lowered the interest rates to the 30 years low.

The economies of China and Australia have been generally linked via international trade and investment in mining and energy product in the past. Nonetheless, because of higher income and increased environmental concerns in China in the recent years, Chinese demand for high-end "clean and safe" products, like non-genetically modified (GM) crops, has increased. In addition, services trade, such as overseas studying, tourism and even migration, from China to Australia have been on the surge. These activities alter the pattern of trade from predominantly mining and energy products to services, inducing additional demand for real estate investments. Furthermore, new business opportunity emerges for Chinese financial firms by bringing their payment system, Unionpay credit card, into Australia.

To better understand the current rapid changes in trade and investment, we propose to set up Chuhai-Deakin research unit or center to investigate both the traditional pattern of trade between China and Australia in resources and energy products and also the newly emerging issues surrounding trading in non-GM crops, real estate investments, education, tourism, migration and related financial services. The research outcomes will enable us to make recommendations to policy makers for long-term, sustainable growth of the two nations.

For effective implementation of the proposed project, we plan to proceed in four stages, as follows: (1). To develop a series of short lectures on international trade and finance at Chu Hai College but open to all Hong Kong higher educational sector; (2). To invite local and overseas scholars and experts to present seminars on consumer/producer demand behaviors in China and business opportunities in Australia and vice-versa; and (3). To host an international conference for exchanging ideas and research outputs on the rapidly evolving economies of China and Australia and the interfaces of the two countries. .

This proposed Chuhai-Deakin research unit for the study of the economies of China and Australia is unique in Hong Kong, as it provides a platform for deeper learning and idea generating among students, teachers, policy makers and citizens, useful for designing appropriate measures for sustaining long-term growth of the two economies with Hong Kong as a major gateway for the interflows of commodities and services.