The BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize is a prestigious award that supports Hong Kong’s future tech-innovation. This year, five scholars at Hong Kong universities won the prize, pocketing HK$2 million each sponsored by BOCHK. This year’s Laureates are selected for their impressive research achievements and influence on the transformation of scientific research outcomes in the areas of artificial intelligence and robotics, life and health, new materials and new energy, and advanced manufacturing and fintech.
The Founder of the Yidan Prize, Chen Yidan, presented the prizes in a ceremony held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Founded in 2016, the prize aims to help create a better world through education, with two awards—educational research and educational development. This year, the prize honoured researchers and organisations such as Demographer Wolfgang Lutz from the University of Hong Kong and members of War Child Alliance, who use evidence-based care to support the mental health of children in conflict zones.
This year’s finalists were selected from among more than 200 submissions from secondary schools across the city. The winning entries were chosen by a panel of judges, who scored each submission using criteria such as creativity, originality and technical skill.
In a bid to boost HK$1 billion in public funds for research and development, the HKSAR Government will expand the Hong Kong-based Research and Innovation Development Fund. The Fund will provide a HK$5 billion supplementary injection from 2023 to support basic scientific research projects, including those focusing on the application of big data to medical and social sciences, as well as the development of medtech.
An interdisciplinary team from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has won this year’s Hong Kong Science Prize. They were congratulated for their work on an in-situ cellular micromechanics system that can mimic the physical properties of cells. The system can help engineers and scientists to better understand and design cellular materials for medical applications.
The Hong Kong Student Prize is open to all enrolled secondary school students in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Students must be nominated by their teachers to enter the competition. Each student can submit up to three artworks online before the submission deadline of 16 September. The winning student artist will receive the Judges Prize of HK$8,000, and their school will be awarded HK$20,000.
The ICAS Book Prize for Global Hong Kong Studies is a biennial award that was established in 2016 to encourage and reward excellent academic works on global studies in Hong Kong. It aims to promote Hong Kong studies, encourage the study of Hong Kong in international contexts and foster a better understanding of this important part of the world. The prize is a great opportunity for Hong Kong academics and students to showcase their research skills and share their ideas with a wide readership.
In a statement, the Academy of Sciences said it is pleased to partner with the Hong Kong Federation of Youths to promote this important event for young people. We would like to thank our sponsor, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, for their generous support and encouragement to the Academy and the Federation in organising this event.