Foreword

Text: Prof S. Joe Qin

President of Lingnan University

Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science

Dear Lingnanians and Friends,

Lingnan University has transitioned to a new stage since last year. We launched the new School of Data Science and the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS). The School of Data Science is the second one established in Hong Kong, which is followed by our peers to launch similar schools. I am thrilled to announce that the renowned Nobel Laureate Prof Samuel C.C. Ting is serving as the LUIAS Honorary Director.

The Lingnan-60 Initiative has enabled us to attract and recruit world-class scholars and professionals to join our family. The new hires in the last year along with existing talents make 14% of Lingnan colleagues in the Top 2% of leading scholars worldwide by the Stanford list. The extraordinary strengths of our two new Vice-Presidents – Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu and Prof Xin Yao – bring to the table all guide the University towards excellence. We now have numerous world-class international society fellows, including two Fellows of US National Academy of Inventors, two Fellows of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, one elected member European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and a number of fellows IEEE, SIAM, AMS, IFAC, AIChE, and ASME, etc. Our extended faculty include a Nobel laureate, members of US NAS, US NAE, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an academician of Chinese Academy of Science. I am proud to say that all these honours were brought by the new hires of the recent one year.

As our campus is vibrant with renewed energy at the start of the academic year, I am thrilled to present this issue of the Lingnan University Magazine showcasing wonderful stories of our people and our university, and highlighting their achievements and engagements with different stakeholders.

With our existing strength in the arts, humanities, business, and social sciences, Lingnan University is steadfast in its mission to become a comprehensive university in arts and sciences, driven by impactful research and innovations in the digital era. Achieving this vision requires a blend of talent, dedicated students, and lively research activities. This issue exemplifies our distinctive mix of these elements.

In the Dialogue section, Prof Xie Haoran and his student Rosie discuss the development of AI and their collaborative journey in promoting AI and technology at Lingnan and elsewhere. Although the Olympics have ended, the spirit of sportsmanship thrives at Lingnan. Longho’s dedication to wheelchair fencing and Dr Mok Kam-ming’s contributions to sports development and education at Lingnan deserve special recognition. We are especially proud of Wai-man, the recipient of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Scholarship and HSBC Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong) Scholarship, who is determined to promote Chinese culture through technology, reaching a wider audience with greater impact. I trust you will enjoy Prof Du Chunmei’s insights as much as I do as she discusses her awardwinning book and her role as Warden of Hall G.

This issue also features the story of the drone winner and the latest updates from our Science Unit’s sustainability projects, showing the diversity and agility of Lingnanians.

At the same time, our solidified foundation has allowed us to retain excellent staff who have contributed to Lingnan’s progress for decades. In the Special section, three staff members who have been at Lingnan for 30 to 40 years relate their experiences and reflect on their time here.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel at youtube.com/lneduhk for supplementary videos and more captivating content!