Campus Digest

HKBU researchers present ideas at Blue Sky Research Fund Open Forum

Friday, 30 September 2022

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Professor Guo Yike delivers his opening remarks at the Forum.
Dr Zhou Yuanyuan wins the Best Poster Award.
Dr Yu Yuanyuan collects the 1st runner-up prize of the Best Poster Award.
Dr Yu Rongjun wins the 2nd runner-up prize of the Best Poster Award.

The Blue Sky Research Fund Open Forum was held by the Research Office on 14 September. Twenty-eight applicants presented their novel research proposals covering a wide spectrum of subjects, including art and technology, disease detection, artificial intelligence, climate change, and pollution. The presentations led to dynamic discussions and the exchange of ideas between the speakers and the audience.

Professor Guo Yike, Vice-President (Research and Development), said: “Curiosity-driven research should be our DNA as academics. The advance of science is not always driven by tangible or measurable outcomes with a clear agenda. Unanticipated scientific breakthroughs are sometimes more valuable than the outcomes of agenda-driven research, and may bear fruit only after years or even decades have passed.”

Three prizes were presented by Professor Guo to the winners of the Best Poster Award:

—    Winner: Dr Zhou Yuanyuan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics

—    First runner-up: Dr Yu Yuanyuan, Assistant Professor of the School of Chinese Medicine

—    Second runner-up: Dr Yu Rongjun, Associate Professor of the Department of Management

The research proposals will be reviewed by an International Advisory Board. The results will be announced in October. 

HKBU has set up the Blue Sky Research Fund to encourage researchers to conduct curiosity-driven work to push the frontiers of science and advance knowledge outside of the restrictions of a pre-defined agenda. Please click here for more information.