The progress of science and technology is changing with each passing day, and the wave of scientific research and innovation is constantly updating society. This relies on scientists forging ahead, especially a group of Chinese scientists who have made particularly proud achievements in participating in scientific research and technological development. In view of this, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the HKSAR Government, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, and the Education Bureau of the HKSAR Government jointly organized the "Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series 2023" on May 20. Three academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering were invited to the Hong Kong Science Museum to share scientific and technological knowledge in plain language and communicate with the teenagers and the public present. It is hoped that by teaching by example, young students will be inspired to be interested in science, and the public will also understand the growth and scientific research stories of these outstanding Chinese scientists.
The three speakers were Academician Chen Xiangsheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (expert in tunnel and underground engineering), Academician Chen Yong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (expert in energy and environmental engineering), and Academician Anthony Yeh Gar-on of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (expert in geographic information science). They explained to the public the current status and trends of infrastructure construction in the Chinese Mainland, the construction of a waste-free society, and smart technology and smart cities respectively. To facilitate public participation, the lecture was conducted both online and offline. Many secondary school students participated on-site and agreed with the spirit of scientific and technological progress and scientists striving for breakthroughs.
Academician Chen Xiangsheng of the Chinese Academy of Engineering used data to speak, introducing the current status of infrastructure construction development in the Chinese Mainland, and stated that with ecological and environmental protection requirements, mainland infrastructure development has begun a transformation from quantity to quality, and this new model is being widely cited in the "Belt and Road", which is a vivid practice of China's efforts to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Academician Chen Yong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering explained in detail the construction concept and process with the concept of "waste-free society", and illustrated it with practical cases of some representative schools, circular economy industrial parks, and cities.
Academician Anthony Yeh Gar-on of the Chinese Academy of Sciences focused on "Smart Technology and Smart Cities", using a large number of examples to analyze in detail GIS, one of the backbones of smart cities, and various smart technologies in smart cities.
In addition to sharing professional content, the three speakers were also earnest in encouraging young people to understand the concept of sustainable development. Academician Chen Xiangsheng specially mentioned that scientific research needs to trace the source. In addition to rigorous scientific thinking, it is also necessary to think about the sustainable interaction between humans and nature. The five waste-free cases shared by Academician Chen Yong also guided the participants to think that the ultimate problem of waste production is creating a bottleneck for the sustainable development of cities. Academician Anthony Yeh Gar-on clearly accepted how to develop sustainable low-carbon smart cities based on the importance of geographic information.
After the theme sharing, the three academicians answered questions from the on-site and online live audience.
Xu Haishan, President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, one of the organizers, believes that continuing to hold the "Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series" is of far-reaching significance. Gathering experts and scholars from Hong Kong and the Mainland to share their personal mental journeys, realize their pursuit of progress, and how to solve problems in the research of frontier issues can enable the vast number of teenagers to understand the service spirit of patriotic scientists and inspire them to participate in scientific research and serve the needs of society and the country in the future.
After the lecture, the speakers were accompanied by Lee Wai-kwan, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum, to visit the new special exhibition "The Bionic World" launched yesterday. The attending guests praised the exhibition, believing that the cooperation between the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Design Museum in London helps the public re-understand materials science from a new perspective.
Since 2003, the "Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series" has been jointly organized, inviting Chinese scientists to the community to give speeches and share with the public and students, hoping to inspire young students' interest in science by teaching by example, and also let the public understand the growth and scientific research stories of these outstanding Chinese scientists. To mark the occasion, speeches were delivered by Ms. He Wei, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs) of the China Association for Science and Technology, and Mr. Lee Wai-kwan, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum. They also took a group photo with Mr. Liu Maozhou, Second-level Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr. Xu Haishan, President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, and Ms. Fan Yingyan, Member of the Party Group and Full-time Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology.
Speech by Ms. He Wei, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Office for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs) of the China Association for Science and Technology.
Speech by Mr. Lee Wai-kwan, Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Science Museum.
Mr. Liu Maozhou, Second-level Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, took a group photo with guests and three academicians.
Source: Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre
Hong Kong Science Popularization and Science Fiction Academy (HKSPSF) promotes scientific knowledge and science fiction culture, and fosters the popularization and development of science education.