HONG KONG, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lingnan University today (20 September) honoured the achievements of 46 faculty members at the Research and Knowledge Transfer Excellence Awards Presentation Ceremony 2024, recognising exceptional performances in academic research and knowledge transfer while highlighting the contributions of Lingnan staff in enhancing community quality of life and societal advancement.

This year, Lingnan University secured 39 Research Grants Council (RGC) competitive grant projects, totalling an impressive $24.4 million ? the highest sum awarded over the years, and a 17 per cent increase over last year's HK$20.8 million. Moreover, Lingnan University obtained outstanding results in the RGC Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme, with seven out of nine nominated candidates receiving offers, an impressive success rate of 78 per cent.

The awards included the Research Output Excellence Award, the Young Researcher Output Award, and the Research & Knowledge Transfer Fund Award. The Science Unit from the School of Interdisciplinary Studies won most of these, with seven awardees, including the two projects that received the highest funding from the RGC: Assistant Professor Inga Elizabeth Conti-Jerpe's "Calibrating the mixotrophy spectrum: quantifying nutrient inputs and recycling in three corals with different trophic strategies", and Assistant Professor Anthony Lau's "Demystifying the origin of tetrodotoxin in the Hong Kong newt". In addition, Assistant Professor of the School of Graduate Studies Huang Genghua's funded proposal "When digitisation encounters financialisation: divergent strategies for providing social protection for platform workers in Chinese localities" received a perfect score of 5.0 in the rigorous peer review conducted by the RGC subject panels. (Table 1)

Officiating guests included Ms Candy Kan Shuk-fun, Assistant Secretary-General (Research) of the University Grants Committee (UGC), Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University and Lingnan Education Organization representative, Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, and Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning, who were all on stage.

In his welcoming remarks, President S. Joe Qin congratulated all the award-winning scholars. He highlighted the University's continuous pursuit of innovation amidst the digital era, noting that Lingnan University has achieved several significant milestones over the past year. Achievements include the establishment of the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) and the School of Data Science (SDS), as well as the appointment of 15 globally renowned scholars through the "Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment" initiative, representing a quarter of the goal already reached. Additionally, 14 per cent of the University's scholars are now ranked among the top 2 per cent of scientists worldwide by the Stanford University list. Furthermore, generative AI has been introduced as a core course for all first-year students in the new academic year, enhancing their AI literacy and critical thinking skills for dealing with AI's impact in daily life and work.

President Qin said, "Lingnan University emphasises the importance of cultivating innovative capabilities and has set a new goal of becoming a comprehensive university in arts and sciences in the digital era, with impactful research and innovations. This signifies that the University not only provides a broad-based education but also strengthens research capabilities, enabling students to develop innovative thinking through academic exploration. Additionally, the University emphasises the integration of arts and sciences, offering a well-rounded education that blends humanities and scientific knowledge. This educational model not only nurtures students' comprehensive skills but also establishes a strong foundation for adaptability and innovation in an ever-changing professional landscape, contributing to the development of future leaders."

Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University and Lingnan Education Organization representative, who delivered the opening address, said that Lingnan will keep building on its achievements so that its research and knowledge transfer efforts have a lasting, meaningful influence on society. "We are taking bold steps toward nurturing talent and driving groundbreaking research that benefits society. Our integration of arts and sciences has begun to spark creative problem-solving and interdisciplinary insights, bringing technology closer to humanity. Our University continues to build on its strengths in the Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences, while expanding into new fields like data science, artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality, and environmental sustainability. Our scientists are dedicated to developing solutions that will shape the future for generations to come."

In his closing remarks, Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning of Lingnan University, described collaborations with strategic partners: "We have witnessed exciting developments in areas like AI and environmental sustainability. These emerging fields of research have opened the door for collaboration with partners outside the University. We have entered into strategic agreements with organisations in Shandong, and a close partnership with Northeastern University's State Key Laboratory on the Mainland. In addition, Lingnan University has been approved as a Supporting Institution for the National Natural Science Foundation of China, which presents a wealth of opportunities for our scholars. We have also saluted our first awardee of the National Natural Science Foundation of China Young Scientists Fund."

He added that the University remains committed to promoting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will continue to develop inspirational academic and research initiatives that contribute to these global aims.

Please see the details for the full list of awardees: https://www.ln.edu.hk/orkt/orkt-and-committees/research-and-kt-excellence-awards/research-kt-excellence-awards2024.

Table 1.