Bulletin No. 2, 2024

Launched in October 2023, the government’s Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme encourages academics in local universities to translate their decades of research into tangible outputs that benefit society. Providing up to HK$100 million to each approved project, the scheme aims to help local universities commercialise their research and development (R&D) outcomes, and facilitate collaboration between the government and research sectors. In the following pages, we examine the projects that have gained this prestigious funding, and talk to their principal investigators about their journey in bringing their vision from drawing board to reality. A key component of CUHK’s research is robotics, as exemplified by Professor Liu Yunhui’s continual quest to create vision-driven robots that can achieve real-time eye-brain-motor coordination. Similarly working with robots is Professor Samuel Au, whose project aims to develop a safe, affordable and cost-effective robotic platform that can be used for surgeries. Indeed, many of the RAISe+ projects centre on medical applications: Professor Barbara Chan’s research is dedicated to the development of clinically usable living tissues that can mimic and replace defective ones; while Professor Zhao Ni has come up with a sensor-based AI system that can provide users with personalised health advice. Some of the academics featured in this issue have developed products and technologies that help society face the future with confidence. Professor Tsang Hon-ki, an expert in silicon photonics, has set his sights on developing more robust photonic chips, significantly hastening signal connections in computers; meanwhile, Professor Raymond Yeung hopes to promote his network coding technologies to a wider level, enabling communication networks to become safer and faster. Nor are the academics in these pages limited to the realm of telecommunications: Professor Lam Hon- ming has utilised his expertise in soya bean research to develop sustainable food products that support healthy ageing. These seven professors may have different academic interests, but they all point to the diversity of CUHK’s research, and their success is an undeniable milestone for the University. CUHK Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sham Mai-har (in yellow) and Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Professor Sun Dong (green tie) were guests at the signing ceremony in May 5