Research Grants Council to present public lecture on STEM education on November 27

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
 
     The Research Grants Council (RGC) will present its fourth public lecture this year under the theme of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education on November 27 (Saturday) at the Hong Kong Science Museum.
 
     The RGC has invited Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Division of Environment and Sustainability of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Professor Yeung King-lun; Adjunct Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability of HKUST Professor Joseph Kwan; the Research Associate Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability of HKUST, Dr Han Wei; and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) Professor Vivian Yam to share their research findings and professional knowledge with the public. Details are as follows:
 
Time: 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Venue: Lecture Hall, 1/F, Hong Kong Science Museum
Language: Cantonese
Admission: Free (seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis)
 
     Members of the public can also watch a live broadcast of the lecture through the Hong Kong Science Museum website (hk.science.museum/en_US/web/scm/pp/sl.html).
 
     Led by Professor Yeung, the HKUST team has taken the challenge to develop innovative and benign technology to improve the living environment and enhance the health and safety of individuals and the community. The team has invented advanced technologies employing smart materials that respond intelligently to environmental cues to mitigate pollution and microbial contamination. Examples include a family of smart antimicrobials that disinfect the air, water and surfaces of harmful bacteria and viruses. Technologies targeting odour find uses in the drainage network to deodorise and improve air quality, while anti-biofouling coatings inside water pipes protect pipes from corrosion, prevent microbial contamination and improve energy efficiency.
 
     Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a promising emerging technology for flat panel displays and has found applications in smartphones, high-definition televisions and virtual reality devices nowadays. HKU's proprietary OLED materials have provided great opportunities for regional and global businesses to create a new mainstay industry in Mainland China. HKU has exclusively licensed patents on platinum (II) emitters to major global OLED display manufacturers, as well as attracted industrial capital to realise the commercial use of such inventions in display technology. HKU's pioneering work on gold (III) emitters has led to a joint laboratory with one of the largest Chinese enterprises to develop printable OLED materials.
 
     The public lectures of the RGC aim at arousing public interest in local research developments. Since 2009, the RGC has invited numerous leading scholars to speak at these lectures. For enquiries, please call 2524 3987 or visit the University Grants Committee webpage (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/events/lectures/lectures.html). In addition, the RGC has launched an email subscription service, and people who are interested in receiving updates of new contents on the RGC website can subscribe to the service at www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/subscribe.