Research Grants Council to Present Public Lecture on "Digital Society: Cultural Preservation and Online Pricing"

Research Grants Council to present public lecture on "Digital Society: Cultural Preservation and Online Pricing"

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:

Pursuant to the Government's initiative to bolster STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education at the primary and secondary school levels, as well as to step up efforts in identifying and nurturing local STEAM talent, the Research Grants Council (RGC) will organise a series of public lectures from October to November 2026. Various topics including cultural preservation with AI, online pricing, children education, artificial intelligence (AI), and universe exploration, etc, will be covered. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. All are welcome.

The first lecture titled "Digital Society: Cultural Preservation and Online Pricing" will be held on October 4 (Sunday). The lecture will be conducted in Cantonese. Details are as follows:

Time: 3pm to 5pm

Venue: Lecture Theatre, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library

Live broadcast: YouTube channel of the Hong Kong Public Libraries (www.youtube.com/channel/UCJUipdvSACZjO1ldoO3YQBA)

Session 1: "Preserving Endangered Culture with AI"

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Can AI help us read old books and archives? This lecture, presented by Assistant Professor in the Division of Humanities at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Professor Michael Chung, will introduce a project that uses AI to recognise Manchu, an important language of Qing dynasty history that few people can read today. Through this example, the talk explains how AI can help preserve endangered scripts, make rare historical materials more accessible to the academia and the public, and bring the past closer to the public.

Session 2: "Online Prices"

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This lecture, presented by Assistant Professor in the Department of Decisions, Operations and Technology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong Professor Justin Leung, will share the analysis of an extensive set of high-frequency data from a major online shopping website in Hong Kong in order to understand how sellers set prices across a broad range of products. This lecture will discuss how sellers react to short-term, intra-week fluctuations in demand, and their response to the launch of consumption voucher initiatives, etc.

The RGC has been regularly organising public lectures since 2009, featuring various distinguished scholars as speakers. These lectures aim to promote research knowledge from Hong Kong's tertiary institutions and raise public awareness of the significance and value of local research work.

For enquiries, please call 2524 3987 or visit the University Grants Committee webpage (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/events/lectures/lectures.html). Additionally, members of the public can register for the RGC's email subscription service at www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/subscribeto receive regular updates.

Photo source: reference image

Appointments of Chairperson and members to Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong announced

The Government announced today (September 25) the re-appointment of Professor Charles Ng Wang-wai as the Chairperson of the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong (VSB) and four incumbent members, as well as the appointment of eight new members, for a term of three years with effect from October 1, 2026.

The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, thanked Professor Ng for accepting the re-appointment to continue to lead the VSB and uphold high veterinary standards in Hong Kong. He also welcomed the eight new members: Ms Chan Kwan-yee, Ms Angela Chan Nga-chi, Mr Michael Lam Ka-yau, Dr Belinda Lum Suet-man, Ms Masami Toda, Dr Tse Ching-nga, Dr Wong Ho-yi and Mr Kenneth Wong Ka-kei, and the four reappointed members: Professor Vanessa Rosemary Duke Barrs, Dr Bronte Stuart Forbes, Dr Wilson Li and Dr Owen Swan.

Mr Tse also thanked the eight outgoing members, Ms Fiona Chin Chun-yee, MrHoward Chuk Hau-chung, Dr Jennifer Go Le-lin, Dr Anthony Kwok Wai-leung, Dr Hilary Lam Ho-yan, Mr John Lau Hon-kit, Professor Angela Ng Lai-ping and DrEsther To Man-wai, for their dedicated service and valuable contribution to the VSB during their terms of appointment.

Enacted in 1997, the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Ordinance (Cap. 529) provides for the establishment of the VSB, which is responsible for the regulation of the practice of veterinary surgery, the registration of veterinary surgeons, and the disciplinary control of the professional activities of registered veterinary surgeons in Hong Kong.

The Ordinance specifies that six of the seats of the VSB are to be filled by registered veterinary surgeons elected by members of the profession. In accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Board (Election of Members) Regulation (Cap. 529B), the VSB conducted its third ordinary election for the elected members in 2026. The election was concluded in June and three candidates were returned uncontested, namely DrRuth Evangeline Ng Hoe-yue, Dr Katherine Mary Simpson and Dr Joshua Perry Steinhaus. As with appointed members, these elected members shall hold office for a term of three years with effect from October 1, 2026. To fill the remaining three vacancies, the VSB will hold a by-election in 2027.

The membership list of the VSB with effect from October 1, 2026, is as follows:

Chairperson

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Professor Charles Ng Wang-wai

Appointed members

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Professor Vanessa Rosemary Duke Barrs

Ms Chan Kwan-yee

Ms Angela Chan Nga-chi

Dr Bronte Stuart Forbes

Mr Michael Lam Ka-yau

Dr Wilson Li

Dr Belinda Lum Suet-man

Dr Owen Swan

Ms Masami Toda

Dr Tse Ching-nga

Dr Wong Ho-yi

Mr Kenneth Wong Ka-kei

Elected members

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Dr Ruth Evangeline Ng Hoe-yue

Dr Katherine Mary Simpson

Dr Joshua Perry Steinhaus

Source: AI-found images