City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is hosting an academician conference “Energy and Environment: Crisis, Opportunities and Challenges” on 5-6 November, bringing together distinguished academicians from around the world to offer new insights into the formulation of future energy and environmental policies that are of particular significance to Hong Kong and mainland China.

The conference examines the root causes leading to the energy and environmental crises confronting the world. It also looks at emerging opportunities and ways to balance the conflicting demands of environmental protection and energy production.

Seven academicians who are environment or energy experts presented papers on 5 November on topical issues such as regulation and toxicity of metals in aquatic ecosystems, climate change, sustainable development and alternative energy sources. They were: Professor Ken Denman, Fellow of Royal Society of Canada; Professor Edward Miles, Member of US National Academy of Sciences and American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Professor Surya Prakash, Member of European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities; Professor David Randall, Fellow of Royal Society of Canada; Professor Norman Scott, Member of US National Academy of Engineering; Professor Chris Llewellyn Smith, Fellow of Royal Society; and Professor Chris Wood, Fellow of Royal Society of Canada.

The renowned academicians will also share their opinions and suggest innovative ideas to help address pressing energy and environment issues at the open forum on 6 November, to be moderated by local energy and environment experts, including Dr Ng Cho-nam, Director of The Conservancy Association of Hong Kong; Chair Professor Johnny Chan Chung-leung, Dean of CityU’s School of Energy and Environment; Chair Professor Istvan Horvath, Head of CityU’s Department of Biology and Chemistry; and Professor Ron Hui Shu-yuen and Professor Rudolf Wu Shiu-sun, CityU’s chair professors of Electronic Engineering and Biology respectively.

Following the introductory message by Professor Roderick Wong Sue-cheun, Vice-President (Research and Technology), Professor Way Kuo, President of CityU, thanked the distinguished scholars for travelling from all corners of the globe for the conference.

“CityU is a young and energetic university and it has been developed into a world-class institution. CityU is also a clean, neat and energy efficient university. I am sure this conference at CityU will generate many solutions to pressing energy and environment problems,” Professor Kuo said.

Conference convener Professor Rudolf Wu pointed out that the HKSAR Government included environmental industries in its recent Policy Address as one the six industries crucial to the development of the Hong Kong economy. With the participation of a number of local and overseas experts, he believed this conference would be able to inspire new directions in energy and environmental policymaking.

“Energy and Environment: Crisis, Opportunities and Challenges” is the third in the four-conference series “Science for the Future: A World-class Summit”, organised to mark CityU’s silver jubilee. Bringing together top academic elites to study the advancement in various scientific fields and its implications on society, the conference series strengthens the collaboration between CityU and prominent scientists and promotes CityU’s development in related fields. The last conference, co-organised with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, will be held in December, titled “Engineering Science and Technology: Trends and Frontiers”.

Media enquiries: Michelle Leung, Communications and Public Relations Office, CityU (3442-6827 or 9050-7507).