A research team led by Division of Environment and Sustainability Prof. YEUNG King-Lun has developed a new multi-level anti-microbial polymer coating – MAP-∞, which is effective in killing a wide range of bacteria, hard-to-kill spores, as well as inactivating 99.9% of highly-infectious viruses – including the Omicron variant and is durable for up to five years.

In an article on the Chinese billionaire founder-CEOs stepped down from the leadership role, Prof. Naubahar SHARIF, Acting Head of the Division of Public Policy, commented that the predominant driver of their leaving was politics and they needed to make way for their successors.

Prof. Naubahar SHARIF, Professor and Acting Head of the Division of Public Policy did a podcast episode with Bruegal to discuss the innovation system in China, the strengths and weaknesses of its state-led R&D strategy, and what lies ahead for the international situation where geopolitics seems to overshadow cooperation.

In an article on China’s zero-COVID strategy and the recent outbreak in Shanghai, Division of Public Policy Senior Lecturer Prof. Donald LOW said the Chinese government “denigrated and demonized” places which have switched to living with COVID back in 2021, adding that it can’t openly say that they are now switching to living with COVID, even though that is what their public health advisers and epidemiologists think that they eventually have to do.

An advertorial featuring Environmental Management and Technology (EMVT) Alumni Abraham LAU, who is now an environmental consultant at Arup, talks about how HKUST and his program helped him with his current career. Abraham works to assess the potential environmental impact of civil engineering projects or other private developments, as he advises clients on environmental regulatory compliance. His major programme at HKUST, EVMT, emphasised training students in communication and presentation techniques, and Abraham found himself often going back to the soft skills learned during his days at HKUST to communicate with engineers, or to rely on knowledge acquired during his environmental law course to deal with regulatory matters.

Division of Public Policy Acting Head Prof. Naubahar SHARIF wrote an opinion piece analyzing the “constant mental anguish” state HK people find themselves in amid the seemingly never-ending fight against the pandemic.

Division of Public Policy Senior Lecturer Prof. Donald LOW wrote an opinion piece on HK’s anti-pandemic strategy, in which he called on the authorities to develop a road map for living with COVID-19.

A feature interview with Division of Environment and Sustainability Chair Prof. GAN Jianping, whose research team has just launched WavyOcean – the first interactive marine environment visualization platform which offers data of the ocean in the Greater Bay Area, the entire China Seas, and the Western Pacific Ocean. Prof. Gan also shared his collaborative experiences in GZ through FYTRI and how HKUST(GZ) could offer more opportunities to scientists.

Division of Public Policy Senior Lecturer Prof. Donald LOW wrote an article on 3 possible scenarios that the current pandemic may end in Hong Kong.

Prof. Christine LOH, Chief Development Strategist, Division of Environment & Sustainability wrote an article on Chinese government’s stance on COVID-19 and Russo-Ukrainian conflict creating emotional dissonance in HK over East vs West narratives, saying that only through efforts “to understand HK’s predicament as part of China can the city make the right choice for its future”.