HKUST at Global Sustainable Development Congress 2024

This session convened a distinguished gathering of international organizations, academic experts, and community-based groups to collectively examine the development of robust early warning systems targeted at climate and health crises. The dynamic discussions centered around innovative approaches to crafting personalized warnings tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations, as climate change threats continue to evolve. Notably, the session explored strategic leveraging of the Internet of Things and mobile technologies to enable precise risk detection and dissemination of personalized guidance - all with the aim of prompting decisive action from affected individuals, while diligently avoiding the pitfall of overwhelming the public.

Speakers:

• Prof. Fei CHEN (Co-chair of the WMO's Urban Prediction Project; Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST)
• Prof. Alexis LAU (Head, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST)
• Ms. Eva Yeung (Senior Manager of Community Resilience Service, Hong Kong Red Cross)

Moderator:

• Mr. Duncan Ross (Chief Data Officer, THE)

The advent of the sixth industrial revolution presented a complex landscape of both promising opportunities and formidable challenges when it came to driving sustainable development. As rapidly evolving technologies continued to transform how we work, live, and learn, this session explored strategies for aligning digital transformation with the sustainable development agenda and mitigating any negative impacts. Key areas of discussion included harnessing the power of big data, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and other emerging technologies to address pressing sustainability challenges, while also examining the potential risks and unintended consequences of unchecked technological progress.

Speakers:

• Professor Yang WANG (Vice-president for Institutional Advancement, HKUST)
• Ms. Boonyarat Kittivorawut (Senior Regional Manager (Asia), Open Contracting Partnership)
• Mr. Chester Chua (Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Cloud, Google)
• Ms. May-Ann Lim (Director of Data Governance, Access Partnership)
• Mr. Rodrigo Ballester (Ministerial Commissioner, Ministry of Culture and Innovation, Hungary)

Moderator:

• Mr. Nicky Verd (Digital Futurist, Digitally Fit)

As environmental concerns escalate the need for resilient and liveable cities intensifies, the convergence of technology and sustainability became increasingly important. To guide policymakers, researchers and industry leaders in their pursuit of sustainable urban development, this session elucidated the elements that brought about smart innovations for sustainable cities and communities, focusing on the integration of advanced technologies like AI and the Internet of Things, as well as the application of big-data analytics for addressing urban challenges, promoting resource efficiency, enhancing quality of life, and fostering sustainable development.

Speaker:

• Prof. Hong K. LO (Dean of Engineering and Director of GREAT Smart Cities Institute, HKUST)

Moderator:

• Mr. Marcus LEUNG-SHEA (Acting Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, HKUST)

In our shared commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, HKUST, together with our distinguished university partners, announced the "Joint Declaration on Embracing a Living Lab Approach to Promote Carbon Neutrality." This declaration demonstrated our firm commitment to SDG 13 ‘climate action’ and called for joint effort to address climate change by leveraging our campuses as test-beds for hands-on learning and advancing applied research.

Speaker:

• Prof. Yang WANG (Vice-president for Institutional Advancement, HKUST)

Moderator:

• Mr. Marcus LEUNG-SHEA (Acting Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office, HKUST)