News

"Journey to Excellence: HKBU in Paris" showcases the forefront of sports science and innovation 

31 July, 2024

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) hosted the "Journey to Excellence: HKBU in Paris" event at the World Olympians Association's hospitality house, OLY House, in Paris on 28 and 29 July 2024, showcasing the university’s innovative endeavours in sports science and promoting knowledge exchange with global partners.

Bringing together world-renowned experts and researchers, the 2-day panel discussion was held to delve into topics of “Enhancing Life Outside Sport for Olympians and Elite Athletes” and “Science, Technology, AI and Sport”. Distinguished speakers included Mr Joël Bouzou, President of the World Olympians Association; Ms Yang Yang, Vice-President of the World Anti-Doping Agency; and Mr Seung-min Ryu, First Vice-Chair of the International Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission. Members from HKBU’s Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences including Prof, Yannis Pitsiladis, Research Assistant Professor Dr Carl James, Lecturer Iain Killoughery and students engaged in in-depth discussions with speakers and conference participants on the latest developments in sports. Topics of discussion included the protection of athletes' health and well-being, support for the holistic development of athletes, the advancement and application of sports science and technology, as well as the global promotion of sports activities.

During the event, HKBU showcased its interdisciplinary innovations in Chinese medicine, Health Tech and Art Tech, which can contribute to the development of sports:

• In 2010, HKBU established the Elite Athletes Chinese Medicine Specialty Clinic. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the University provides treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, bone-setting and moxibustion to accelerate recovery from injuries and enhance the overall performance of the athletes.
  
  
• Developed by Prof. Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer, the Automated Point-of-care Pathogen Detection System allows accurate and quick detection on multiple pathogens, helping to monitor the spread of infectious diseases and protect athletes from infections.
  
  
• Led by Dr Jie Chen, Assistant Professor from Department of Computer Science, this project harnesses motion capture technology to track human skeletal trajectories and kinematics, enabling AI to generate context-aware, programmable, and controllable movements. It has the potential for analysing and monitoring athletes' motions in the future.
  
  
• Led by Prof. Jeffrey Shaw, Chair Professor of Academy of Visual Arts, the 'Future Cinema System' features a 360-degree panoramic 3D LED screen that creates an interactive and immersive audio-visual experience. This system can potentially offer a new way to appreciate the visualisation of athletes’ movements and techniques in the future.
  
  
• Led by Prof. Zhu Furong, Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) from Faculty of Science, the novel filter-free NIR photodetector is part of an IoT ecosystem, offering portable material analysis and real-time data connectivity. It is hoped that this technology can be potentially used for monitoring the health status and performance of athlete.

As the world of sports continues to evolve, HKBU is committed to developing new technologies to enhance the overall health of athletes, while also taking the appreciation of sports to another level.

HKBU also announced at the event the launch of the HKBU Admission Scheme for Olympians in partnership with the World Olympians Association starting from the 2025/26 academic year. This is the first scheme of its kind in Hong Kong, aimed at recognising the sporting achievements of active or retired athletes who have participated in the Olympics or competitions of a similar level, from both international and mainland backgrounds, and supporting them in their transition from elite sports to other career developments.