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Global Scholars Converge in Hong Kong at Hong Kong Baptist University’s Inaugural International Interdisciplinary Research Summit
Inspiring Collaboration and Innovation to Drive Impactful Research Addressing Global Challenges
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 February 2025 – Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)’s inaugural International Interdisciplinary Research Summit (IIRS) has convened leading scholars, researchers, and innovators from diverse fields from Hong Kong and worldwide to foster collaboration and address pressing global challenges, particularly in fields including Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Health and Drug Discovery.
Interdisciplinary Solutions: Enabling Early Identification of High-Risk Individuals for Disease Treatment
In a world where health challenges have reached unprecedented levels, HKBU’s inaugural International Interdisciplinary Research Summit (IIRS) showcased how interdisciplinary collaboration, between Data Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Health and Drug Discovery, can revolutionize and accelerate the development of new and more effective treatments for a range of diseases. As highlighted by Vice President (Research and Development) Professor Aiping Lyu, the university is dedicated to fostering international research collaboration against today’s complex challenges. He noted that the university’s focus on four transdisciplinary clusters – creative media and practice, health and drug discovery, analytics and AI, and humanity and culture, is crucial for fostering innovation.
Keynote speakers of the Summit included Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Director, Australian National Phenome Centre, Murdoch University, Australia; Albert Einstein Honorary Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Emeritus Professor of Biological Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK. Known to be one of the world’s foremost coronavirus experts, Nicholson covered the topic of “Molecular Phenomic Approaches in Population Health and Disease Diagnosis”. He unveiled how AI and advanced data analysis are used to analyse genes and lifestyle, highlighting that studying humans for future scientific relevance requires considering the complex interplay of genes, environment, politics, funding, and human interactions that ultimately influence the translation of science into clinical medicine.
Professor Thomas Efferth, Director, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, and Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany, leads a research team developing compounds that could replace opioids as pain relief without addiction. In the speech titled “Artificial Intelligence and Network Biomedicine in Natural Product Research”, Efferth highlighted the transformative role of AI and systems biology in natural product research, explaining that tasks previously performed manually by generations of PhD students, such as pipetting in wet labs, can now be automated with robots. Moreover, AI can optimize experiment design, creating significant opportunities for deep learning and AI in research.
Likewise, Professor Gavin Winston, Department of Medicine, Centre for Neuroscience Studies and School of Computing, Queen’s University, Canada, is leveraging AI and ML to revolutionise brain imaging for neurological diagnosis and treatment. In his presentation titled “Machine Learning in Neuroimaging across Disciplines”, he highlighted how advanced techniques like deep learning are enabling more efficient and precise analysis of MRI and CT scans, ultimately leading to improved outcomes. Notably, his current research focuses on utilising robotics and neuroimaging to understand and address cognitive impairment in individuals with epilepsy, demonstrating a commitment to improved patient care.
Professor Jianfeng Feng, Dean of the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence and School of Data Science at Fudan University, spoke on the topic “From Multi-Omic Data to Brain Diseases, Digital Twin Brains, and Brain-Inspired AI”. One of Feng’s research projects found that blood biomarkers can forecast the risk of dementia 15 years before diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. He emphasised that AI and ML are transforming healthcare, from understanding the foundations of diseases to developing personalised medicine.
The summit’s panel discussions further amplified the impact of interdisciplinary approaches in disease treatment. Leading experts delved into crucial discussions, enriched by perspectives on natural products and Traditional Chinese Medicine, centred on the challenges and way forward in translating big data into actionable understanding. Key topics included integrating Al capabilities with domain knowledge for data-driven model interpretation, addressing the paradox of using doctor-labelled data for Al training in clinical applications, managing multi-scale parameter calibrations and validations in principle-based modelling, and balancing computational cost with biological predictability through strategic coarse-graining. These sessions generated a wealth of new perspectives and underscored the indispensable role of science in addressing societal health challenges.
Professor Johnny Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research), HKBU, remarked that the IIRS cultivated a vibrant atmosphere for sharing knowledge and working together. Scholars have gathered and expressed enthusiasm for the groundbreaking research expected to result from the relationships formed at the summit.
As one of the priorities of the University’s Institutional Strategic Plan 2018-2028, HKBU aspires to be a leading, research-led, liberal arts University in Asia. The University keeps enhancing its capacity and strength to produce world-class research with an aim to bring significant impact to society. To learn more about HKBU’s research strengths and our publications, visit HKBU Research Website.
Hashtag: #HKBU
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About HKBU Research Office
At Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), we nurture and uphold a robust research culture and environment, and equip our remarkable researchers with visionary insights and strategic experiences throughout their intellectual journey. While promulgating our esteemed researchers, their interdisciplinary research initiatives, and HKBU’s research excellence locally and internationally, we value our solid connections with the HKBU community.
Together with every community member, we strive for research excellence in our four strategic research clusters: Creative Media and Practice, Health and Drug Discovery, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, and Humanities and Cultures.
Explore more about HKBU’s research at
https://research.hkbu.edu.hk/.
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The 7th Cross-Strait Financial Forum and Taiwan-Funded Enterprise Development Forum
This year’s forum is an important supporting event of the 18th Cross-Strait Forum. During the event, nine Fujian-Taiwan financial integration projects were signed, with a total value of RMB 9.1 billion. The projects cover a wide range of financial services across areas including cross-strait industrial cooperation, water supply security for public welfare, capacity upgrades for long-established Taiwan-funded enterprises, technology and innovation industries, and modern agriculture. These initiatives continue to unlock the benefits of financial policies, promote shared access to financial resources for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises, and inject new momentum into industrial integration between Fujian and Taiwan.
At the forum, the Cross-Strait Wealth and Asset Management Cross-Sector Alliance was officially inaugurated. Supported by Jinyuan Group and jointly proposed by its affiliated financial institutions, the alliance was co-founded by Xiamen International Trust, Jinyuan Uni-President Securities, Yuanxin Yongfeng Fund, Fubon Bank (China), Junlong Life Insurance, and Xiamen Chang Gung Hospital, among others. Centered on serving the wealth management and asset management needs of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the alliance aims to build a one-stop service platform covering asset allocation for Taiwan compatriots and Taiwan-funded enterprises on the mainland, family trusts and wealth succession planning, pension finance, and healthcare protection solutions.
The forum also unveiled a series of innovative financial achievements related to Taiwan. The banking industry’s first group standard dedicated to Taiwan-related financial services on the mainland, the “Specification for Taiwan-Related Financial Services of Banking Financial Institutions,” was officially released. At the same time, the “Bailufen” Taiwan Compatriot Financial Service Platform was introduced, further enhancing financial services for Taiwan compatriots living in Fujian and supporting the development of Taiwan-funded enterprises.
Hashtag: #StraitsFinancialForum
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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Verdant Rock Receives BBB+ Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Rating with a Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings
“The infrastructure and capital markets we are targeting have been systematically underserved over the past decade. Verdant Rock enters this space with an investment grade rating, a strong capital position, the regulatory standing, the technical capability, and the long-term commitment that issuers and their advisers have been unable to find elsewhere.”
— Tolga Uzuner, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Verdant Rock Limited
The Fitch Ratings report can be accessed here:
Fitch Rates Verdant Rock at ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable
Verdant Rock’s Class 3B registration can be verified via the BMA’s register of regulated entities (search “Verdant Rock”): https://www.bma.bm/regulated-entities
Notes to editors: For the May 2026 licensing announcement, see https://bernews.com/2026/05/walkers-supports-verdant-rock-licensing/
This announcement is (i) for information only; (ii) not an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security, insurance product, or financial guarantee; and (iii) not for distribution in any jurisdiction where to do so would be unlawful. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results, and Verdant Rock undertakes no obligation to update them. A credit rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security and may be subject to revision, suspension or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency.
Hashtag: #VerdantRock
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
ABOUT VERDANT ROCK
Verdant Rock Limited is a Bermuda-based insurance company, regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, providing Basel III and Solvency II compliant financial guarantees in emerging markets, designed to qualify as eligible credit protection under Basel and major insurance solvency regimes, for the benefit of institutions globally.
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TVBS deploys AI translation for NVIDIA GTC Taipei keynote
Online viewers praised the translation quality, with comments including “The quality of this real-time translation is amazing,” “The translation is incredibly fast,” and “The live speech recognition quality is surprisingly good.” Some viewers assumed the subtitles came from NVIDIA’s official translation team.
The achievement demonstrates how Taiwan’s media industry is adapting to AI-driven transformation. TVBS is positioning itself as a leader in integrating proprietary AI development with real-world broadcast applications. The company completed optimization and deployment of the system in just nine days — a process that traditionally requires months of dedicated training, according to Andy Yang, manager of TVBS AI Future Technology Department.
Yang explained that the biggest challenge in real-time translation lies in balancing “content accuracy” with “reading fluency” under extremely tight time constraints. Huang’s speaking style is highly improvisational and frequently switches between English, Mandarin and Taiwanese, while audience applause and cheering often occur simultaneously.
Applying standard off-the-shelf translation software in such an environment would likely result in sentence segmentation errors and unclear semantic interpretation, Yang said. Rather than pursuing “zero-latency” translation at all costs, TVBS designed a subtitle presentation mechanism specifically tailored to the keynote format.
Prior to the event, the TVBS team conducted extensive cross-platform testing on multiple AI translation models, evaluating latency and error rates. By introducing a carefully calibrated broadcast delay, the system gained additional time to process semantic meaning and contextual alignment. This approach enabled smoother subtitles matching natural Chinese reading habits, Yang said.
The team also built a dedicated knowledge base for NVIDIA GTC Taipei, compiling AI industry terminology, product names and technical keywords in advance. This significantly improved translation quality and the accuracy of professional content delivery. TVBS’s real-time translation system can be customized based on different broadcasting scenarios, Yang noted.
Yang emphasized that the key to the rapid nine-day deployment was cross-department collaboration. Engineering teams handled hardware tuning and signal integration, while internal technical and content teams managed ongoing model training and refinement. TVBS established a collaborative workflow integrating both technology and editorial expertise.
Through continuous iteration and adjustment, the team incorporated Taiwanese linguistic nuances and natural Chinese phrasing into the system. This enhanced fluency and readability beyond what generic AI models alone could achieve, ultimately shaping what Yang called a distinct “TVBS AI style.” The approach reflects the company’s “3T” philosophy — Truth, Trust and Technology.
In his keynote at the Taipei Music Center, Huang focused on AI infrastructure, next-generation computing platforms and NVIDIA’s latest technological roadmap. GTC Taipei 2026 attracted significant international attention as AI continues to reshape global industries. Through its own transformation journey, TVBS hopes to help lead Taiwan’s media industry into a new era shaped by AI.
Hashtag: #TVBS
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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