[ad_1]
On Sunday, Hong Kong mourned the passing of the city's Nobel Prize for Physics, Professor Charles Kao Kuen, whose founding work on fiber optics laid the foundation for the development of modern communications.
He had struggled with Alzheimer's for more than ten years before his death at age 84.
Tributes were paid with General Manager Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor among the first to offer his public condolences. She praised Kao as the "pride of Hong Kong" for her outstanding contributions to the city and the world by bringing a revolutionary change to modern communication technologies.
Known for his groundbreaking achievements in transmitting light into fibers for optical communication, Kao won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009, the Faraday Medal in 1989 and the Alexander Graham Bell Medal in 1985.
The Charles K Kao Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease, founded in 2010 by Kao and his wife, Gwen Kao Wong May-wan, confirmed his death in a local sanatorium Sunday at 11:45.
"One of the last wishes of Professor Kao, our foundation, will continue our work of supporting people with Alzheimer's disease and their families," said Kao's widow and president of the foundation in a statement.
"We hope you can show solidarity with our foundation by supporting Professor Kao's wishes."
In 2002, Kao was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, a form of dementia marked by progressive mental deterioration.
Kao became known as a university researcher, affiliated with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) from 1970, and then in the private sector, including with ITT Corporation, a US-based company.
As Hong Kong prepares for China's resumption of sovereignty in the late 1980s, Kao has risen to the challenge of leading the CUHK by serving as vice-chancellor of the university since 1987 for nine years.
Over the years in charge, he led the creation of the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Education and a number of research institutes. The university has also almost doubled in size during these few years and a fourth undergraduate college was created.
Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, former vice president of CUHK, said that Kao's biggest contribution to Kao was his altruistic decision not to use his invention to make money. Instead, he said the physicist had shared it with the entire world, allowing everyone to benefit from fast communication of data made possible by fiber optics.
A decisive hope for Alzheimer's disease as many pharmaceutical companies abandon the fight
Professor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, said: "The death of Professor Kao is a great loss for [the university], Hong Kong and the academic world. We all [Chinese University] will remember his immense contributions to the university and to the world.
A former vice-chancellor, a respected economist, Professor Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, a long-time friend of Kao, described him as a "true pioneer and giant" of science. "We would not have had the Internet and all the real – time communication we have today without its invention.
But Professor Henry Wong Nai-ching, a former dean of science at CUHK, said the Nobel Prize has brought world-wide attention to scientific research in Hong Kong and the university. wrote in 1991 entitled Technology Road Maps for Hong Kong. It has established a master plan for the future development of the city in terms of innovation and technology.
Ivan Choy Chi-Keung, political scientist at CUHK, then president of the student union during Kao's term, remembered him as a very down-to-earth and kind person, very different from his predecessor, Professor Ma Lin and his successor. Arthur Li Kwok-cheung.
"My mother had taught me almost every time we met, but Kao was different. He was ready to listen to the voices of the students, "said Choy. "He was also very active on the campus of the Chinese University, because he had often attended film screenings and seminars, without anyone knowing he was there."
Despite his illness in recent years, the physicist has again recognized his wife and their two children, all of whom have survived.
The university is installing a place in the university campus gallery for members of the public to leave their messages of condolence to Kao. The venue will be open from Monday for a month.
In 2010, the couple founded the foundation to raise awareness of the disease, educate the general public about brain health care strategies, and improve support for Alzheimer's patients, their families and caregivers.
Gwen Kao had previously stated that her husband had once expressed the wish to die peacefully at home rather than at the hospital. The decision was made two decades ago after the couple saw their father, who was also suffering from dementia, struggling in hospitals several months before his death.
She argued that Hong Kong doctors should have a culture to help families better understand whether it is worth using extreme or forceful methods to save elderly or terminally ill patients.
Dr. Lam Ching-choi, Chair of the Senior Citizens' Commission, said that in addition to his scientific contribution, the Kao couple had left a legacy to the city by raising awareness of Alzheimer's disease and cancer care. end of life. Chinese culture.
"They have made a significant contribution to society by leading the discussion and making the public understand that Alzheimer's disease is just a disease but not a taboo and that we need to let Alzheimer's patients live terminal living dignity ".
[ad_2]
Source link
