HKU Law Awarded Three KE Impact Project Awards 2019/2020

The University of Hong Kong's Knowledge Exchange (KE) Funding Scheme for Impact Projects supports projects that have the potential to create social, economic, environmental or cultural impacts for industry, business or the community by building on expertise or knowledge in the University and projects designed to collect evidence for corroboration and evaluation of impacts. Engagement projects that aim to benefit non-academic communities beyond Hong Kong are strongly encouraged. 

     The Faculty of Law was successful in obtaining three awards in the 2019/20 round of funding, for most cases in the amount of or less than HK$100,000 except one exceptional outstanding case in the amount of HK$150,000. Congratulations to :

• Ms Amanda Whitfort "Wildlife Crime: Knowledge Transfer for Informed Sentencing in Greater China". This ongoing and interdisciplinary project involves a collaboration between Associate Professor Amanda Whitfort, Faculty of Law, Dr Caroline Dingle, School of Biological Sciences and Dr Gary Ades, Head of Fauna, Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden, in producing a series of wildlife crime impact reports (similar to victim impact statements for endangered species) to aid the Agricultural Fisheries and Conservation Department, Customs and Excise Department and the Department of Justice in effectively prosecuting, and the judiciary in sentencing wildlife crime, under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap 170) and the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap 586). 

• Dr Richard Wu "Empowering Local School Teachers' Capabilities in Responding to Covid-19-Related Legal Issues Through Experiential Learning". This interdisciplinary project aims to empower local teachers’ capabilities by equipping them with common law concepts and values to respond to COVID-related legal issues in the school setting. Legal knowledge with real life examples will be delivered through experiential learning workshops by academics from HKU Law Faculty, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Education University of Hong Kong, as well as barrister-at-law and legal counsel with knowledge and experience in dealing with COVID-related legal issues. Moreover, this project seeks to create social impact by raising local school teachers’ awareness of legal issues in the school setting that may arise from COVID-19. 

• Mr Brian Tang "Fostering Law, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (LITE) through one stop legal online information, tools and resources on LITE Lab @ HKU website". LITE Lab@HKU seeks to be Hong Kong’s first-stop online self-help legal resource for startup companies, social entrepreneurs and non-profit associations who face many legal related issues and challenges setting-up and operationalizing through student-created introductory and user-friendly self-help information, tools and resources. This initiative supports Hong Kong government and HKU’s focus on cultivating and supporting technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. LITE Lab@HKU seeks to build on the great tradition at HKU Faculty of Law’s of assisting Hong Kong citizens through the Community Legal Information Centre (CLIC) website initiatives and its specialized segments for Youth CLIC, Senior CLIC, and Family CLIC.