【Cubic Zine Issue 35】The Innovative Drive of the “Yeast” Designer: Architect Sarah Mui Discusses the Design Concept Behind CUHK’s InnoPort, Leading New Community Design Projects in Hong Kong
InnoPort will celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2025. In the final issue of Cubic Zine in 2024, we invited Sarah Mui, Chair of Hong Kong Architecture Centre, the InnoPort’s designer, and an alumna of the School of Architecture at CUHK, to return to her alma mater. Ten years of entrepreneurship, traversing through highs and lows.For the first time, Sarah discussed InnoPort’s design concept and shared her experiences and insights from participating in community design projects.
Expanding the Possibilities of Place-making Through Community Design
The renowned humanistic geographer, Professor Yi-Fu Tuan, proposed that the emergence of “place” comes from the unique meanings humans assign to it. People are at the core of a place, where they work, live, and play, transforming space into a place that conveys meaning and identity. In fact, each of us exists in constantly changing spaces. By opening up possibilities for different activities, we create places, fostering community interaction, cultural expression, and a sense of belonging.
“Our Living Room” — A Dialogue Between Wah Fu Lounge and Urban Memories
Architect Sarah Mui, alumna of The Chinese University of Hong Kong brings to life the Wah Fu Lounge —a space where collective memory intertwines with hope for the future, where residents gather, remember, and envision.
【Cubic Zine Issue 34】Invisible Wings of Empowerment — Phyllis Wong and People with Intellectual Disabilities Co-create a Life Planning APP
60 years ago, CUHK pioneered the first Undergraduate Program in Social Work in Hong Kong, attracting high-quality faculty. To date, the Department of Social Work has nurtured over 8,400 graduates who shine in frontline, management, and research positions. This issue of Cubic Zine focuses on Dr. Wong King-shui Phyllis, a senior lecturer and chairperson of Undergraduate Program and Curriculum Committeein the Department of Social Work.
Aim Higher and Dream Bigger — Co-creation Between Friends With Intellectual Disabilities and Social Welfare Organizations
Dr. Wong King-shui Phyllis advocates for self-determination and life planning for people with intellectual disabilities. Through extensive collaboration, her team started from scratch, recruiting subjects, repeatedly researching solutions, and producing instructional videos. Finally, this year, their e-learning resources were successfully launched.
Despite the poor weather on the day of the launch and sharing event last month, with the Observatory issuing yellow and red rainstorm warnings, over 400 people attended to witness the achievements. Both on and off stage, there was a palpable sense of excitement and satisfaction.
【Cubic Zine Issue 33】Florence Nightingale Has an Entrepreneurial Dream – Suzanne Lo Pioneered a Social Enterprise for Hand Care, Giving Stroke Survivors a Chance to Regain Control Over Their Hands
With grace and a slender figure, she carries her luggage and rehabilitation tools, braving the scorching summer heat to visit stroke survivors. In pursuit of her entrepreneurial dream, even as a mother of two young children, she perseveres and manages the “impossible trinity” of running a social enterprise, conducting research and teaching, and taking care of her family. Let us delve into Suzanne’s entrepreneurial dream and learn how her social enterprise and project provide hand care services to stroke survivors, bringing warmth to their arduous journey of rehabilitation.
Peer Support in stroke recovery, Golden-ager Lisa and Moon talk about their wishes
The day of the home visit was a “Great Heat Day” (one of the 24 Solar Terms in Chinese Calendar). Suzanne and her co-workers went to Sha Kok Estate in Sha Tin to visit Ms. Yu Yuek-kuen (Moon), a stroke rehabilitation patient. After dragging their luggage filled with service supplies, they were still chatting and laughing, and together with our interview team of seven, we silently stepped into Moon’s warm little home.
Intern Dairy / Natalis explores Social Innovation
My name is Natalis Leung, and I am a 15-year-old secondary school student at the German Swiss International School. I spent around two and a half weeks working at InnoPort. It was my first internship experience and I found it very educational and interesting; I could not only do the work I expected to do but also learn new skills and participate in an interview with a professor on a social innovation project she aims to create.
Good Days for Reading Good Books | Freedom from the Known
Mr. Cheetah Chak, tutor from SouLight Spiritual Education Centre highly recommends Freedom from the Known
Balancing Inner and Outer Peace, Healing the Minds of Adolescents
The youth in Hong Kong are facing a serious mental health crisis. According to a 2023 study by the Hong Kong Christian Service, over 70% of students believe that “academic issues” are the main cause of suicide. Additionally, family relationships, interpersonal relationships, and other issues also contribute to the stress experienced by adolescents. The study further indicates that about 90% of individuals do not seek help from teachers, social workers, or family members when facing negative emotions.
A Trio of Peace Educators
Believing in the transformative power of education, Dr. Chow established the social enterprise SouLight Spiritual Education Centre to bring spiritual education into secondary schools. Cheetah Chak and Pamela Suen are the driving forces behind this project, working on the frontlines to implement the teachings.
【Cubic Zine Issue 32】Chow Wai Yin Integrates the Research Achievements of Education, Religion and Psychology, Promoting Peace Education and Enhancing the Mental Health of Youth and Communities
The long journey of life is full of twists and turns as well as ups and downs. Will it lead to clarity or a maze? In light of this, the Cubic Zine interview team followed the footsteps of Dr. Chow Wai Yin, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, CUHK, to the first Labyrinth established in a university in Hong Kong, a collaboration between the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and the Chung Chi College.
With a focus on the well-being of youth, Dr. Chow will share how to combine spiritual wisdom from religion, teaching through narrative approach, and social enterprise operations, to create a mutually inclusive community through the power of peace education.
From a doctor’s perspective, Professor Jean Woo believes that communication is of utmost importance in end-of-life care
When we are young and healthy, we have control over our lives. We can choose our jobs, partners, and where we live, creating an ideal life for ourselves. But when we reach old age and experience physical and mental decline, can we still make the best decisions for our own lives, especially at the end of life? Professor Jean Woo, the Director of The CUHK Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, shared the practical situation of discussions on end-of-life care among healthcare professionals and patients.
Good Days for Reading Good Books | “$100M Offers”
“As an engineer transitioning into the business side of a startup, the concept of sales always seemed like uncharted territory to me. However, Alex Hormozi’s “$100M Offers” has been a game-changer, illuminating the path with its straightforward and impactful advice.
【Cubic Zine Issue 31】Take Fate by the Throat: Helen Chan Pioneers Advance Care Planning in Chinese-Speaking Regions, Hoping That Everyone Can Enjoy Golden Years in Peace
Hong Kong takes pride in its longevity and was once leading the world in life expectancy for seven consecutive years. While pursuing an increase in average lifespan, it is equally important to pay attention to the resources and support for end-of-life care, ensuring the quality of life in the final stages. In this edition of Cubic Zine, we feature Helen and her team’s pioneering work on Advance Care Planning (ACP) in Chinese-speaking regions, examining its effectiveness and international impact.
【Cubic Zine Issue 30】Stand by Patients with Rare Diseases: Geneticist-Cum-Entrepreneur Edwin Chan Persisting in Scientific Research for Over 30 Years, Developing AI Communication Tools to Decode the Unspoken Love among Silent Sufferers
Edwin Chan, a Professor at the School of Life Sciences , The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), specializing in neurological diseases, has dedicated his life to researching these rare conditions. With an impressive academic background, including a doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge, he has led a team that successfully uncovered the causes of spinocerebellar atrophy (SCA) . During the two-hour interview, Edwin shared the unfortunate “social reality”: high costs and limited resources in rare disease pharmaceutical development often leave families battling with despair against death.
“AI Phonograph” for Rare Disease Patients
Behind the Voice Link project is a mentor who is willing to give opportunities and a group of like-minded students.
Ceci from Cell and Molecular Biology Programme used to be Edwin’s lab assistant, fortunate enough to study the probability of developing spinocerebellar atrophy (SCA) in patients under Edwin’s guidance. After returning from overseas exchange, she had deeper thoughts: How can we transform the academic knowledge we have learned and researched into real help for rare disease patients?
【Cubic Zine Issue 29】The Matrix of “White Hats”- Hacking Oneself to Identify and Fix Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities, Chau Sze Yiu Hopes to Raise Awareness among Institutions and the Public for Better Prevention
In this issue of Cubic Zine, we feature Professor Chau Sze Yiu from the Department of Information Engineering, the Faculty of Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and his team of students, Doria and Cousin, who are also “white hats.” We explore their little universe and witness how they relentlessly work day and night to patch vulnerabilities in the virtual world, safeguarding the security of the multiverse and mitigating the crisis of data leakage in real life.
