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Junior Science Institute (JSI)

JSI Workshops offered in 2023-24

We offer 7 workshops in 1st semester. Please refer to the table below for details.

JSI workshops offered in 1st Semester (Nov 11, 2023) (Sat)
CategoryWorkshop Code and NameLevelTime
Artificial IntelligenceJSI0080 Can Artificial Intelligence Be Creative?F.4 - F.6

9:00am - 5:00pm

*Lunch will be at participants' own costs.

Biological SciencesJSI0106 Exercise and Health: Nutritional Strategies on Health and Exercise PerformanceF.4 - F.5
ChemistryJSI0003 Colourful FoodF.4 - F.6
MathematicsJSI0102 Mathematics in Action IF.4 - F.6
PhysicsJSI0104 How Do Superconductors Advance High-Speed Trains and Quantum Computing?F.4 - F.6
PhysicsJSI0105 The Two-Sphere Model: Unpacking the Foundations of Astronomy F.4 - F.6
StatisicsJSI0107 A Beginner's Guide to Coding (Excel VBA programming) for Business ApplicationsF.4 - F.6

 

JSI workshops offered in 2nd Semester (Mar 23, 2024) (Sat)
CategoryWorkshop Code and NameLevelTime
Biological ScienceJSI0098 Emerging Technologies to Monitor and Conserve BiodiversityF.6

9:00am - 5:00pm

*Lunch will be at participants' own costs.

Biological ScienceJSI0110 Fish-Human-Ocean Entanglement – Our Relationship with the OceanF.4 - F.6
ChemistryJSI0037 Molecular Gastronomy and The Science Behind CookingF.4 - F6
Earth SciencesJSI0083 Exploring Hong Kong's Geological TreasuresF.4 - F.6
MathematicsJSI0103 Mathematics in Action IIF.4 - F.6
MathematicsJSI0108 Predictability, Determinism and ChaosF.4 - F.6
PhysicsJSI0109 Colourimetry: How Cameras and Displays Bring Images to LifeF.4 - F.6
StatisticsJSI0112 Virtual Entrepreneurship in HKU SAAS Meta Innovation Commercial CenterF.4 - F.6

 

Artificial IntelligenceBiological SciencesChemistryEarth SciencesMathematicsPhysicsStatistics

Artificial Intelligence

AIJSI0080
Can Artificial Intelligence Be Creative? 

Teacher: Dr Rachel LUI, Faculty of Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Machines can simulate human intelligence, think like human as well as mimic their actions. Can machines be creative? In this workshop, we will investigate whether machines can engage in creative activities through painting a picture and composing a song using Artificial Intelligence.

metaverseJSI0112 New
Virtual Entrepreneurship in HKU SAAS Meta Innovation Commercial Center 

Teacher: Dr Adela LAU, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Students will learn how to create a business model with AI in the metaverse. They will participate in a game simulation using AI and statistics to set up a business model for a company or an industry in HKU SAAS Meta Innovation Commercial Center. Students will learn how to use AI and statistics to create a new business model and a virtual business in the metaverse. Each school can form a team of 3-4 students to join us. The team members who are interested in or have basic knowledge in elementary level of statistics, computing, business and economic are strongly encouraged to participate in this workshop, but it is not a requirement.

 

Biological Sciences

biodiversity mattersJSI0098 New
Emerging Technologies to Monitor and Conserve Biodiversity 

Teacher: Professor Juan Diego GAITÁN- ESPITIA, School of Biological Sciences
Level: F.6

This workshop aims to provide a glimpse of the new technologies that have been integrated to biodiversity management and conservation. Students will get familiar with equipment and computing resources that are currently used for tracking species distribution and changes. This workshop combines theoretical lectures with practicals using remote sensing tools as well as computing resources for modelling and collecting data. There will also be some insights into the use of molecular technologies for biodiversity conservation.

HealthJSI0106 New
Exercise and Health: Nutritional Strategies on Health and Exercise Performance 

Teacher: Dr Daphne WU, School of Biological Sciences
Level: F.4 - F.5

The workshop introduces the nutritional strategies for health and exercise performance. By the end of the workshop, students are expected to identify the importance of carbohydrate intake and hydration strategies before, during and after exercise; to interpret the information on nutrition labels; and to select appropriate foods for health and exercise improvement.

biodiversity mattersJSI0110 New
Fish-Human-Ocean Entanglement – Our Relationship with the Ocean 

Teacher: Professor Celia SCHUNTER, School of Biological Sciences
Level: F.4 - F.6

Despite covering most of the Earth's surface, our knowledge of the ocean lags behind that of land, with some arguing we know more about Mars. This workshop aims to educate participants about 1) Hong Kong's marine life, 2) highlight the relationship between humans and the ocean, and 3) promote marine conservation, inspiring young people to take action.

 

Chemistry

Colour foodJSI0003
Colourful Food

Teacher: Professor Angela TONG, Department of Chemistry
Level: F.4 - F.6

Colour is an important aspect in our enjoyment of the food we eat. The objective of this workshop is to guide participants to search for the chemicals embedded in food and beverages that are responsible for the colours. Through the understanding of a variety of molecular structures, chemical separations and analyses of some colourants in the project, participants may get a taste of modem scientific research.

Colour foodJSI0037
Molecular Gastronomy and the Science Behind Cooking

Teacher: Dr Angela YUEN, Department of Chemistry
Level: F.4 - F.6

There are many chemical and physical changes occurred during the cooking progress, which impart each dish with its own characteristic taste and aroma. Through some simple science concepts, we can account for some observations or rationale behind the recipes and cooking myths. In this hands-on workshop, students will gain insights into the science behind the scene of cooking and gain insights from some common techniques, such as gelation and spherification in molecular gastronomy.

 

Earth Sciences

geology treasuresJSI0083
Exploring Hong Kong's Geological Treasures

Teacher: Dr Haz CHEUNG, Department of Earth Sciences
Level: F.4 - F.6

Although Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated and busiest places in the world, almost 70% is undeveloped countryside, covering the landscape of jugged mountains, rugged rock forms and vastness coastlines many different specular landscapes. Students will learn through guided field trips about geology and landscape of Hong Kong.

  

 

Mathematics

math1JSI0102
Mathematics in Action I

Teacher: Dr Tak Wing CHING and Dr Haiyu ZHANG, Department of Mathematics
Level: F.4 - F.6

Mathematics is everywhere in our daily life. In this mathematics workshop series, our teachers will guide students to appreciate various topics in mathematics that find deep and interesting applications in various aspects of our everyday life. Two different topics will be covered in the morning and afternoon sessions.

math1JSI0103
Mathematics in Action II

Teacher: Dr Yat Ming CHAN and Professor Chun Yin HUI, Department of Mathematics
Level: F.4 - F.6

Mathematics is everywhere in our daily life. In this mathematics workshop series, our teachers will guide students to appreciate various topics in mathematics that find deep and interesting applications in various aspects of our everyday life. Two different topics will be covered in the morning and afternoon sessions.

biodiversity mattersJSI0108 New
Predictability, Determinism and Chaos 

Teacher: Dr Timothy WOTHERSPOON, Faculty of Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

This workshop provides an introduction to Chaos Theory, a field of mathematics related to predictability in dynamical systems.

  

Physics

superconductorsJSI0104 New
How Do Superconductors Advance High-Speed Trains and Quantum Computing?

Teachers: Dr Kwing To LAI, Faculty of Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Superconductors are not the usual materials you can find in your daily life, but they are making a fascinating change in technology development. In this workshop, we will explore the properties of superconductors and how they impact the development of high-speed trains and next-generation computations called quantum computing.

AstronomyJSI0105 New
The Two-Sphere Model: Unpacking the Foundations of Astronomy

Teachers: Dr Timothy WOTHERSPOON, Faculty of Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Early astronomers imagined the Earth as the unmoving, fixed center of the Universe. This may seem silly to modern people, but the long-standing popularity of this model is due to its tremendous success despite its simplicity. This workshop will explore the power of this early model of the universe through interactive tools.

colorimetryJSI0109 New
Colourimetry: How Cameras and Displays Bring Images to Life

Teachers: Dr Kwing To LAI, Faculty of Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Have you ever thought that the display screen and camera on your smartphone work based on the same mechanism? It is all about colors. In this workshop, we will explore what colourimetry, the study of color, is. Starting from human eyes, we will explore how humans perceive color and how we develop cameras and display screens based on human perception.

 

Statistics

CodingJSI0107 New
A Beginner's Guide to Coding for Business Applications

Teacher: Dr Eric LI, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science
Level: F.4 - F.6

Coding is fun! The added bonus of learning VBA coding is that it is widely used in the business world. Almost all companies, especially finance and insurance, base their internal operations in Excel VBA, such as data analysis, reporting and presentations. The ability to code in Excel VBA will undoubtedly give you a head start in your future career.