HONG KONG, July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A senior Swiss
delegation led by Mr Guy Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor
and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education
and Research, visited Hong Kong Baptist
University (HKBU) on 5 July. The delegation was able to
partake in the premiere of the terapixel
scale digital version of the Swiss national treasure
painting, The Panorama of the Battle of Murten (1893),
which was displayed on the 360-degree panoramic stereoscopic
LED screen at HKBU's Visualization Research Centre.
The delegation was welcomed by HKBU representatives including Dr
Clement Chen, Chairman of the
Council and the Court; Mr Paul Poon,
Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court; Mr Kevin Liem, Treasurer of the Council and the
Court; Professor Alex Wai, President
and Vice-Chancellor; and other senior management team members.
In his welcoming speech, Dr Clement
Chen said the delegation's presence serves as a symbol
of the strong ties between Hong Kong and Switzerland, and their shared dedication
to excellence and innovation.
"HKBU is honoured to be chosen as one of the very few
destinations during their tour in Hong
Kong. This visit presents an opportunity for us to
demonstrate our unwavering commitment to academic excellence,
research, innovation, technology transfer and enriching
cultural exchanges. We are excited to showcase these achievements
through a selection of exhibits, allowing the delegation to witness
firsthand the cutting-edge developments and innovative solutions
that our institution has been spearheading," said Dr Chen.
Mr Guy Parmelin pointed out that
Hong Kong and Switzerland share many similarities. Given
their commonalities, further mutual collaboration in the realms of
education, research and innovation would be highly beneficial to
both parties.
"HKBU has a very successful collaboration with one of
Switzerland's leading research
institutions, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
I am particularly curious to explore the Visualization Research
Centre, a place where our researchers are already working
side-by-side at the intersection of computer science and culture,"
said Mr Guy.
Both parties shared their recent developments in education and
culture in Switzerland and
Hong Kong. Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer of
HKBU, gave an overview on the latest development in teaching,
research, knowledge transfer and translation at the University. He
also introduced HKBU's recent innovations in healthcare, AI and
culture.
Several HKBU art tech projects were presented to the delegation
at the Visualization Research Centre. Professor Jeffrey Shaw, Director of the Centre, and
Professor Sarah Kenderdine,
Professor of Digital Museology of EPFL and Visiting Professor of
the Department of Computer Science at HKBU, unveiled the
digital version of the painting The Panorama of the Battle of
Murten, which depicts a Swiss victory over the army of the
Duke of Burgundy, a fierce battle that
took place in 1476 and altered its national history.
The physical painted canvas measures approximately 10 x 100
metres. At 1.6 terapixels, the digital image undertaken at
EPFL is the largest image ever created of an artwork. It was also
the first time that the Swiss Government representatives were able
to view this national treasure in a digital format.
Other collaborative projects between HKBU and EPFL on the
Future Cinema Systems were also demonstrated, enabling the audience
to immerse in the extraordinary experience of the pan-Asian
Buddhist sites along the Maritime Silk Road, the centrepiece
of several large-scale exhibitions and permanent museums.
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SOURCE Hong Kong Baptist
University