The University organised a public lecture on “Augmented Reality, Creativity and the Arts” in collaboration with ETH Zurich on campus on 23 October as one of the featured events under the Zurich meets Hong Kong – A Festival Of Two Cities programme.

The lecture attracted hundreds of participants including artists and designers, media and arts professionals, educationists, museum specialists, students of HKBU and other institutions, alumni and staff.

In his welcoming remarks, Professor Roland Chin, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said that HKBU is a liberal arts university strong in creative media. Its students, graduates as well as faculty members have made notable achievements and are well recognised in various fields such as visual arts, film, music and creative writing.

The keynote speaker Professor Robert Sumner, Associate Director of Disney Research Zurich (DRZ) and Founder of the ETH Zurich Game Technology Center, presented live demonstrations to highlight his research on Augmented Creativity that shows the unique potential of augmented reality to enhance creative play. Dr Bryan Chung, an interactive media artist and Associate Professor of HKBU’s Academy of Visual Arts, on the other hand, contrasted virtual reality and augmented reality concepts in the creative arts, including film and advertising, and showcased locally developed AR applications.

The lecture was concluded by a panel discussion moderated by Dr Albert Chau, HKBU Vice- President (Teaching and Learning). Two panel members Professor Emilie Yeh, Lam Wong Yiu Wah Chair Professor of Visual Studies of Lingnan University, and Mr Peter Benz, Acting Director of HKBU’s Academy of Visual Arts, joined the speakers to further discuss the interplay of technology and art.