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Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award
The Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award, initiated by the Berlin-based Falling Walls Foundation, showcases and celebrates the most recent breakthroughs in science and society from all around the world. Awardees are selected by a jury comprising globally recognised experts in the fields.
The Falling Walls Foundation, a charity supported by the German government and numerous acclaimed academic institutions, foundations, companies, and NGOs, has been organizing the Science Breakthroughs of the Year Award to foster dialogue on research and innovation globally and promote the latest scientific findings. The event brings together the latest breakthroughs, outstanding science projects and bright minds behind them in scientific, innovation, and humanistic categories.
Laureate
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Prof. Apple Chui, School of Life Sciences
Laureate – Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage) | Breaking the Wall to Engage Schools in Coral Restoration
Prof. Apple Chui from the School of Life Sciences won the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2024 award in the Science Engagement category with her project that has inspired more than 1,000 Hong Kong school students to take part in coral conservation. She presented the School Coral Nursery Education Programme at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin on 7 November 2024, where it was selected from 130 applications across 60 countries and regions.
Co-launched in 2020 by CUHK’s School of Life Sciences and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government, the programme aims to raise awareness of coral conservation and promote stewardship among students and the broader community. Coral nurseries are set up at local schools where students can actively engage in coral culture, and the corals will be transferred by researchers into the ocean. The initiative is the first and only one in Hong Kong which directly engages primary and secondary schools in coral restoration efforts.