IAS Newsletter, Spring 2019

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IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019) - Cover Story: The Truth about Fake News - What Tricks Us into Believing Lies Research Excellence 3 - IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019 Issue) IAS Research Excellence 2 - IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019 Issue) IAS Research Excellence 3 - IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019 Issue) Special Feature - IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019 Issue) Join Our Events - IAS Newsletter (Spring 2019 Issue)

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Cover Story The Truth about Fake News What Tricks Us into Believing Lies

Living in a digital age and Internet-obsessed societies such as Hong Kong, people link themselves to the Internet and social media via mobile devices for instant news and information, and to stay in touch with friends. While most people in the developed world are accustomed to being digitally linked, Internet dependency has been found to be strongest among millennials and members of Generation Z, who were born into a connected world. Social media and the powerful “sharing culture” feed us a vast amount of information every single moment, and we are exposed to a wealth of feeds and tweets that can make us weary. Information is often taken at face value, and much of it is shared indiscriminately because we crave “likes” and fear missing out. What is the consequence? It is possible that we pass on eye-popping news and information without verifying its truthfulness. Prof. Gita JOHAR, the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business at Columbia University and IAS Senior Visiting Fellow, takes a closer look at the way people interpret messages and their reluctance to fact check from a consumer psychology perspective.

Seeing is No Longer Believing

Some say that we are mired in an era of “post-truth.” This term was declared Word of the Year 2016 by Oxford Dictionaries, and is defined as “circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” If we are now living in a terrifying post-truth reality, did we once live in an era in which we believed in objective facts but not the perceived truth?

Before social media emerged, we accessed news through traditional media such as the press, television, and radio, which we generally believed to be trustworthy. However, a survey released last year indicated that most Americans had lost faith in the media. They considered that 62% of the news they received on traditional media platforms and 80% of that encountered on social media was biased.1

Have the change in the media ecosystem and the emergence of new digital technologies led us astray? Is social media directly to blame for spreading fake news?

Before we jump to conclusions, let’s examine the facts. Social media has only been around for a decade or so, but fake news is nothing new. Hoaxes, planted stories, misleading information, and alternative facts have been familiar terms for many years, and all refer to things that seem legitimate but are in fact fabricated.

According to A Short Guide to the History of ‘Fake News’ and Disinformation published by the International Center for Journalists, fake news has existed since Roman times, and throughout history “misinformation, disinformation and propaganda have been features of human communication.” The term 'fake news' has blossomed in recent years, thanks partly to the current US President Donald Trump, who made the term synonymous with “unfavorable news” during the 2016 US presidential election. Some of the most “believable” fake news headlines of 2017, any of which you may have come across, include “Illegal immigrants started California wildfire,” “Palestinians recognize Texas as part of Mexico,” and “Barack and Michelle to divorce.”

Fake news is undoubtedly taking its toll, and the epidemic is far from over. An even more extreme phenomenon is that of “deep fakes”—videos fabricating people’s words or actions through artificial intelligence software. Many politicians and celebrities have fallen victim to widely viewed deep fakes.

The extent of the destruction that fake news or deep fakes could bring is beyond our imagination. So why can’t we see right from wrong and true from false? Have we lost our ability to judge in today’s warp-speed online world? What shapes the way we act online? How Rumor Cascades

A recent set of studies conducted by Prof. Gita JOHAR and her research group examined the behavior of people who read news in the presence of others versus alone and the motives behind people’s behavior and their reactions to fake news on social media.

In the study, entitled Perceived Social Presence Reduces Fact-Checking,2 2,200 adults in the US participated in a series of experiments that tested how the context in which information is presented affects the willingness to verify ambiguous claims. The results consistently showed that people are less likely to fact-check information encountered when in a group or on social media than information encountered when alone.

In the experiments, the participants evaluated a series of ambiguous statements presented on a website. The statements covered a range of topics, from current events to partisan remarks ostensibly made by political candidates. Half were true and half were false. The participants could rate a given statement as true or false or raise a fact-checking “flag” to determine its accuracy. The participants had the opportunity to earn a bonus on top of their fixed fee for participation. The bonus depended on how well they performed, and its structure varied across experiments but did not affect the overall pattern of the results (e.g., in one experiment, the participants received five cents for a correct answer, lost five cents for each incorrect answer, and neither made nor lost any money through flagging).

In the first experiment, the participants evaluated 36 statements described as news headlines published by a US media organization. Half of the participants saw their own username displayed alone at the side of the screen, and the other half also saw the username of 102 respondents described as currently logged on. The participants flagged (fact-checked) fewer statements when they believed that others were present. Another experiment simulated social presence in a more natural environment. Half of the participants evaluated “news headlines” on the website used in the previous experiment (representing traditional media), whereas the other half read the same headlines in the form of posts by the same organization in a Facebook feed (i.e., on social media). The finding that people flag less often in group settings (vs. alone) was replicated in the traditional media context. However, the participants in the Facebook condition flagged few statements regardless of whether they saw only their own names or others’ names on the screen. In other words, encountering information on social media, an inherently social context, made the participants behave as if they were in a group.

Collective Contexts Suppress Fact-checking

Why do people lower their guard in the presence of others?

Could this be due to a phenomenon known as the “bystander effect,” which makes individuals less likely to take responsibility for their actions or offer help to a victim when they know others are nearby? People may expect to free-ride on others’ fact-checking efforts, thinking, “If everyone else is verifying this information, I don’t need to.” However, in Johar’s experiments, the participants were unable to rely on others to fact-check for them. The participants’ own performance determined the size of their bonus payment. People may also lower their guard in others’ presence due to the conversational norm or expectation that a speaker is telling the truth. To avoid offending others, the participants in the group experiments may thus have decided not to express skepticism through fact-checking. However, the results of the experiments did not point to a greater belief in the presence of others; they merely indicated lower levels of fact-checking.

Johar suggested another possibility: that being around others automatically lowers our guard. “This is like the herding behavior of animals,” she said. “Animals in the wild hide out and feel safer in herds, and similarly, we feel safer in a crowd.”

Indeed, some research on animal and human behavior has pointed to a “safety in numbers” heuristic in which vigilance is decreased in crowds (or herds), perhaps due to the assumption that any risk encountered will be divided. As fact-checking demands vigilance, a similar heuristic may arise when people are attuned to other individuals’ presence online. Johar found that those who scored high for chronic prevention focus—a trait associated with being habitually cautious and vigilant—were mostly “immune” to the effect of social presence and fact-checked just as much in the company of others as they did alone. When Johar promoted a vigilance mindset by priming a prevention focus, the participants in a group setting flagged nearly twice as many statements as those who had not been primed with vigilance. Number of statements flagged (i.e. amount of fact-checking) by social presence and platform

According to Johar's experiment, people flagged fewer statements when they saw others on the traditional media site. This difference disappeared on the social media platform. Regardless of whether they saw others online, participants were less likely to fact-check information when viewing on social media. Number of statements flagged (i.e. amount of fact-checking) by social presence and induction task In the control condition, participants fact-checked fewer statements in the presence of others versus by themselves. However, this difference disappeared after exposure to the vigilance induction. Source: Youjung Jun et al. PNAS 2017; 114:23:5976-5981

\\ If people are reminded that information may be false, they will become more skeptical and vigilant.\\ Fake News Sharers vs. Fact-checkers

The Art of War by SUN Tzu (孫子兵法) teaches us that if you know the enemy and yourself, you are prone to victory in battle. Johar thus examined the main “culprits” in another research project – the fake news sharers. She studied their profiles across five dimensions: demographics, political affiliation, social media usage behavior, emotions, and personality.

In her IAS Distinguished Lecture last November, entitled “Combating Fake News: A Consumer Psychology Perspective,” Johar shared her findings with the audience. She compared fake news sharers and fact-checkers to random Twitter users and individuals who share news from mainstream media outlets. One may think that more intelligent people are less likely to fall for fake news, but Johar argued otherwise.

“Fake news sharers and fact checkers exist beyond demographics and ideology,” said Johar. “Both of them are very active on social media platforms and appear to be motivated by anger and anxiety. But fake news sharers tend to be more often male compared to those in all other groups. They tend to be more conservative and more neurotic, and less conscientious and agreeable compared to the average social media user.”

Johar, an influential scholar in the field of consumer psychology, noted that although there is no quick fix for the spread of misinformation, interventions designed to increase vigilance and reduce anger on social media platforms may offer part of the solution to the problem. The Battle Continues

The study Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning conducted by the Stanford History Education Group3 examined responses from 7,804 students across 12 US states in 2015 and 2016. It revealed that “young people’s ability to reason about the information on the Internet can be summed up in one word: bleak.” They are “easily duped when it comes to evaluating information that flows through social media channels.” Although this finding is alarming, it is not too late to remedy the situation.

In the US, many media and Internet literacy programs have been launched in schools, such as the News Literacy Project, a national nonprofit education program that empowers teachers to develop students’ news literacy skills by teaching them what to believe in the digital age. The French Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education are also stepping up their efforts to teach teenagers to separate facts from fiction, and to take responsibility for how they behave online. ​​​​​

Media platforms and journalists have also called for more scrutiny and fact-checking before news is disseminated. A handbook on journalism education and training entitled Journalism, ‘Fake News’ & Disinformation, published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, states that “journalism also needs to proactively detect and uncover new cases and forms of disinformation.” News media should “tack more closely to professional standards and ethics, to eschew the publishing of unchecked information.”

Combating fake news is a challenge, but there is too much at stake to leave this problem unaddressed. Johar said that “in many countries like India, China, and Myanmar, the spreading of fake news on platforms like WhatsApp is a big problem. People should not share or forward news without verifying its accuracy. If research can identify the profiles of users who are most likely to share inaccurate information, then social platforms can prioritize the screening of posts by these users.” She added, “If people are reminded that information may be false, they will become more skeptical and vigilant. Fake news is a topical problem. I hope that my research will have policy impact and guide policy discussions on how to combat the spread of fake news.” 1.

Gallup and Knight Foundation’s 2017 Survey on Trust, Media and Democracy (2018, June 20). Perceived Accuracy and Bias in the News Media. Retrieved from https://knightfoundation.org/reports/perceived-accuracy-and-bias-in-the-news-media 2.

Youjung Jun, Rachel Meng, & Gita Johar (2017). Perceived Social Presence Reduces Fact-checking, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114 (23), 5976-5981. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/114/23/5976.full.pdf 3.

Stanford History Education Group (2016, November 22). Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning. Retrieved from https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fv751yt5934/SHEG%20Evaluating%20Information%20Online.pdf Prof. Gita Johar

Prof. Johar obtained her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and her PhD in Marketing from New York University in 1985 and 1993 respectively. She joined Columbia Business School in 1992 and is currently the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business and Chair of the Faculty Steering Committee for the Columbia Global Centers in Mumbai, India.

Her experience in the field of sales and marketing and her interest in social psychology led Johar to specialize in consumer psychology, focusing on how consumers react to marketing efforts, particularly advertising, promotions, and sponsorship. She also examines the influence of consumers’ self-control and identity on their decision making and consumption.

Johar has published several influential articles on consumer persuasion and decision making in leading marketing and psychology journals. She was Co-Editor of the Journal of Consumer Research from July 2014 to December 2017, and has served as Associate Editor for all of the leading marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the International Journal of Research in Marketing. She currently serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Marketing, and is co-editing a special issue of the journal Better Marketing for a Better World.

Since her first visit to HKUST in 1997, Johar has worked closely with Prof. Jaideep SENGUPTA, Synergis-Geoffrey YEH Professor of Business, Chair Professor of Marketing, and IAS Senior Fellow, and Prof. Anirban MUKHOPADHYAY, Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean of Business and Management (Undergraduate Studies), who received his PhD from Columbia University under Johar’s supervision.

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Special Feature Moving Towards May Fourth This year marks the centenary of the May Fourth Movement (五四運動), an uprising that took place in China during the post-imperial period in 1919 that has a significant impact on Chinese arts and cultural development. The Movement was not simply a self-strengthening political movement but also a revolution promoting open-mindedness; an agitation for social reform; and a quest for freedom of thoughts which had dramatic and far-reaching influence on Chinese literature and art. In this Special Feature, we bring you the Chinese articles by Prof. YAN Lianke (閻連科), IAS Sin Wai Kin Professor of Chinese Culture, and Prof. LIU Zaifu (劉再復), IAS Senior Visiting Fellow, who share with us their views on the Movement. To commemorate this notable historic event, the IAS will organize a conference this May to bring together a group of academics and critics for a scholarly discussion on three important Chinese literacy figures, namely C.T. HSIA, Leo LEE Ou-fan and LIU Zaifu.

歷經百年的種子

百年之前，世界驚異的目光投向了一個民族腹地上沸騰的血漿，那青春燃燒的火焰，和知識分子靈魂的光芒，都曾經照亮了這個民族歷史上深不可測的黑暗的隧道，也讓未來顯出了晨曦般的光影。自由、反抗、人權、富強和對未來進步的渴求，伴隨著一長串可謂偉人、史人的名字，以及從無數、無數青年學生血液中噴濺的閃亮的血滴，讓我們明白了精神、啟蒙、教育、科學與知識分子等這些字眼的高貴，如同我們在茫茫的沙地，看見了鑽石之所以為鑽石的光芒。

是那些鑽石照亮了沙粒。

是那些沙粒，召喚起了潮水的奔湧。

從此，我們堅信了我們的民族也是民族，人也是人，國也是國；生命也是生命，精神也是精神。而讀書人的靈魂，在社會和歷史危難、困頓、迷惘的時候，能夠發出理性而堅定的光來，那也才叫做靈魂，否則就只能說是皮囊或肉團。

而那個偉大的日子，一九一九年五月四日，也最終成為了我們民族歷史上最為閃亮的拐點；成為一個日子的紀念碑，直豎在我們回望或前行的路的中央，燈塔般警示和照亮著我們的路、腳和未來的暗黑；成為了我們未來的種子、植木和巨大的傘冠，庇護著我們困頓的迷惘和靈魂的不安。可是今天，百年的時間，仿若悠忽之一瞬，那粒種子還是偉大的種子，而巨大的植木和傘冠，並沒有真正長成和舉起。本已被照亮的前行的路，被歷史軌道上另外的扳手，似乎扳到了另外的方向和軌跡。

這也就是歷史。

如同時間的一天，並不真的就是準準確確的二十四小時，一年並不真的等於三百六十五天樣。人們感嘆和唏噓，忖思和茫迷。然而，人們並不會為軌道的走岔而過分的悲傷或氣餒。因為人們堅信，那粒種子還在，它依然飽滿和期許，歷經百年而不枯，歷經百年而不萎。哪怕有人想要把那粒種子扔到歷史的外面去，想要用失憶之方法，告訴人們那粒種子是一種謬誤或並未真正存在過。就像現在我們看見的樣，世界的目光已經不再那麼專注那個日子和那粒種子了，就連生成那粒種子的廣袤的地土也在忘記那粒種子的生成或存在。可這又有什麼關係呢？因為世界上最長遠的事情並非是時間和宇宙，而是人類之記憶。

當我們失去了記憶，那就真的什麼也沒了。

所幸的是，我們的記憶都還在。記憶猶新，記憶飽滿。所幸有太多、太多的人，記憶都還存在並豐饒。那粒偉大的種子，在他們記憶的靈魂裡適水、適溫地存在著，如一灣清水包含的天地、宇宙般。他們都堅信，只要種子在，時間和歷史，眼淚與血液，都將會成為那粒種子脹滿、芽發的水分、養分和壤土。

二零一九年二月

Prof. YAN Lianke (閻連科)

Originally from Henan, China, Yan is one of China’s most distinctive contemporary writers. He is based in Beijing. He joined the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) when he was 20. Yan graduated from a Political Education degree at Henan University in 1985, and received a degree in Literature from PLA Academy of Art in 1991. Yan began his writing career in 1979, and has published more than 11 full-length novels, including Lenin’s Kiss, Four Books, Summer Sunset and Years After Years, plus 10 novellas, including The Years, Months, Days, Golden Cave, Marrow, and Toward Southeast; and numerous volumes of prose and discourse. His books have been translated into over 20 languages, and received numerous awards including the Lu Xun Literature Prize and the Lao She Literature Prize in China. Yan is a member of the Chinese Writers Association. He was the first Chinese writer to earn the Franz Kafka Literature Prize, and has been shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, among others. In 2017, Yan was conferred a Doctor of Letters honoris causa by HKUST.

五四啟蒙運動的特點

我們通常所說的“五四”，乃是兩個五四。一個是發生在一九一五年年末，以《新青年》雜誌為符號的“文化五四”；一個是發生在一九一九年以“火燒趙家樓”為標誌的“政治五四”。前者是廣義的文化啟蒙運動，後者是狹義的政治愛國學生運動。二零一五年，有些朋友紀念“五四”一百週年，沒有錯；如今又在慶祝五四一百週年，也對。

我只對文化五四（即五四新文化運動）感興趣，並認為中國現代啟蒙運動是一九一五年十二月開始的，那時的文化主將陳獨秀、胡適、周作人、魯迅、蔡元培等，都是啟蒙家。此刻紀念他們，我只想說，他們當時啟蒙沉睡的中國人，其啟蒙內容的中心是對的，這中心就是喚醒中國人的“人”意識，尤其是“個人”的意識。

我剛剛讀了意大利學者文森佐·費羅內所著的《啟蒙觀念史》（中文版為馬濤、曾允所譯，由商務印書館出版）更加證實我早先的一個看法，即西方的“啟蒙”是指理性的啟蒙。用康德的話說，是“喚醒勇敢去運用理智”。中國的五四新文化運動啟蒙家們也知道西方的啟蒙內涵。但是，針對中國的具體國情，他們不講理性啟蒙，而是全力呼喚人性，即全力進行人性啟蒙。

他們的啟蒙放在“人”上，重心是告訴中國人：我們是人，不是奴隸，更不是“牛馬”。人等於人，這個公式是天經地義的。人是“個人”，即人不是皇帝的臣子，父親的兒子，丈夫的妻子，而是獨立的個體。人可以自由地進行戀愛、婚姻、讀書、遷徙。中國人從來沒有進入“做人”的時代，只經歷了兩個時代，一個是“做穩奴隸”的時代，一個是“連奴隸都做不得”的時代（魯迅語）。我們現在要爭取第三時代，即做人的時代。做人，做獨立的個人，突出人，突出個人，突出個性，這便是文化五四運動的中心思想，也是中國現代啟蒙運動的“主旋律”。在中國現代啟蒙的偉大旗幟上，只寫著“人”這個大字。

中國的現代啟蒙運動，乃是一個“失敗”的運動。其所以失敗，一方面是因為它走向政治，被更強勢的“救亡”運動所壓倒。即“政治五四”壓倒了“文化五四”。另一方面是因為五四後不間斷的暴力革命，使中國人的 “個體”意識無法生長。革命，是集體的暴力行動，它並不提供個人意識生長的土壤（條件）。一九四九年革命成功後，這種情況並未改變，集體優先，階級優先，群眾優先，仍然是社會的基調。個體仍然沒有立足之地，一講個人的靈魂主權，總是被批判為“個人主義”。

其實，從三四十年代開始，毛澤東就告訴人們，啟蒙主體是工農兵。知識分子（原啟蒙主體）只有與工農兵相結合才有前途。從理論上似乎沒有錯，但背後導致主體的變換卻未被意識到。其中最典型的是啟蒙家第二代的代表胡風，他還傻乎乎地堅持“文化五四”的啟蒙路線，還傻乎乎地堅持少數知識分子（作家等）應當啟蒙多數“大眾”，要發揮主觀戰鬥精神去幫助大眾“抹掉精神奴役的創傷”，並給當權者寫了“三十萬言書”，結果惹怒了領袖，他和他的朋友成了“反革命集團”，自己進了監牢三十年。他的錯誤正是不知時局的中心、啟蒙的主體已經改變。閏土、阿Q、祥林嫂們已經反過來要啟蒙魯迅和他筆下的魏連殳等了。他的“萬言書”，指責懸掛在作家頭上的“五把刀子”，無非是伸張作家作為獨立個體不受管轄的權利，新的專制政權怎能容忍，這就決定了胡風的失敗。

二零一九年二月

Prof. LIU Zaifu (劉再復)

As a renowned poet and contemporary Chinese literary critic scholar, Liu received his degree in Chinese literature from Xiamen University in 1963, and immediately joined the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing where he later served as the director of the Institute of Literature. He was Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago, the University of Stockholm and the University of Colorado. He also served as editor-in-chief of Wenxue Pinglun (Literary Review) and the co-author of Tradition and Chinese, Farewell Revolution, and Understanding Life Together. He is currently IAS Senior Visiting Fellow and Visiting Professor of Humanities at HKUST. Liu has published more than 100 books, including scholarly works and collections of essays, some of his publications include A Biography of Lu Xun, Lu Xun and Natural Science, Lu Xun’s Aesthetics, The Theory of Character Organization, Farewell Gods, Twenty-Five Kinds of Men, and a five-volume series entitled Records of Exile.

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Research Excellence Branching Out for Better Health Those of us who have lived in Hong Kong long enough know that tuberculosis was once a major killer back in the 1950s, when overcrowded living environments and unsanitary conditions were a common sight.

Tuberculosis (結核病, commonly known as 肺癆, which refers to depletion of the lung), is regarded as one of the oldest contagious diseases in humans. In addition to a low-grade fever and blood in the sputum, persistent cough is also an obvious symptom of tuberculosis. The significant decline in the death rate in developed countries can be attributed to advances in medical technology and improvements in health care and quality of life. Around 5,000 cases are reported annually in Hong Kong, compared with a peak of more than 10,000 cases in the 1950s.1

What an X-ray May Not Tell You

Another disease that has many similarities to tuberculosis is pulmonary sarcoidosis (結節病).

Both tuberculosis and pulmonary sarcoidosis form granulomas, masses of granulation tissue caused by irritation or inflammation. These lung diseases have common symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, and weight loss due to loss of appetite. Their similarities sometimes make diagnosis difficult, and even a chest x-ray can cause confusion, particularly in areas where tuberculosis is endemic.

Distinguishing pulmonary sarcoidosis from tuberculosis is not easy, but they do have some differentiations. Unlike tuberculosis, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, pulmonary sarcoidosis is a major form of interstitial lung disease, a group of more than 100 types of immune-mediated disorders that cause progressive fibrosis of lung tissue.

Tuberculosis can be cured with a course of treatment that can last for six months or longer, but pulmonary sarcoidosis has no known cure.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis is the most common form of interstitial lung disease (ILD, 間質性肺病) in the US, occupying 30% of the ILD patients. There are about 200,000 sarcoidosis patients in the US; more than half of them require systemic therapy, and 30% have chronic progressive disease despite currently available treatments, including corticosteroids, cytotoxic agents, and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. ILD has a worldwide distribution, including China. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, another form of fibrotic lung disease that accounts for 28% of the ILD patients in China, is estimated with around 500,000 patients.2 In China, pulmonary sarcoidosis appears less prevalent than in the US, but there is a trend towards better classification of ILD subtypes and more patients may be diagnosed.3

Source: https://www.thoracic.org

A lung at the end-stage of ILD | Photo: Dean E. Schraufnagel

A New Potential Therapeutic

Thanks to a collaboration between HKUST and Pangu BioPharma, a Hong Kong subsidiary of the US biotherapeutics company aTyr Pharma, Inc., a new investigational therapeutic called ATYR1923 has been developed to treat pulmonary sarcoidosis.

This is certainly good news for patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

At a press conference at HKUST this January, Dr. Sanjay SHUKLA, President and Chief Executive Officer of aTyr Pharma, Inc., shared with the public that the company is advancing its lead candidate ATYR1923 through clinical development in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.

“ATYR1923 is a selective modulator of Neuropilin-2 that downregulates the innate and adaptive immune response in inflammatory disease states. It is a modified form of a tRNA synthetase that is entering a proof-of-concept Phase 1b/2a clinical trial,” said Shukla.

According to aTyr Pharma, Inc., the Phase 1b/2a study is “a multiple-ascending dose, placebo-controlled, first-in-patient study that has been designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, steroid sparing effect, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic profile of multiple doses of ATYR1923, as well as to evaluate well-established clinical endpoints and certain biomarkers to assess preliminary efficacy.”4

The trial is being conducted in collaboration with the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, a leading nonprofit organization in the US that is dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients. ATYR1923 is a fusion protein that comprises the immuno-modulatory domain (iMod), a naturally occurring splice variant of histidyl-tRNA synthetase (HARS) that is enriched in the lung tissue, fused to the FC region of a human antibody.3

Possible further developments of ATYR1923 include Phase 3 clinical trial in pulmonary sarcoidosis, and Phase 2 studies in other types of ILD such as Connective Tissue Disease Associated ILD (CTD-ILD) and Chronic Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (CHP).

“There is a need for drugs that are better tolerated and have less side effects than steroids, and it is our goal for ATYR1923 to meet that,” said Prof. ZHANG Mingjie, Chair Professor of Life Science, Kerry Holdings Professor of Science, IAS Senior Fellow at HKUST, and project coordinator of the Pangu collaboration.

Looking Forward

The discovery of ATYR1923 and the extracellular signaling functions of tRNA synthetases would not have been possible without the pioneering work of HKUST researchers and Pangu BioPharma. “We are grateful to HKUST researchers for the essential collaborative efforts that made this important milestone possible,” said Shukla.

Prof. Zhang believes that the important discoveries “serve as an excellent example of the potential role that Hong Kong’s translational science and early discovery capabilities can play in the development of potentially life-changing therapies for patients worldwide.”

Prof. Paul SCHIMMEL, Co-founder and Director of aTyr Pharma and IAS Senior Visiting Fellow, said, “Our understanding of tRNA synthetase biology was greatly enhanced by the joint efforts of the research teams at aTyr and Pangu/HKUST. We see the potential to replicate this model with many of the novel forms of tRNA synthetases covered in our expansive and largely untapped intellectual property portfolio that includes more than 300 issued or pending patents covering both biologically active variants and engineered forms of human tRNA synthetases. Each of these protein compositions offers opportunities for potential development of therapeutics to treat a wide array of conditions.”

The journey to transform translational research into new treatment is not always easy, and a treatment for patients with diseases like pulmonary sarcoidosis may be still a few years away, but the future of human health is promising.

1. The Center for Health Protection, Department of Health, HKSAR, Notification & death rate of tuberculosis (all forms), 1947-2018. Retreved from https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/statistics/data/10/26/43/88.html 2. Wen Wei Po, Feburary 13, 2017 3. Chengjun Ban et al. (2018) Spectrum of interstitial lung disease in China from 2000 to 2012. European Respiratory Journal 52 (3) 1701554 4. aTyr Pharma, ATYR1923 (IMOD.FC), Retrieved from https://www.atyrpharma.com/programs/atyr1923/ Prof. Paul Schimmel and IAS-Scripps R&D Laboratory

Prof. Paul Schimmel received his PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1966. Before he joined the Scripps Research Institute in 1997, he was a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at MIT. His major research activities concern the decoding of genetic information, with emphasis on the rules of the universal genetic code that are established via aminoacylation reactions catalyzed by a group of enzymes known as aminoacyl tRNA synthetases. The latter are believed by many to be among the first enzymes to arise on this planet in the early stages of the evolution of life.

Having a longstanding interest in the application of basic biomedical research to human health, Schimmel is a Member of the US Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Inventors, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society. He holds numerous patents and is a co-founder or founding director of multiple biotechnology companies, of which seven became publicly traded on NASDAQ. These companies are developing new therapies for human diseases and disorders; one of them, Pangu Biopharma, is a joint venture with HKUST.

Led by Schimmel, the IAS-Scripps R&D Laboratory was the first of its kind, established in 2007 under the auspices of the IAS. Throughout the years, research projects in biomedical sciences have been carried out in collaboration with researchers and scientists from HKUST. In 2014, the research team of the IAS-Scripps R&D Laboratory discovered 250 previously unknown gene-transcript variants of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases. The findings, published in Science, highlight an intriguing oddity of protein evolution that has generated novel extracellular signaling proteins from these ancient enzymes, which may serve as the basis for many potentially valuable new protein therapeutics. Growth hormone and insulin are examples of widely used, approved injectable protein therapeutics.

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IAS Scholar IAS Junior Fellow and Research Assistant Professor of Social Science XU Duoduo Born and raised in China, Dr. XU Duoduo received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Shangdong University. It came naturally to her, having excelled in her undergraduate studies, to pursue MPhil and PhD degrees in Social Science. At HKUST, Xu currently works with Prof. WU Xiaogang, Chair Professor of Social Science and Director of the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research, on migration and educational inequality in Chinese societies, including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, and Taiwan.

As a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Social Science and an IAS Junior Fellow, Xu tells us about the challenges she has embraced and how she has adapted to her new role.

Why did you choose sociology as your undergraduate major?

My first choice was in fact economics, but I was offered a place in the sociology program instead. As it turned out, I liked sociology a lot, as it offered me a range of perspectives on social issues. Economics studies how people make choices, while sociology shows how people are constrained by social structures and don’t always have choices to make. I am particularly interested in education because it allows people to overcome their disadvantaged social origins to achieve upward social mobility, ultimately reducing inequality at the societal level. This is why sociologists often call education the “great equalizer.” What inspired you to come to HKUST?

The decision to pursue postgraduate studies at HKUST was definitely a key turning point in my life. Before graduating from Shandong University, I realized that many roads lay ahead of me, and I had no idea which to take. One of my teachers, Prof. WU Yuxiao, now Professor of Sociology at Nanjing University, recommended me to my current mentor, Prof. WU Xiaogang. Coming to HKUST, as suggested by Prof. WU Yuxiao, was definitely the right decision.

Some say that doing a PhD is a lonely journey. I disagree. Just as Dr. Carl Gustav JUNG, Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, once said, “Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself.” My seven years at HKUST have been extremely exciting and joyful; I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most talented people in our field.

In 2015, on Prof. Wu Xiaogang’s recommendation, I spent six months in the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan, with generous sponsorship from Prof. Yu XIE, Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor of Sociology at Princeton University. This was followed by another six months in the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford as a Visiting Scholar, with support from HKUST’s Overseas Research Award. These overseas experiences opened the door to a whole new world for me. I had many opportunities to learn from some of the best researchers in the field and experience a different kind of life.

Last December, I was involved in the 2018 Asian Conference of the International Chinese Sociological Association. The conference, held in Hong Kong for the first time, was organized by the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research and co-sponsored by HKUST’s School of Humanities and Social Science and the IAS. Its theme was “Forty Years of China’s Reform and Social Change,” and speakers addressed a wide range of related topics, such as education, gender, marriage and family, migration, urbanization and development, stratification and inequality, and cultural and value changes. The conference was a huge success, with over 130 participants from 60 higher education institutions around the world. The IAS is an intellectual hub and a platform for interdisciplinary interaction that not only benefits the local community but also exerts a global impact. I believe this is why the IAS attracts the best researchers and scholars. I feel proud to be part of this big family! What motivated you to study inequality in Hong Kong? How are you approaching this in your research?

Important social issues such as poverty, inequality, and social mobility are treated by many people in Hong Kong as merely media buzzwords. They are topics of small talk rather than serious conversation. I want to do something to bring these issues back into focus.

For instance, we know that Hong Kong is a typical immigrant society, with a significant proportion of its population from Mainland China. Prejudices against mainland Chinese immigrants and ethnic minority groups are still pervasive in Hong Kong. Yet many immigrants, particularly members of the second generation, are highly resilient. Our research has shown that despite their disadvantaged family socio-economic status, immigrants’ children are performing unexpectedly well at school. Indeed, when we compare children from similar family backgrounds, immigrants’ children even outperform their native counterparts in terms of standardized test scores. Their academic success is explained largely by their strong motivation and drive to attain a better life. I thus believe that providing immigrant children with equal access to educational opportunities is a wise investment promising high yields, not an extra burden on society. Such an investment not only facilitates these children’s assimilation into local society, but also creates valuable human capital that is essential to the growth of Hong Kong. Why are you so concerned about social issues? What has been the best experience of your research career so far?

A unique feature of sociology is its close relationship with people’s daily lives. One of the most important parts of my training is learning to be a good observer. On observing interesting social phenomena or social problems, I have always been curious, asking, “Why did it happen? How did it affect people? What measures can we take to solve the problem or improve the situation?” Ultimately, this curiosity inside me has been channeled into academic inquiry.

I once received a thank-you letter from a migrant worker in Shanghai. He was frustrated by the inability to enroll his 7-year-old daughter in a local public school in Shanghai due to his lack of local hukou (China’s household registration system). He had read one of our papers on hukou-based school segregation, and thanked us for conducting such thorough research on the discrimination and exclusion faced by migrant children in urban China. This was one of the most satisfying and fulfilling experiences of my academic career because it showed me that our research does matter to real people out there. What are your future plans?

As an IAS Junior Fellow and a Research Assistant Professor of Social Science, I have the opportunity to not only teach but also apply for research funding as an independent Principal Investigator (PI). I am currently the PI of a General Research Fund (GRF) project entitled “Socioeconomic Segregation, School Choice, and Geography of Educational Inequality in Hong Kong.” This year, I also applied for funding from the GRF to conduct the first city-wide early childhood longitudinal study in Hong Kong, which will follow approximately 2,000 kindergarten children for two consecutive years to monitor the development of their cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

The transition from a doctoral student to an independent researcher is not easy, and my life is full of grant proposals, papers, projects, courses, and conferences. Notwithstanding these challenging tasks, I am immensely grateful for the opportunities given to me by my professors and HKUST! Participants of the 2018 Asian Conference of the International Chinese Sociological Association

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IAS Community IAS Bank of East Asia Professor Ching W. TANG Receives the 2018 C&C Prize from the NEC C&C Foundation

Prof. Ching W. Tang was recently selected as one of the recipients of the 2018 C&C Prize by the NEC C&C Foundation in recognition of his “discovery and pioneering development of thin-film organic light-emitting devices, leading to the progress of the organic electronics industry”. The award honors Prof. Tang’s outstanding contributions to research and development activities that have had a strong impact on the field.

Established in 1985, the NEC C&C Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by the NEC Corporation, aims to foster the growth of the electronics industry by supporting research activities and pioneering work related to the integration of computers and communications technologies (C&C).

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Intellectual Hub From Genomics to Particle Theory, Quantum Simulations to Blue LED and Beyond The IAS organizes lectures, programs, conferences, symposiums, and workshops throughout the year for renowned scholars, international researchers, and participants to exchange information and have in-depth discussions. Below are highlights of major events held in recent months. IAS Nobel Prize Popular Science Lectures

Jointly organized by the School of Science, School of Business and Management, and School of Engineering, HKUST Professors from different disciplines were invited to give lectures on subjects related to the 2018 Nobel Prizes to share their insights and research perspectives with the HKUST community and general public.

1. Lasers: From Manipulating a Single Molecule to Creating the Power of the Sun—2018 Nobel Prize in Physics [Video] (November 22, 2018) Speaker: Prof. WONG Kam Sing, Professor of Physics, HKUST

2. Integrating Innovation and Climate with Economic Growth—2018 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences [Video] (November 23, 2018) Speakers: Prof. WANG Pengfei and Prof. XIE Danyang, Professors of Economics, HKUST

3. Directed Evolution: Unleash Chemical Power from Protein Sequence Space—2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry [Video] (November 27, 2018) Speaker: Prof. SUN Fei, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, HKUST

4. From Understanding the Basic Principle of Immune System to Cancer Therapy—2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine [Video] (December 6, 2018) Speaker: Prof. WEN Zilong, Professor of Life Science, HKUST

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Join Our Event HKUST Music Alive ! Led by Prof. Bright SHENG, IAS Helmut & Anna Pao Sohmen Professor-at-Large, HKUST Music Alive! showcases the arts at HKUST through engaging year-round music events. Don't miss the follwing upcoming performances!

Quartetto di Cremona Lecture Discussion

(presented as part of Hong Kong Arts Festival Plus) Date: 20 March, 2019 (Wed) Time: 1:00 pm Venue: IAS Auditorium

New European Ensemble@HKUST

Date: 31 March, 2019 (Sun) Time: 1:00 pm Venue: IAS Auditorium

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Date: 1 June, 2019 Time: 4:00 pm Venue: CMA Lecture Theater, Cheng Yu Tung Building

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IAS Corner What Can the IAS Do for You?

\\ We provide a platform for prominent scholars to inspire new thinking and share the latest fruits of their research with HKUST and the wider community through IAS Distinguished Lectures and Joint School Lectures / Seminars.

\\ We host IAS Visitor Programs to attract internationally renowned scholars to IAS for extended visits and collaboration with HKUST faculty to drive scientific discovery and advance academic excellence.

\\ We propel the development of research activities and initiatives at HKUST and seek solutions to the most challenging problems in high-impact areas in the form of IAS Programs, International Conferences, Symposia or Workshops.

You may contact Prof. Andrew G. COHEN, Director of the IAS, to discuss further.

E: ias@ust.hk | T: (852) 2358 5968 © Copyright 2019 HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study All Rights Reserved W: ias.ust.hk T: (852) 2358 5912 E: ias@ust.hk Designed by PTC

© Copyright 2019 HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study All Rights Reserved W: ias.ust.hk T: (852) 2358 5912 E: ias@ust.hk Designed by PTC