Rainy season during the 4th HKU-Pasteur Cell Biology Course was nothing compared with the fury of typhoon Vicente which hit Hong Kong during the last week of the 9th HKU-Pasteur Virology Course. And yet we had a really kicking course with thirty young and talented students from sixteen countries (Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, PR China, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Vietnam). The students interacted with fascinating lecturers who delivered stimulating lectures and practical courses on Viral Zoonoses. They heard about virological, epidemiological and ecological riddles from Chicago and Unganda, learnt how to build a centrifuge from scratch (a driller) and had a lively role play about biosafety and bioethics.
The course started with the welcome tram party in the heart Hong Kong during hot summer season and ended with a refreshing and cheerful award dinner. During this dinner Malik, Noël and Roberto, the directors of the course, praised the students for their work, participation and achievements. Isabelle MEUNIER (INRS - Institut Armand-Frappier, Canada), Johanna DUPS (University of Melbourne - CSIRO, Australia), Annie LI (City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) and Benjamin BAILLY (Institut Pasteur-Shanghaï, PR China) received special prizes and Jana McCASKILL (University of Queensland, Australia) came first in this year course. She won a one-week trip to Institut Pasteur, Paris, France offered by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau.
We invite you to visit our photo gallery and our HKU-Pasteur Courses Series Facebook group page.
Once again we would like to acknowledge the HKU Centre of Influenza Research and the Area of Excellence (AoE) on "Control of Pandemic and Inter-Pandemic Influenza", the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, the Consulate General of Italy in Hong and Macau, the Croucher Foundation, and the Institut Pasteur International Network for their support and Veolia Transport and Hong Kong Tramways Ltd for the tram party.
Congratulations to Isabelle, Johanna, Annie, Benjamin and Jana!
From left to right, Noël, Jana and Roberto.