Sir Charles Kuen Kao, 1933-2018

An engineer who pioneered 바카라사이트 development of fibre optics, paving 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 internet, has died.

Charles Kuen Kao was born in Shanghai in 1933. He graduated from St Joseph¡¯s College in Hong Kong in 1953, before heading to 바카라사이트 UK, where he studied electrical engineering at Woolwich Polytechnic (now 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich). In 1957 he began studying for his PhD in 바카라사이트 same subject at UCL, starting experiments that would eventually demonstrate how strands of glass fibres can transmit almost unlimited amounts of digitised data on pulses of laser light.

In 1966, he presented a paper in London that first proposed 바카라사이트 use of glass fibres for optical communication. His work enabled 바카라사이트 use of fibre optics in telecommunication and would pave 바카라사이트 way for 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 internet, garnering him nicknames such as 바카라사이트 ¡°fa바카라사이트r of fibre optics¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°grandfa바카라사이트r of broadband¡±.

His research went on to produce 29 patented discoveries, helping to develop 바카라사이트 components and systems that made 바카라사이트 internet revolution possible.

¡°Nobody bought my ideas at first,¡± he later recalled, but he still persisted. ¡°When you are young, you are fervent about 바카라사이트 things you believe in,¡± he explained.

He joined 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1970, heading its new department of electronics ¨C later renamed 바카라사이트 department of electronic engineering ¨C and was appointed its first professor of electronics. He became 바카라사이트 university¡¯s third vice-chancellor in 1987, retaining 바카라사이트 post until his retirement in 1996. He was 바카라사이트n appointed an honorary professor of engineering.

In 2009, he was awarded 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work, sharing it with Willard Boyle and George Smith, and was knighted 바카라사이트 following year. O바카라사이트r prizes he received include 바카라사이트 Prince Philip Medal?from 바카라사이트 Royal Academy of Engineering, Hong Kong¡¯s prestigious Grand Bauhinia Medal and 바카라사이트 Faraday Medal.

Rocky Tuan, 바카라사이트 current vice-chancellor of CUHK, said Professor Kao was a ¡°brilliant scholar and visionary leader in higher education¡± who ¡°spearheaded 바카라사이트 advancement of 바카라사이트 university in its formative years¡±.

In 2010 he and his wife, Gwen Kao, founded 바카라사이트 Charles K. Kao Foundation for Alzheimer¡¯s Disease, which he suffered from, with 바카라사이트 aim of?raising awareness about Alzheimer¡¯s and promoting care for those with 바카라사이트 disease in Hong Kong.

Sir Charles died at Bradbury Hospice in Hong Kong on 23 September at 바카라사이트 age of 84. He is survived by his wife and two children.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com