7-8 November 2024 

The HSUHK-led Tiger Balm Garden Metaverse Platform for Collaborative Learning was awarded the “Star of Outstanding” of 2024 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases. Dr Eugene Wong, Director of the Virtual Reality Centre and Associate Professor at the Department of Supply Chain and Information Management; and Professor Desmond Hui, Head of the Department of Art and Design, received the award at the UNESCO Global Award Ceremony at the World Heritage Creative and Innovator Forum, which was held on 7-8 November 2024 in Hangzhou, China.

The event was organised by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO in partnership with Hangzhou International Urbanology Research Centre, along with the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, Tongji University, the Hangzhou Government, and the Zhejiang Provincial Government.

During the forum, the HSUHK team showcased the Metaverse for collaborative learning and cultural presentation regarding the Tiger Balm Garden, and illustrated how innovative technologies can be used to reconstruct lost heritage, enabling younger generations and the elderly to appreciate Chinese culture and ethics as introduced by Mr Aw Boon-haw in the virtual environment of Tiger Balm Garden.