University of Hong Kong

This course introduces the basic theories, model architectures, algorithms, and implementation of deep learning for computer vision. Students obtain hands-on experience on implementing and training deep neural networks for computer vision tasks. The course covers the following topics: (1) neural network optimization algorithms; (2) backbone network architectures for computer vision, including convolutional neural networks and transformers; (3) network structure design for visual recognition tasks (image classification, object detection, image segmentation), and visual content generation tasks; (4) implementation and training of neural networks for computer vision tasks; (5) advanced topics in computer vision and deep learning. 

The course covers advanced topics and techniques in big data, with a focus on the algorithmic and system aspects. It provides both theoretical and hands-on experience in big data and data mining. Topics include MapReduce, textual data management, graph data management, uncertain data management, association rule mining, and state-of-the-art data mining techniques. It also covers recent developments and progress in selected areas.

This course explores moving image works and related media forms through the lens of migration and diaspora. It will look at the role of aesthetics, affect, gender, race, temporality, and intimacy in the stories that historically marginalized makers tell, and the kinds of narrative and formal experimentation they develop to critically revisit notions of home, memory, and community across different geographies. Readings from film and media scholarship, transnational cultural and ethnic studies, queer and gender studies as well as short creative and personal writings will guide our theoretical framework and help us articulate the various ways in which media are deeply imbricated with both the violent and reparative realities of border-crossing.

This course examines water as a resource. It covers the hydrologic cycle and quantification of the water balance, water use and supplies and the human impact upon water including runoff amount and quality.

This course examines representative texts, problems, and concepts central to the study of colonialism and postcolonialism. Topics include: definitions of colonialism, imperialism and the post-colonial condition; orientalism and occidentalism; colonial discourse and sexuality and gender; race; the nation and nationalism as imagined community; identities and mentalities of the colonized and colonizer.  Representative areas might include the mainland and greater China, but will certainly include some texts from and places within South and South East Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas. 

This course examines the emergence of cities from the urban revolution around 5,000 BC to 4,000 BC first in Western Asia, through the key milestones of our urban evolution, to the current era of megacities and megaregions. The issues covered in this course include the birth of cities as a part of urban lifecycles; the projection of power; order and governance; disruption and reconfiguration; humanistic cities; building cities for mass populations; conflict, community, and faith; trends and competitions; unprecedented societal changes and urban growth; contemporary urbanism and our planetary future. We will focus on the development of a particular urbanism with its constituent cities as we expound each of these issues, while seeking to bring comparative case studies to illustrate how these issues have been unravelled in similar and diverse ways in other urbanisms and historical periods.

FinTech (Financial Technology) has revolutionized how traditional financial services can be provided to the general public and prompted financial service providers to re-consider how they should do business across an expansive, and expanding, range of commercial enterprises. This course will trigger students to think about how FinTech can tackle important global issues, both social and financial, and open up new and emerging markets.