Media

In celebrating the UNESCO International Geodiversity Day (October 6, 2022), the Stephen Hui Geological Museum at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is showcasing a special exhibition entitled “On the Geology Trail” from that day for two months (till December 6, 2022), presenting a series of beautiful photos of Poland’s geological landforms. The exhibition is a collaboration between the HKU Stephen Hui Geological Museum and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Hong Kong.

An opening ceremony took place at the museum yesterday with the attendance of the Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Hong Kong Dr Aleksander DAŃDA, HKU Dean of Science (Interim) Professor Vivian Wing-Wah YAM, Head of HKU Department of Earth Sciences Dr Man Hoi LEE and other consuls from various countries.

Geodiversity is broadly defined as a variety of geological environments, natural landscapes and landforms that are formed and shaped by rocks, minerals, fossils, sediments and soils with natural processes. Connecting human activities, landscapes and cultures, geodiversity is an integration of human communities and nature, and it plays essential roles because human well-being is based on the diversity of geological resources.

Scientific knowledge about how geological and geomorphological processes occur in nature contributes to understanding past climate changes, and this knowledge can be applied to understand how climate may change in the future, and is very important for natural disaster prevention.

Initiated by Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom, UNESCO established the International Day of Geodiversity, aiming to raise the awareness of societies about the importance of our planet's inanimate natural resources, as geodiversity is the foundation of communities and an intrinsic part of humanity’s relationship with nature.

This joint special exhibition showcases a series of photos of Poland's unique geological landforms, in conjunction with the museum’s permanent collections “Hong Kong Geological History”, and other exhibits including minerals, rocks and fossils. This provides visitors with an excellent opportunity to appreciate the geological resources and geodiversity of Poland and Hong Kong. The aim of this event, as well as other events at the museum, is to disseminate scientific knowledge to the public and encourage the public to explore different local geological resources.

“October 6 is an excellent opportunity to raise the awareness of Earth Sciences. Today we celebrate the International Geodiversity Day which was established in 2021 by UNESCO (on the initiative of Poland, Great Britain and Portugal). The aim of establishing the International Geodiversity Day was to raise public awareness of the importance of inanimate nature – and today, together with our friends from The University of Hong Kong, we are doing exactly that: bringing unique Poland’s geological landscapes to the attention of Hong Kong’s audiences,” said Dr Aleksander Dańda, Consul General of the Republic of Poland.

“A greater scientific knowledge about the diversity of geological resources would provide us with a better understanding of climate change, which demands swift action. We are pleased to support the International Geodiversity Day by curating this exhibition to raise the public awareness of the importance of geodiversity and its linkage to all forms of life,” said Professor Vivian Wing-Wah Yam, Dean of Science (Interim) and Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy.

“We are excited to collaborate with the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland on this exhibition of the diverse geological landforms of Poland. It fits perfectly with the mission of the Stephen Hui Geological Museum to engage visitors of all ages on the nature and evolution of our planet and to inspire an appreciation of the dynamic natural world of Earth Sciences and its application to daily life,” said Dr Man Hoi Lee, Head of Department of Earth Sciences.

Details of the Exhibition - On the Geology Trail
Language: English and Polish
Date: October 6 to December 6, 2022
Venue: 1/F display cabinet, Stephen Hui Geological Museum, The University of Hong Kong
Opening Hours:  Mon – Fri, 1pm to 6pm (Closed on Saturdays and Sundays, University and Public Holidays)
Entrance fee: Free Admission
General Enquiry: shmuseum@hku.hk

Image download and caption: https://www.scifac.hku.hk/press

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Casey To, External Relations Officer (tel: 3917 4948; email: caseyto@hku.hk / Ms Cindy Chan, Assistant Director of Communications of HKU, Faculty of Science (tel: 3917 5286; email: cindycst@hku.hk)