Wilson Cheung, one of Hong Kong’s most notable young explorers, gives an overview of his recent
Arctic glacier research, focusing on recent rapid changes in the environment. His glaciological research focuses on Baffin and Bylot islands in Arctic Canada, two stunningly beautiful and yet little explored parts of northern Canada.
Wilson also tells of the inspiration behind launching the Asian Youth Alpine Mentorship Programme (AYAMP). He focuses on the transformative journeys of the mentees as they train under challenging alpine conditions in the Alps and Norway. The talk explores how he is cultivating the next generation of explorers and polar scientists through hands-on, high-risk learning experiences.
Two of the mentees, Billy Nip and Keri, then talk about their transformative journeys — learning to ski and ice climb in Norway, and overcoming challenges such as frostbite and snow kiting. This training is helping them be able to plan their own winter expeditions in the Japanese Alps and elsewhere in the world. They also speak about their plans to contribute to future polar research and exploration. Billy, a remarkable young climber who is striving to become the first Hong Kong UIAA-certified mountain guide, also tells of his ice climbing in avalanche terrain and other exploits.
Dr Wilson Cheung is from Hong Kong and read Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University before winning a prized Erasmus Mundus Master's Scholarship from the European Union. He then became the first Hongkonger mountain guide in Antarctica, the Arctic and the Swiss Alps.
Wilson is now an explorer and scientist with a passion for as-yet unexplored polar regions. As the first Asian-born explorer to focus on mapping and predicting glacial changes in the future warmer Canadian high arctic, he has established himself as a prominent figure in the field. He has taken a leading role in conducting and supporting numerous scientific projects, guiding expeditions under extreme conditions in high-latitude areas, and amassing over 1,000 days of field experience in both the Arctic and Antarctic.
Wilson was honoured as one of The Explorers Club “50 Explorers Changing the World” in 2022. He is also a Fellow of the International Arctic Science Committee and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. He has published numerous articles and papers, and has spoken worldwide.
Members of the RGS-HK, their guests and others are most welcome to attend this event, which is HK$200 for RGS Members and HK$250 for guests and others, including free-flow drinks. Student members are welcome to attend the talk for free.
The Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong wishes to express its thanks to The Executive Centre for being the Venue Sponsor of this talk.
The opinions expressed at this event are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of the Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong.
You may also like the following events from Royal Geographical Society - Hong Kong:
Also check out other
Trips & Adventurous Activities in Hong Kong,
Workshops in Hong Kong.
