Professor Charles K. Kao
Nobel Prize Laureat & Father of Fibre Optics
Professor Charles K. Kao’s research in the field of fibre optics revolutionised modern communications and enabled the rapid growth of the Internet, which has changed the way people live. He is often referred to as the “Father of Fibre Optics”. His unique contribution to science was recognised in 2009 when he was awarded the world-renowned Nobel Prize in Physics – recognition he was sadly unable to appreciate as he was suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
Early Life
Professor Kao was born in Shanghai in 1933 and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. He was educated at St. Joseph’s College and later went to the UK where he graduated from Woolwich Polytechnic in 1957 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. After graduating, he joined Standard Telephones and Cables Limited (STL), a UK subsidiary of ITT, as an engineer. He received a Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering from University College, London University in 1965. Early in his career, Professor Kao began researching fibre optic communications and became a pioneer in the field.
Reconnecting with Hong Kong
In 1970, Professor Kao took a leave of absence from STL and joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to establish the Department of Electronics, where he served as Department Head and Professor of Electronics. In 1974, he moved to the United States to join ITT’s Photonic Products Division.
From 1987 to 1996, Professor Kao returned to Hong Kong to serve as Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, laying a solid foundation for the development of CUHK into the world-class comprehensive and research-led university it is today.
Later Life
In 2004, Prof. Kao was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease which progressively affected his health in his later years.
In 2009, Prof. Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics “for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication.” This recognised his seminal work in the 1960s that laid the foundation for the modern internet and telecommunications networks.
Despite his illness, Prof. Kao and his wife, Mrs Gwen Kao, became advocates for Alzheimer’s awareness. In 2010, a year after receiving the Nobel Prize, they co-founded the Charles K. Kao Foundation for Alzheimer’s Disease to promote dementia awareness and care.
Prof. Kao passed away on September 23, 2018, at the age of 84, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy as the pioneer whose work fundamentally transformed global telecommunications, as well as a prominent contributor to the development of education, science and technology in Hong Kong.
