The Life of a Nobel Prize Winner — Charles Kuen Kao (1933
The Life of a Nobel Prize Winner — Charles Kuen Kao (1933–2018)
Sir Charles Kuen Kao, a Hong Kong-American-British engineer, died on 23 September 2018, at the age of 84.
Charles, “Father of Fiber Optic Communication”, was awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 for his groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.
Sir Kao was born into a wealthy family in Shanghai in 1933. Both of his parents were busy at social events and gatherings, so he was mainly taught by home tutors and only went to a liberal French primary school since 10 years old. He attributed his quietness to a protective upbringing and inheritance from his gentle father. When the Japanese invaded Shanghai, his family resided in the French Concession and was shielded from the chaos from war. It even led to a closer relationship between Charles and his family due to the suspension of daily duties during the war. Soon after the Sino-Japanese Friendship and Trade Treaty was signed, the Chinese Civil War started. His family then boarded a ship and sailed to Hong Kong.
Charles and his family arrived at Hong Kong in 1949. Charles spent 5 years studying at St. Joseph’s College, and did well academically, except for sports. He wanted to study electrical engineering, which was not available at the University of Hong Kong at that time. So he continued his study at Woolwich Polytechnic in London and sit for A levels. Despite his outstanding performance in the public examination, he chose to pursue a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and graduated in 1957. His first job was a trainee at Standard Telephones & Cables (STC), where he discovered his interest in microwave division. And more importantly, he met Gwen at work, who soon became his wife. Charles’s hard work was recognized and he was invited to work at a research lab at Harlow. He left the research laboratory for a few years to set up an electronics department at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
In 1966, Charles published a paper in IEE proceedings, presenting the use of fiber optics in the field of telecommunication.
Majority of the scientist at that time did not believe in his theory. Charles did not give up because of the criticism and managed to purify glass fibers and combine with lasers for transmission of digital data. His proposal was brought to the pre-production stage in 1974. The existence of fiber optics revolutionized the age of data transmission and led to an evolution of the internet. He was then named “Father of Fiber Optic Communication”.
“Communication as we know it, including the Internet, would not exist without fiber optics,” said William Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering in 1999.
Charles could have made himself a millionaire, if not a billionaire, with such pioneer invention in telecommunication. Yet, Charles did not patent the use of fiber optic, instead, he allowed the entire industry to use this technology for free in hope that everyone in the world can have access to the internet.
Charles also took the job of Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1986 and spent 9 nine years in the position. He had made great achievements and important changes during his term of office. One of the major changes was creating a scholarly atmosphere on campus, according to Charles.
Unfortunately, Charles was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2003. He still travelled between Hong Kong and America with his wife.
In 2009, Charles was awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the evolution of telecommunication. His wife wished Charles could receive the prize when he can still remember.
Sir Charles Kuen Kao passed away in Hong Kong on 23 September 2018 due to pneumonia.