Research Highlights

More than 190 students from 13 local secondary schools will take part in a year-long programme to gain hands-on experience in preparing an extremely rare whale specimen for public exhibitions scheduled for 2027. The Environment and Conservation Fund “Sea” Through Cetacean: STEAM Student Ambassador Programme & Cetacean Conservation Exhibition, organised by the Division of Science of Lingnan University in collaboration with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Cetacea Research Institute, and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, was officially launched on 1 February 2026. This initiative builds on the rare stranding of a Longman’s beaked whale in Hong Kong in 2024, providing students with a unique opportunity to assist in the preparation of skeletal specimens of one of the world’s most mysterious marine mammal species. The project also promotes cetacean conservation and will educate the public in key marine environmental issues, including plastic pollution in the oceans.

Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have developed a data-driven machine learning model for financial asset pricing, leveraging AI to enhance both the predictive accuracy and interpretability of portfolio construction. Designed to be clearer and more efficient than traditional methods, the “P-Trees” model enables investors to make better-informed decisions by simplifying complex market data. The study was published in the Journal of Financial Economics, a top-tier publication in the field.

As global demand for EVs and renewable energy surges, establishing sustainable practices in lithium-ion battery production, recycling, and disposal has become critical. A collaborative study co-led by a young professor in the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) presents a promising roadmap for this transition. The study was published in Nature Communications.

On 11 January 2026, Lingnan University’s Department of Psychology and the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Society of Sport & Exercise Psychology (HKSSEP), hosted a seminar titled "The Importance of Sports and Exercise Psychology in Modern Tertiary Education". The seminar attracted approximately 60 attendees, including students from psychology and sports-related programmes, as well as members of the general public who are interested in the subject of sport and exercise psychology.

Lingnan University welcomed a delegation from the University Grants Committee (UGC) on its Tuen Mun campus on 8 January, and presented its latest developments as a research-oriented liberal arts university comprehensive in arts and sciences. The delegation toured Lingnan’s latest teaching facilities and viewed their research, speaking at length with senior management, academic staff, and students.

From nomadic looms to global collectors, Afghan war rugs chart the region’s turbulent history through an age-old weaving tradition. Incorporating weapons, maps, and political imagery into familiar motifs, these rugs reflect shifting political realities, the ingenuity of Baloch weavers, and the influence of a rapidly commercialised market.

In many organisations, significant hierarchical gaps exist within work teams, raising the question of how frontline employees can strive for greater opportunities for upward mobility in their careers. A recent study by the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University finds that employees who proactively seek work resources in their jobs, are willing to learn, and at the same time possess higher emotional intelligence, have significantly higher job performance and work engagement. The research team points out that these strategies help employees create more favourable conditions for long-term career development in complex workplace environments. The research findings have been published in top-tier international academic journal Journal of Business and Psychology.

In order to understand Hong Kong citizens' views on the development of gerontechnology, Lingnan University recently held a public opinion survey. The results show that gerontechnology products related to healthcare and exercise are of the greatest interest to the public, although about 60 per cent of respondents find the cost of such products prohibitively high, which presents a barrier to purchase. At the same time, over 90 per cent hope that the government will increase support for elderly service organisations to adopt gerontechnology, and for research and development. This would stimulate growth and the silver economy, ultimately benefiting more older adults and caregivers.

In today’s highly competitive society, many parents insist their children learn more and learn faster in order to “win at the starting line”. A recent study by the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University examining the relationship between stress and creativity has found that different types of stress, such as competition, noise, confined environments, and engaging in challenging tasks, may actually reduce children’s creative performance, but adolescents and adults tend to show more innovative ability under moderate competitive pressure. The research findings have been published in top-tier international academic journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, and provide important insights in workplace management strategies, and for the education sector and creative industries.

From Jesuit apothecaries in Goa to royal treasuries in Europe, Goa stones were sought-after remedies and status objects in the seventeenth century. Discover how these artificial bezoars were made, traded, and treasured across continents.

Known as chattra, koda, godugu, sesath and hti in several Indian, Sri Lankan and Burmese languages, the ceremonial parasol has remained a symbol of divinity and political authority across South and Southeast Asia. Discover some of its earliest depictions and read about its making and use today.

On November 17th, Lingnan University’s Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) and The University of Sydney’s Educational Innovation (EI) Team co-hosted a pivotal seminar titled “The Transformation of Global Higher Education Learning Pedagogies: Harnessing the Innovation and Technology Revolution”. With an attendance of approximately 300 participants, both in person and online, the event highlighted the urgency to rethink and revolutionise educational practices to adapt to the AI era.

The use of drones in search and rescue, patrolling, and environmental monitoring has become increasingly common. However, their performance is still constrained by complex environmental factors such as harsh weather conditions, and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, a leading scholar in artificial intelligence (AI), Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and his research team have conducted a pioneering project titled “Key Technologies for Intelligent Enhancement and Content Understanding in Constrained Environments”.

The regulatory directions of Agentic AI systems and Open-Source AI have become hot topics globally. In light of this, Lingnan University and the University of Bologna in Italy co-hosted the 2nd International Workshop on Technologies for AI Governance (TAIG) from 25 to 26 October, as part of the 28th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence (ECAI 2025). The workshop brought together numerous world-leading experts, academics, and policymakers, aiming to enhance governance in areas such as AI risk assessment, accountability tracking, and safety assurance, and to foster cross-regional exchange on AI governance between Asia and Europe. The two-day event attracted over 150 academics and students.

In 2022, Bangladeshi architecture firm Sthapotik designed a mausoleum for the influential 20th-century Uwaisi pir (saint), Shah Muhammad Mohshin Khan. Located in Manikganj, approximately 54 kilometres from Dhaka, this building stands out as a most unconventional interpretation of the traditional dargah, or Sufi tomb.

Traffic accidents and last-minute service requests often disrupt logistics efficiency. Dr Tong Hao, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Division of Artificial Intelligence of the School of Data Science at Lingnan University, has developed an Intelligent Vehicle Routing Optimisation System capable of dynamically simulating traffic conditions and task variations to show the most efficient routes for vehicle fleets when faced with sudden congestion or additional deliveries, so as to maximise operational efficiency. His dissertation Advancing optimization and evaluation for dynamic capacitated arc routing problems is the only research project worldwide to receive the 2026 IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award.

Chimeric, half-human, half-animal figures of stone guard the doorways of many historic and contemporary temples across the world. Read more about these powerful entities and how they were crucial to the evolution of Hindu and Buddhist practices in southern India.

Leading scholar in artificial intelligence (AI) Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence at Lingnan University, has been honoured with the 2026 IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation Outstanding Paper Award for his co-authored paper Learning-Aided Evolution for Optimization. It is the sole paper to receive this award this year, underscoring its importance in the fields of evolutionary computation and AI.

Lingnan University held its Research and Knowledge Transfer Excellence Awards Presentation Ceremony 2025 yesterday, 17 September, honouring 55 faculty members for their outstanding contributions to academic research and knowledge transfer, advancing community well-being and societal progress during the past academic year. The awards included the Outstanding Researcher Award, the Early Career Researcher Award, and the Research & Knowledge Transfer Fund Award, recognising faculty members for their innovative scholarship and impactful initiatives that elevate Lingnan’s global research presence.

Lithium batteries are widely used in electric vehicles and electronic products, but concerns are growing about their environmental impact during mining and disposal. Scholars from Lingnan University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies and their collaborators have published a pioneering study online in top-tier, peer-reviewed, scientific journal Advanced Energy Materials. The study introduces a novel “anode-free sodium battery” that, by tuning the salt concentration in the electrolyte, reduces the risks of short circuits and shortened lifespan during fast charging. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that this new type of battery can be charged within minutes while maintaining safety and stability.

Timely information on a company's production activities is crucial for investors and policymakers, yet it remains scarce as financial reports and other broader economic indicators like the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) are only released periodically. This information lag makes it difficult to assess a company's operational health in real time. To address this challenge, Prof Zhao Xiaofeng, Associate Professor of the Department of Finance and Associate Director of Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies at Lingnan University, in collaboration with researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, has developed a new economic indicator, which uses thermal infrared radiation data to monitor the production and operation of enterprises in real time, and accurately predicts changes in their future profitability in terms of sales growth. The findings were recently featured in the prestigious international finance journal “Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis”, and received support from the General Research Fund (GRF) of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) amounting to about HKD$400,000.

In the East Indian Ocean, the indigenous inhabitants of Nicobar carved fearsome figurines called hantakoi to fight off malevolent spirits. These totemic scare-devils, represented in both human and zoomorphic form, reveal the ways in which the people of Nicobar engaged with other dwellers of the Indian Ocean world.

Migrant domestic helpers (MDHs) account for approximately one-tenth of Hong Kong’s labour force. For a deeper understanding of public perceptions, Lingnan University’s Department of English recently released a survey report examining the social recognition and respect shown towards MDHs in Hong Kong, revealing that nearly half of respondents have had no direct contact with MDHs. Almost 20 per cent (18.7%) have a negative impression of MDHs, and the majority of respondents think social media is the medium that shows the least respect towards them. To improve public understanding and awareness, Lingnan scholars have written bilingual (Chinese and English) “Guidelines for Writing about Migrant Domestic Helpers on Social Media”, which can be accessed free online. These guidelines aim to reduce bias and stereotypes associated with MDHs.

Recipient Professor Enrico Petretto from Duke-NUS is spearheading groundbreaking research to develop new drugs for lung disease and uncover new therapeutic targets for kidney disease.

From a seed-inspired design to a 26-minute flight time on a single rotor, a new monocopter developed by SUTD researchers marks a 10-year journey towards redefining how efficient small flying robots can be.

Curate the Curious, an annual exhibition curated by 36 students of the Master of Arts in Curating and Art History (MACAH) at Lingnan University, will be held from 1-10 August. Introducing a new-generation curatorial perspective, the exhibition presents the hidden stories behind more than 50 paintings, sculptures, videos, and new media art by over 30 well-known artists from Mainland China and Hong Kong. The six curiosity-driven themes are designed to inspire audiences to embark on their own journey of artistic discovery and dialogue. Admission is free.

An early 19th-century miniature painting depicts a late-night tryst between two lovers, under the storm clouds of twilight skies. Created in western India’s Mewar court atelier, by the master painter Chokha, this image reveals layers of meaning.

Lingnan University has delivered its best-ever performance in the latest 2025/26 funding exercise carried out by the Research Grants Council (RGC), covering the General Research Fund (GRF), Early Career Scheme (ECS), and Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS). Forty-nine Lingnan research projects have been supported, a 26 per cent increase from last year’s 39 projects, and the total subsidy has risen by 22 per cent to nearly HKD$30 million, an unprecedented achievement in both the number of grants awarded and total funding.