From left: Dr Georgina Curto Rex, Senior Researcher and Team Lead at UNU Macau, Dr Huang Jingbo, Director of UNU Macau, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the UNU and Under-Secretary-General of UN, Mr Ernest Chan, Vice-President (Administration) of Lingnan University, Prof Albert Ko, Founding Director of the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology (HIT) at Lingnan University.
Mr Ernest Chan presents a special commemorative memento for the establishment of the UNU HIT Hub at Lingnan to Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, while Prof Albert Ko presents a Lingnan photo frame to Dr Huang Jingbo.
In his remarks, Mr Ernest Chan emphasised the significance of this milestone: "At Lingnan University, we have long believed that education and research must serve society. Our liberal arts tradition fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a deep sense of social responsibility among our students and faculty alike. Establishing the UNU Hub here in Asia will connect regional research and innovation capacity with UNU’s global expertise and network. This collaboration will amplify our efforts to contribute meaningfully towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, especially as we commemorate these landmark anniversaries of the UN and UNU."
This is echoed in Prof Tshilidzi Marwala’s remarks: “The future classroom is not just hybrid – it is plural. It spans disciplines, geographies, and generations. It is a space where tradition meets innovation, and where technology must serve – not replace – the human spirit. Asia’s first UNU Hub on HIT, jointly established by the UNU and Lingnan University, will serve as a global platform for research, education and engagement. We believe it will catalyse new partnerships and scale humanitarian technologies.”
The plaque unveiling formed part of the AI Education Day, which is a key component of the UNU Macau Milestone Series celebrating the United Nations’ 80th anniversary and UNU’s 50th anniversary. The event underscored the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology in fostering humanitarian innovation, with the UNU Hub on HIT set to leverage Lingnan’s expertise in data science to pioneer new pathways for humanitarian solutions for the Global South.
Lingnan University also participated in the UNU Hubs Milestone Session, a high-level discussion with six other universities from the Global South – including Tsinghua University, Tongji University and Northwestern Polytechnical University – chaired by UNU Macau and observed by UNU Rector Prof Marwala. Prof Albert Ko, Founding Director of the UNU HIT Hub at Lingnan, shared its experience in successfully setting up the first UNU Hub in Asia, highlighting its ongoing initiatives in humanitarian innovation and technology.
As Asia’s first UNU Hub dedicated to humanitarian innovation and technology, this pioneering initiative reflects a deep commitment to leveraging innovation and technology to address critical humanitarian challenges throughout Asia and the Global South. The establishment of the hub strengthens the collaborative partnership between Lingnan University and the United Nations University, aligning with the global vision of sustainable development and humanitarian impact as well as pushing academic institutions to the forefront of changemaking.
University delegates explore unique functions of the low-cost baby incubator.
Prof Nicole Lee explains the design principles of humanitarian technology to university partners.
