Hong Kong

Five-time Women's World Chess Champion Grandmaster Ju Wenjun, who successfully defended her title just last week, made a momentous visit to Hong Kong. Lingnan University, in collaboration with the Hong Kong China Chess Federation, co-organised a welcome event and chess exhibition match, where Ju engaged with Lingnan students and local chess enthusiasts. Accompanying her was her coach, Grandmaster Ni Hua. During this event, the Hong Kong China Chess Federation also announced the upcoming Asian Amateur Chess Championships, set to take place in August 2025. Ju has been invited as the guest of honour to witness this significant occasion.

To further strengthen Lingnan University’s global academic network, Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University; Prof Bradley R. Barnes, Interim Associate Vice-President (Global Affairs) cum Director of Global Education; and Prof Li Jia, Associate Professor of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, visited several well-known universities in the UK respectively. The itinerary in early April, included Imperial College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the University of Sheffield, Queen Mary University of London, the University of York, the University of Surrey, Brunel University of London, the University of Kent and the University of Westminster. Several meetings took place with fruitful discussions, surrounding academic collaboration with these potential international partners.

Lingnan University has achieved a historic milestone at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, winning a record-breaking number of five awards. A total of six groundbreaking inventions from Lingnan were showcased at the exhibition, earning one Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury―the first time the University has achieved this honour―along with two Silver Medals and two Bronze Medals, making the number of Lingnan University's participating and winning projects a record high.

Lingnan University held the conferment ceremony for the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) today, 11 April, welcoming three leading international scholars―Prof Chen Shiyi , President of the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, and Prof Yang Qiang, Professor Emeritus of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), who were made Lingnan Fellows, and the title of Senior Lingnan Scholar was conferred on Prof Zhou Dingxuan, Professor and Head of the School of Mathematics and Statistics of the University of Sydney—to recognise their important contributions to academic achievements.

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), which includes technologies such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, has sparked significant global discussion. To gain an in-depth understanding of the potential application of GAI technologies in education, Lingnan University’s Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) organised its annual Inno-GBA Seminar: Revolutionising Education with Generative Technologies on campus today, 8 April. The series, held in a hybrid mode, brought together leading artificial intelligence (AI) scholars from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as guest speakers to analyse how AI can best stimulate innovation in teaching, and improve students' academic performance from real-life case studies. The events included weekly sessions of the “Global InnovateEd Webinars” held from 18 March to 1 April, where members of eight UGC-funded universities’ faculty and staff were invited to participate, and addressed an audience of over 600.

Lingnan University’s Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing in Place Project held the "Silver Tech Symposium" at Lingnan@WestKowloon in the M+ Tower of the West Kowloon Cultural District today, 1 April. Co-organised by the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), it established a platform for exchanging ideas, exploring opportunities arising from the silver market, and discussing how to enhance the quality of life of the elderly.

Lingnan University Library has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fudan University Library at the Handan Campus, Fudan University. This MoU marks the first collaborative agreement between Lingnan and Fudan University, with the aim of fostering a closer partnership, harnessing complementary strengths, and facilitating in-depth exchanges across a wide array of academic and professional domains.

The research jointly conducted by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and the research team from Northeastern University, has been awarded the Second Prize of Liaoning Provincial Science and Technology Award. The research project, titled “Low-quality heterogeneous big data-driven monitoring theory and methods for complex dynamic systems”, represents a breakthrough in the field of AI-driven automation. This research systematically addresses data monitoring challenges in complex dynamic systems, particularly in industrial systems and automation technologies. It provides crucial technical support for the future development of industrial intelligence.

Lingnan University in Hong Kong is gaining ongoing recognition in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, with more subjects being ranked, reinforcing its growing academic presence on the global stage. This year, the University has twice as many subjects recognised, increasing from five to ten, with new disciplines—Communication and Media Studies, Sociology, Modern Languages, Education and Training, and Business and Management Studies—being included. While some of the University's latest advancements have yet to be reflected in this round of rankings, these achievements reaffirm Lingnan's dedication to advancing teaching and research. With a strong commitment to integrating digital-age knowledge and innovation, the University continues to prepare for new heights in the future.

In line with the HKSAR Government’s decision to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a key industry, Lingnan University held Career Expo 2025 - Imagine, Innovate, Initiate, and Invent on campus from 11 to 14 March. This year’s Emerging AI-powered tools in job hunting zone allowed free access by local and non-local graduates to improve the design of their résumés, and to practise impressing mock interviewers in order to be more competitive in this digital era. The event attracted more than 130 local organisations and multinational corporations, a 30% increase over last year. A virtual career fair will continue until mid-April, to give participants more time to master their job search strategies and find their ideal jobs.

To encourage the university community to take regular exercise and think positively through physical activities, Lingnan University in Hong Kong held a fundraising film screening of the documentary Four Trails in Yuen Long yesterday, 7 March. A group of runners, along with the film’s production team, attended the post-screening sharing session, where they chatted with students and faculty, sharing behind-the-scenes stories. The event attracted an audience of about a hundred, and all proceeds will be donated to the Outstanding Athletics Awards Fund for students at the University.

Food waste accounts for about 30 per cent of Hong Kong's municipal solid waste in landfills, negatively impacting environmental ecology and wasting recyclable organic materials. To address this issue, the Zeshan Foundation has funded A Plastic Ocean Foundation in collaboration with academic partner Lingnan University’s Science Unit, and strategic partner Gaw Capital People’s Place, to launch an innovative food waste processing programme in April - the Bi-Loop Nature-Based Food Waste Regeneration Pilot Programme (the programme).

Lingnan University held its inaugural Technology Transfer Forum today, 28 February, at the Qianhai International Talent Hub in Shenzhen. Supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission, the forum focused on “Building a Smart Future for Sustainability”. It brought together over 160 government officials, leading scholars, and industry pioneers from Hong Kong and Mainland China to explore the latest research and practical applications in the four cutting-edge technological areas of New Energy, New Material, New Data, and New Humanity.

The intersection of technology and psychological health has become a critical area of enquiry in interpersonal, workplace and organisational contexts in the digital era. With the support of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University in collaboration with Sun Yat-sen University and Renmin University hosted the inaugural International Conference and Workshop on Health and Well-being in the Digital Era on the Lingnan campus yesterday, 21 February. The conference continues today, 22 February, on Sun Yat-sen University’s Shenzhen campus. It highlights the crucial role of psychological science in shaping AI applications across work, healthcare, and daily life, and attracted about 160 participants on the first day.

Lingnan University announced that, starting from yesterday (February 20), it has provided free access to the DeepSeek-R1 model for all Lingnanians. Faculty, staff, and students can conveniently select from GPT-3.5, GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo, or DeepSeek-R1 through the University’s ChatGPT portal, thus enhancing teaching, learning, research, and improving work efficiency.

Lingnan University held its 2025 Chinese New Year Media Reception today, 18 February, at its Tuen Mun campus. Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, presided for the first time with the three Vice-Presidents: Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing; Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning; Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration), as well as Prof Lau Chi-pang, Associate Vice-President (Institutional Advancement and External Affairs) cum Director of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs, and announced the University’s latest developments to the media, as well as the completion and official opening in February of its first High-Performance Computing (HPC) Data Centre, “Lingnan HPC NexT”, which represents the “Nexus of HPC technology”. The centre houses dozens of supercomputers comparable to some of the current top 100 supercomputers worldwide, providing approximately 6,000 TFLOPS of computing power to support the University’s researchers and students.

Lacquerware and porcelain are significant in the history of Chinese civilisation. Lingnan University’s Chamber of Young Snow Art Exhibition Hall is hosting a new exhibition, titled ‘Shine and Shade, Earth and Wood: The Story of Everyday Porcelain and Lacquer’ from 17 February to 2 December 2025 featuring over 30 rare and exquisite lacquer and porcelain pieces from the Tang to the Qing dynasties. Experts and academics from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Zhejiang Provincial Museum will lecture on the culture, design, and academic research of Chinese handicrafts, and Lingnan will also organise two workshops on ‘The Beauty of Everyday: Experience Session on Chinese Lacquer Decorations’. The public is welcome to register and participate.

In the latest UTD Top 100 Worldwide Business School Rankings Based on Research Contributions 2024, Lingnan University’s Faculty of Business came 19th in China, marking a significant leap of 23 places from 42th in 2023 based on its outstanding research and international influence. This accomplishment not only acknowledges the Faculty of Business’s considerable achievements, but also reaffirms its important international academic position.

Today (12 February), in the second session of the “A Personal Perspective on Doing Good Research” seminar series organised by the School of Graduate Studies of Lingnan University, Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing at Lingnan University, gave a talk entitled “Research Methodology—A Computational Mathematician’s Perspective”, attended by about 100 teachers and students.

Mental health in the young has become a growing concern in recent years. To improve the psychological wellbeing of university students in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University has conducted a five-year longitudinal study through a series of mental health education courses. The programme aims to enhance students' resilience, psychological knowledge, and basic counselling skills. Using questionnaires, the study seeks to find out the effect of such interventional mental health programmes on their psychological wellbeing. Results show that participants’ resilience, prosocial behaviour, and growth mindset have improved significantly, and their negative mental health symptoms such as depression and anxiety have diminished.

Prof Ruby Lai Yuen-shan, Assistant Professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at Lingnan University in Hong Kong, has partnered with two Hong Kong artists, Ms Miu Law and Mr Victor Sham Chung-tat, for an interdisciplinary collaboration. Together, they have curated the exhibition “Listening to the Stories of 118.4 Square Feet”, which highlights a selection of real-life stories from residents of subdivided units.

To celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Snake, Prof Cai Zongqi, Director of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies of Lingnan University, and Mr Jerry Wang Junzhe, Research Officer of the Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies, searched the rich anecdotes related to the snake zodiac sign. They explained that while contemporary literature and religious stories often fuel fear of snakes, the symbolism in ancient Chinese mythology paints a different picture. Snakes were not only revered as tribal totems and royal symbols, but also regarded as emblems of health and good fortune.

Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning of Lingnan University in Hong Kong has been elected Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) for the year 2024. The Induction Ceremony of the 11 new Fellows of the HKAE was held on 20 January 2025. Prof Yao has the distinction of being the third Lingnan scholar to receive this honour, following Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Acting Dean of the School of Data Science, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence.

Lingnan University’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies (SIS) and the Center of International Innovation for Technology and Science (CIITS), signed a Cooperation Framework Agreement at the InnoBay · Future Industry Forum——Shenzhen-Hong Kong Exchange Session (CIITS) in the Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone yesterday (16 January). Prof Chen Xi, Dean of SIS, and Mr Liu Renchen, Director of the CIITS, signed on behalf of both parties, injecting new momentum into promoting scientific and technological innovation cooperation.

Lingnan University in Hong Kong recently launched its inaugural seminar series “A Personal Perspective on Doing Good Research”. The series commenced with a seminar delivered by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, entitled “Doing Research to the Best of and Bigger Than Yourself”. Organised by the School of Graduate Studies (GS), this monthly event will feature presentations from senior university management and leading scholars, offering a platform for academics to share valuable insights and experiences from their personal research. The series aims to encourage productive discussions on best research practices, and offers participants opportunities to engage with leading scholars within the university.

To promote Hong Kong as an international hub for post-secondary education and enhance the “Study in Hong Kong” brand, Lingnan University in Hong Kong has organised a comprehensive four-day orientation programme for the first time ever specifically for the 147 inbound exchange students. These students, who come from 26 countries including China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US, represent over 70 partner institutions from all over the world who will attend the spring term of the 2024/25 academic year. The number of inbound exchange students has increased by 122% compared to the previous spring term.

The mini air purifier PureAura, designed and developed by Lingnan University's Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI), has received the 2024 Good Design Award Best 100, regarded as the Oscars of Design in the East, and one the most influential design awards in the world alongside the iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, and IDEA Design Award. With its breakthrough design concept and practicality, PureAura has achieved a Grand Slam of prestigious design awards, and become the only innovative entry to win the highest honour from all four design awards at the same time.

To discover Hong Kong citizens' awareness and acceptance of gerontechnology, the Lingnan University Institute for Policy Studies’ Jockey Club Gerontechnology and Smart Ageing in Place (GTSA) Project recently held a public opinion survey. The results show that overall awareness of gerontechnology is on an upward trend, but 40% of respondents believe that current government subsidies for the purchase of gerontech products are insufficient, and 90% of respondents would like the government to expand the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme to cover the purchase of gerontech products.

On 12 December, Lingnan University hosted its biennial fundraising event, Kingrich Charitable Foundation presents: Lingnan University Gala Dinner 2024 for around 300 welcome guests. This year the theme was Lingnan’s Transformation into the Digital Era.

Lingnan University participated for the first time in the 4th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions Hong Kong (AEII) held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5 to 6 December. Lingnan University won a total of three awards, including 1 Gold Medal and 2 Silver Medals, among more than 140 innovative projects from all over Asia.