Computer Science Artificial intelligence

Lingnan University hosted the “Empower Your Future: Lingnan Postgraduate Orientation 2026” on campus today, 27 August, welcoming about 3,200 new taught postgraduate/doctoral degree and MPhil/PhD programme students for the 2026/27 academic year. To meet the growing demand for professionals in artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and smart manufacturing in the digital era, Lingnan has introduced three new taught postgraduate programmes, bringing the number of offerings to a record high of 50. In addition, the University held its first-ever “Welcome Gathering for Research Postgraduate Students” to help new students adapt more quickly to Lingnan’s academic research environment.

As solid-state electrolyte research grows, so does the amount of data. The problem is that much of it remains scattered across the literature. That is where researchers at WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University, come in — with DigBat, a new platform designed to bring this information together and help map the growing landscape of solid-state electrolyte research. By connecting data from across the field, DigBat can help researchers see relationships more clearly and point toward promising directions for future battery materials research.

Hematopoietic stem cells can transform into any type of blood cell. However, this ability declines as we age. Recent research at Tohoku University uses AI to guide their deep dive into understanding which genes cause aging in stem cells.

Lingnan University held its 2026/27 academic year New Student Orientation (NSO) and Official Welcome for undergraduate students at its Tuen Mun campus today (24 August).

Lingnan University announced the establishment of the innovation and entrepreneurship platform “LU Xcelerator (LUX)” and held its Opening Ceremony today, 21 August. LUX focuses on “AI + X” and the application of agentic AI in different industries, leveraging the unique strength of Lingnan University in data science and interdisciplinary studies. Benefitting from Lingnan’s location near the Northern Metropolis, LUX will spearhead an innovative mode of collaboration between “Government, Industry, Academia, Research, and Investment” in the Greater Bay Area. This new platform will assist our students and researchers in translating innovative research into market-ready applications with tangible commercial and social value.

Researchers from the University of Osaka and Diponegoro University developed an AI-powered navigation system for cyborg cockroaches. Using onboard sensors and a multilayer perceptron, the system recognizes flat ground, climbs, descents, and holes in real time, then adapts electrical stimulation accordingly. By supporting natural climbing while reducing unnecessary steering, the approach shortened obstacle-crossing and total navigation times, reduced travel distance and stimulation, and significantly improved efficient movement across complex terrain.

Lingnan University’s research teams have achieved exceptional success at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2026, with all 14 of their projects winning eight gold and six silver medals. One of the projects, the “GaitGPT: Evidence-Grounded AI for Bidirectional Clinical Gait Translation”, developed by a team led by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University and Prof Yu Lisha, Assistant Professor of Teaching of the Division of Artificial Intelligence of the School of Data Science, also received IFIA Best Invention Award issued by International Federation of Inventors' Associations and "Thailand Award for the Best International Invention and Innovation" issued by the National Research Council of Thailand, winning a total of 16 awards. This is the second consecutive year Lingnan has entered this international innovation event, and it is the Hong Kong SAR higher education institution with the greatest number of awards and gold medals.

A spokesperson for Lingnan University welcomed the results of the 2026 ShanghaiRanking's Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Lingnan rose significantly from the 901st to 1,000th band globally last year to the 601st to 700th band this year, representing an advancement of 300 places and the biggest rise among Hong Kong SAR’s eight UGC-funded universities. The university has also risen to joint 6th place within this group. The encouraging improvement is consistent with Lingnan’s upward trend in other international university rankings in recent months, reflecting the phased results of the University’s continued strategic transformation in recent years and recognition from the international academic community.

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Japan-based Elix, Inc. and the University of Vienna, Austria announce the signing of a joint research agreement aimed at advancing drug discovery using AI technologies.

Researchers from the University of Osaka and collaborating institutions developed an autonomous solid-state nanopore that combines sensing, memory, and signal generation in a single device. Unlike conventional nanopores, the sensor continually reshapes itself through chemical reactions, producing unique electrical signatures as molecules pass through, providing a basis for memory. The device successfully identified a variety of nucleotides and amino acids, providing a new platform for molecular sensing and future iontronic computing.

Ancient plant seeds provide important archaeological evidence for studying the evolution of human civilisation. Lingnan University and Shandong University have jointly developed the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) archaeological system dedicated to identifying ancient Chinese plant seeds. The system emulates the identification process of archaeobotanical experts and achieves a classification accuracy of over 90 per cent. The researchers point out that the identification of plant seeds excavated from archaeological sites has traditionally relied on experts examining each seed individually, a process that is both time-consuming and difficult to scale. The large, standardised database they have created helps improve research efficiency while advancing archaeobotanical research and the digitalisation of cultural heritage. The findings have been published in Heritage Science, an internationally recognised journal of cultural heritage and part of the Nature Portfolio.

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a new mathematical framework that helps identify optimization problems that can be solved efficiently using optical computing hardware. The approach allows complex, high-dimensional problems to be transformed into forms compatible with spatial photonic Ising machines and can also accelerate computation using fast Fourier transforms. These findings could broaden the applications of optical computing to areas such as logistics, data analysis, and infrastructure optimization.

A team of international scientists led by Dr. Patricia Angela R. Abu have developed an AI model that accurately predicts how effectively the heart pumps blood.

Discovering the materials needed for cleaner energy technologies has long been a slow process - but AI could change that. Researchers at Tohoku University have developed a closed-loop AI framework that continuously learns from experiments to identify promising energy materials faster and at lower cost. The approach could accelerate the development of next-generation batteries, hydrogen storage and other low-carbon technologies.

The battle against environmental degradation is complex. Green technologies can be both part of the solution and part of the problem, a recent study has revealed. Researchers from Tohoku University and the National Institute for Environmental Studies have utilized remote sensing and machine learning to reveal the impacts mining for minerals in green technologies has on biodiversity.

AI learns from captains instead of calculations in Japan’s trickiest sea

As generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly widely used in translation, questions have been raised over whether it could eventually replace professional interpreters. A joint study led by Lingnan University found that while AI can improve translation efficiency, it is still less capable than professional interpreters of adapting language to context and preserving rhetorical and communicative effects. The researchers conclude that human judgement and oversight remain essential, particularly in politically, diplomatically, and culturally sensitive settings. These findings have been published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, a Nature Portfolio journal.

Prof Song Yongduan, Dean of the School of Data Science and Henry Y. W. Fong Chair Professor of Industrial Data Science at Lingnan University, attended the induction ceremony for International Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) in Beijing on 9 July, where he officially received his member plaque. The professor is one of five scientists with Hong Kong affiliations among the recently elected International Members of the CAE.

With Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) results slated for release on 15 July, Lingnan University has introduced elite programmes, flexible admission arrangements, and competitive scholarships to support candidates planning their higher education. Initiatives include the inauguration of the inaugural Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class (CCT Class), named after Nobel Prize-winning physicist Prof Samuel C.C. Ting, which chooses the best undergraduate University Entrance Scholarship students for this comprehensive learning opportunity. The new flexible admission scheme for the upcoming academic year will allow candidates who underperform in one core subject to still be considered for admission after a detailed assessment.

Jointly organised by Lingnan University and Yuanpei College of Peking University (PKU), the onsite seven-day intensive training camp (held from 2 to 8 July 2026) amid the third Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy concluded on the Lingnan University campus, showcasing how the next generation of Beijing-Hong Kong talents seamlessly blends cutting-edge scientific innovation with a profound humanistic spirit, and empowering student entrepreneurs to transform creative ideas into socially responsible and real-world business solutions.

An AI assistant for high-entropy alloy (HEA) electrocatalysis named ChatHEA provided a helping hand not just to extract data from the literature, but provide suggestions for promising catalysts, design experiments, and analyze data.

Researchers from the University of Osaka found that the human brain represents social relationships learned through drama viewing, especially antagonistic ties. Participants watched six episodes of SUITS and underwent fMRI scans before and after viewing. Brain activity patterns after viewing reflected rivalries and conflicts among characters, particularly in regions involved in social cognition. The findings suggest that negative relationships help structure the brain’s internal social maps.

To mark the 29th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Lingnan University today, 1 July, organised a seminar entitled “The Present and Future of Liberal Arts Education through the Lens of Lingnan History” at Yuanzhi Business School in Guangzhou. Bringing together distinguished scholars and experts, the seminar explored the close educational and cultural ties between Guangzhou and Hong Kong, as well as the value of preserving and advancing liberal arts education in the digital era. In the evening, Canton Tower illuminated a congratulatory display celebrating Lingnan’s achievement of retaining the world’s No. 1 position in SDG 4: Quality Education in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026, screening the achievements of Hong Kong’s higher education sector to communities across the Greater Bay Area.

The School of Graduate Studies (GS) at Lingnan University launched the Postgraduate Summer School 2026. This year's programme focuses on interdisciplinary methodological approaches, including the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative mixed method designs. Lingnan is providing scholarship for each of the 18 outstanding postgraduate students, which includes sending them to the University of Oxford for an intensive UK session to further expand their horizons.

Lingnan University has achieved another historic milestone in the newly released Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026. Its overall ranking surged from the 101st - 200th band last year to 63rd place globally—breaking into the top 100 for the first time, and coming third of the Hong Kong SAR’s eight UGC-funded universities. Lingnan University has achieved another historic milestone in the newly released Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings 2026. Its overall ranking surged from the 101st - 200th band last year to 63rd place globally—breaking into the top 100 for the first time, and coming third of the Hong Kong SAR’s eight UGC-funded universities. Seven Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were classed in the top 100 globally, more than doubling last year’s achievements. “SDG 4: Quality Education” has retained its position as number one worldwide, “SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities” has risen sharply from last year’s 101st - 200th band to 11th globally, “SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth” ranked 27th globally, and “SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals” came 55th globally.

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Lingnan University has achieved a major advancement in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2027, rising 120 places to 581st globally, its biggest jump in recent years. Lingnan recorded an outstanding performance across several key indicators, achieving a full score for International Faculty, ranking 34th worldwide, alongside a highly competitive result for International Students, placing at 76th worldwide. The University also achieved a significant rise of 211 places in Sustainability and climbed 64 places in Academic Reputation.

The 2nd Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Higher Education Innovation Symposium was successfully held at Shenzhen University from 13 to 14 June 2026. Under the theme "Higher Education Innovation and Greater Bay Area Development", the event was co-organised by the Guangdong Higher Education Society, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Alliance, and the Macao Association for Higher Education Development, and hosted by Shenzhen University. University administrators, experts, and scholars from Guangdong, Hong Kong SAR, and Macau SAR gathered to explore new pathways for innovative development in higher education, implementing key national deployments regarding higher education innovation and Greater Bay Area construction under the 15th Five-Year Plan.

Researchers from The University of Osaka developed a computational imaging method that combines coded-aperture optics with diffusion-model-based artificial intelligence to recover both depth and sharp color images from a single photograph. The approach improves robustness across imaging conditions while reducing reconstruction errors commonly seen in existing methods.