Artificial Intelligence

Researchers have developed a new framework that uses artificial intelligence to monitor wastewater treatment in real time, ensuring environmental safety while maximizing resource recovery. This “twin transition” approach allows facilities to predict system health and optimize energy use simultaneously.

With the rapid growth of Hong Kong’s logistics and delivery services, frontline movers and delivery workers have to cope with physically demanding labour over long periods of time. The United Nations University Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University), the first UNU Hub in Asia and jointly established by Lingnan University and the United Nations University (UNU), recently developed the “IntuCREW – Intelligent Power Assist System”, an AI-powered smart trolley solution that upgrades conventional handcarts into intelligent, power-assisted transport platforms. The system can reduce the pushing effort required to move loads of about 200 kilograms by up to 90 per cent, a force comparable to pushing a 20-kilogram load, significantly easing the physical strain on logistics and delivery workers.

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed bioinspired composites that mimic bone and bamboo structures to improve strength and toughness simultaneously. Using artificial intelligence, simulations, and 3D printing, the team discovered how soft layers near cracks can prevent catastrophic failure.

Ethical Patient Allocation and Statistical Rigor in One Framework

The evolution of higher education in the digital era has attracted global attention, and Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, recently published a paper titled “AI for education: The digital transformation of a liberal arts institution – implementation at Lingnan University” in a leading international journal Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence. The paper’s in-depth analysis of the role artificial intelligence (AI) plays in education uses Lingnan as a case study to examine the success of its pilot initiatives.

Leading international industrial media outlet Control Global has announced that Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, has been inducted into the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame in recognition of his long-term outstanding contributions and far-reaching impact in industrial data analytics, process control and automation, the only scholar from the Hong Kong SAR to receive this distinction. Inductees over the years have been key figures driving industrial technological innovation and theoretical breakthroughs, and the accolade is held in very high esteem by both the international academic and industrial communities.

35 scholars from Lingnan University have been named in the latest "World’s Best Scientists 2026" rankings published by Research.com, a leading international academic platform. This achievement underscores the University’s exceptional research capabilities and academic contributions, gaining international recognition for Lingnan’s commitment to "Liberal Arts + Technology" and academic excellence.

Transforming film education through interactive game – CineSim, developed by the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries at Lingnan University, received the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year award at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2026 on the evening of 22 April. Widely regarded as the Oscars of higher education, the Awards are highly competitive, and Lingnan University stood out from more than 500 entries worldwide to become the only institution to receive the Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year award. This achievement clearly demonstrates the University’s lead in educational innovation and the application of digital technologies, which have earned full recognition from the international higher education community.

Researchers developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) technique that could help overcome a major bottleneck in the development of large-scale quantum computers. The method enables automated analysis of key measurement data used in semiconductor spin qubits.

The Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) held a conferment ceremony today, 21 April, to honour two internationally famous scholars. Prof Arnold B. Bakker, a leading authority in work and organisational psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, was appointed a Lingnan Fellow. Prof M. Jae Moon, an eminent scholar in public management and digital governance from Yonsei University, Korea, received the title of Senior Lingnan Scholar. Both scholars are ranked on the Stanford University World’s Top 2% Scientists list, and this will drive Lingnan University’s endeavours in international research and collaborative exchange.

Engineers at NIMS develop a system that captures all the elements of trial and error in material design, enabling reliable reproduction of the reasoning processes and results

A picture (of the eye) is worth a thousand words to this AI system that predicts the risk for major diseases like diabetes, based on the gap between the patient’s real age and the estimated retinal age.

Lingnan University and Yuanpei College of Peking University (PKU) organised the Lingnan-Yuanpei STEM Summer Academy (LYSSA) jointly for the third consecutive year. Coordinated by the Lingnan’s Office of Student Affairs, the LYSSA 2026 opening ceremony took place virtually on 20 April 2026, and attracted more than 40 experts, instructors, and students from both universities, providing a platform for Beijing-Hong Kong SAR youth to discuss innovation and entrepreneurship, improve their future competitiveness at work, and promote cultural exchanges and cooperation. The winning team will receive a cash prize of HK$50,000, as well as an incubation fund of up to HK$500,000 from the Lingnan Foundation, to support students in transforming their innovative ideas into entrepreneurial projects, products, or services with market potential.

Researchers have created a new database that employs AI to filter jargon and eliminate the need for users to have specialist programming skills. Called StableOx-Cat, the database identifies stable metal oxide electrocatalysts, making it easier to discover better materials for clean energy technologies.

The Hong Kong SAR imports over 90 per cent of its food, and it can be very difficult when food safety incidents occur to trace the source across a complex supply chain. Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing the introduction of a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The study confirms that such a system would improve overall traceability efficiency, and analysis shows that cooperative mechanisms across supply chain tiers help reduce the entry of problematic food into the market, improving both food safety and consumer confidence. The research findings have been published in the internationally respected flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

What if AI could discover breakthrough materials before we even test them? A new physics-informed AI model makes discovery faster and more reliable. This approach could reshape the future of electronics.

Prof Richard M. Walker, Head of the Department of Government and International Affairs and Lee Shau Kee Foundation Chair Professor of Public Administration at Lingnan University, has been given the prestigious Routledge Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Research Society for Public Management (IRSPM) in recognition of his sustained dedication and outstanding contributions to the field. Prof Walker is the first scholar in HKSAR to receive this honour, bringing distinction to Hong Kong's academic community and emphasising Lingnan University's international leadership in the discipline.

Researchers have succeeded in improving mobility efficiency by having the snake-like robot move using an “undulating motion” on uneven terrain and a “rolling motion” on level ground.

To enhance the business acumen and practical experience of students from Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area (GBA) tertiary institutions, the Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies (HKIBS) at Lingnan University organised the third Business Case Competition (LUBCC) 2026. The Final Presentation Day and Award Presentation Ceremony were successfully held yesterday (12 April). This year’s competition expanded for the first time to include five GBA universities: Shenzhen University, Jinan University, Foshan University, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, and Guangdong University of Technology. The first-prize teams were Lingnan University and Foshan University.

Lingnan University today, 13 April, hosted its University Assembly with guest of honour Prof Arieh Warshel, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2013 and widely recognised as one of the founding figures of computational chemistry. In his lecture Electrostatic Basis of Biological Actions, Prof Warshel shared insights from his decades of research and presented an integrated account of his life’s work, from fundamental physical principles and the laws governing electrons to the construction of the “microscopic world” of biological systems. He further extended this framework to the study and application of biomolecules, and highlighted the role of computational tools and artificial intelligence in advancing medical and pharmaceutical research.

When you build a structure, the materials matter. The poorer the materials, the less reliable  the structure. Databases are no different, and with the rise of AI-driven discovery, the importance of feeding highly reliable data has gained added salience. A new study has examined the database architecture being used in materials science to see how it impacts the reliability and vitality of research results.

AI-driven tests jointly developed by Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and Duke-NUS capture patients’ quality of life in minutes, helping doctors and researchers make faster, better-informed decisions.

A collaborative research group has shown that biological neurons can be trained to perform a temporal pattern learning task that was previously carried out by artificial systems

Researchers at Tohoku University have imagined a future where you can assess eye health at a local supermarket, train station, or in remote regions without hospital access using a portable, inexpensive eye scanner.

By introducing fairness from the beginning with ‘fuzzy’ systems that understand ambiguity and shades of correctness, the evolved AIs balanced fairness and accuracy even when tasked with coming up with solutions for complicated financial and ethical issues.

- Extraction of key behavioral elements from videos - Robustness against variations in action speed and duration - Selected for Oral Presentation (acceptance rate: 0.74%) at CVPR, the top computer vision conference

Lingnan University has achieved outstanding results in the international higher education organisation Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2026. Nine broad and individual subjects were designated, and more than half moved up. Philosophy came in the top three in Hong Kong, and Computer Science and Information Systems is included in the list for the first time, showing Lingnan’s considerable recent progress in developing interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence and data science, which has gained widespread recognition from the international academic community. QS stated that only three Hong Kong universities have achieved a net improvement, with Lingnan University among the most improved.

The Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) held a conferment ceremony today, 25 March, to officially appoint Prof Eugene Tyrtyshnikov, distinguished mathematician, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Professor and Chairman at Lomonosov Moscow State University, as a Lingnan Fellow, recognising his outstanding academic achievements in computational mathematics and numerical analysis, as well as the significant societal impact of his work.

Lingnan University proudly hosted its signature fundraising event, the Bright Future Charitable Foundation presents: Lingnan University Gala Dinner, held last night (18 March), and raised over HK$3 million. All proceeds will be used to enhance the University’s research facilities, supporting infrastructure, and cutting-edge research projects.

Lingnan University held its 2026 Chinese New Year media reception on the Tuen Mun campus today, 17 March, hosted by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; 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); Prof Sam Kwong Tak-Wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, and Prof Lau Chi-pang, Special Advisor to President on Publicity cum Director of Communications and Public Affairs. They announced the University’s most recent news and its strategic development blueprint for the coming years, which includes a series of campus development initiatives which will continue to improve teaching, research, and innovation.