Hong Kong

The JC STEM Lab of Circular Bio-economy (the Lab) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has recently achieved a breakthrough in the field of sustainable development technologies. A research team led by Professor Lee Duu-Jong, Director of the Lab and Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has successfully developed a bio-inspired "all-weather building skin" that cools in sunlight and harvests energy from rain, alongside a "turbocharged" solar hydrogen system powered by low-cost copper ions. These innovations provide a transformative pathway for urban energy conservation and clean energy production, reinforcing the Lab's commitment to translating cutting-edge research into tangible social benefits.

A research team led by Professor Forester Wong Yu-ting, Assistant Professor in the Department of Accountancy at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), pioneered a novel approach to detecting “differential communication”. The study, titled “Differential Communication and Local Information Advantage: Revelations from Translation Differences”, was recently published in The Accounting Review, a top-tier journal in the field of accounting.

An international research team led by a scholar from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has broken through the overlooked role of sewers as a source of methane, developing the first-ever globally applicable estimation tool and offering a new perspective on mitigating climate change.

An international research team led by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CityUHK has successfully developed a breakthrough technology, called “Liquid Droplet Mops”, which only uses a minimal amount of water to effectively remove dust and pollutants from solar panel surfaces, significantly enhancing cleaning efficiency while conserving water.

A team led by Professor Julia Beatty, Chair Professor of Veterinary Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences of CityUHK, recently published a review in the prestigious journal Nature Reviews Cancer, exploring how feline tumour viruses offer vital insights into human oncology and viral carcinogenesis from a comparative oncology perspective.

CityUHK economist together with Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences are jointly leading the early childhood research programme China REACH. The study aims to provide a practical, evidence-based framework for reducing educational disparities among rural children. To date, more than 80,000 rural children across diverse regions of China have benefited from the initiative.

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.

A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) recently collaborated with an international research team to publish a study revealing a correlation between global contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in globally consumed edible marine fish and associated human health risks. The study found that consumers may be exposed to elevated levels of PFAS by consuming imported fish such as salmon, tuna, swordfish and cod — even in regions with low environmental pollution — thereby increasing food‑safety risks.

Scientists from City University of Hong Kong and collaborators from more than 20 countries are taking FIRST steps towards safeguarding communities most affected by climate change.

Scientists from CityUHK have recently achieved a major breakthrough in the field of photovoltaic technology, successfully developing highly efficient and durable perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suitable for outdoor environments. It is expected to contribute to the wider adoption of solar power and advance global carbon neutrality goals.

Lingnan University and Shenzhen Das Intellitech Company Limited (Das Intellitech), a leading company specialising in the research and application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today, 23 October. This collaboration will use artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and IoT technologies to advance smart building and low-carbon development initiatives. The two parties will establish a pre-eminent international research laboratory to promote academia-industry-research collaboration, green innovation, and the development of smart city solutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, particularly in sustainable carbon-neutral technologies.

The Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) held a ceremony on campus today, 15 October, to confer the title of Senior Lingnan Scholar on Prof Xu Zidong, former Professor and Head of the Department of Chinese at Lingnan University, in recognition of his important contributions to modern Chinese literature. Prof Xu gave a talk entitled “The Beginning of Modern Chinese Literature”, sharing insights from his latest publication, The Collected Works of Xu Zidong with students and faculty, and exploring key issues in modern Chinese literature. The lecture provided a platform for cultural dialogue and exchange, and was attended by about 700 students, faculty, and bibliophiles.

Lingnan University in Hong Kong has entered the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. In the latest published results, Lingnan ranked among the world’s top 301–350 out of 2,191 universities from 115 countries or territories, delivering a notable performance across several indicators. These include an impressive 47th place in International Outlook, recognising Lingnan’s achievement in fostering international diversity and collaborative research on a global scale.

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.

Lingnan University was commissioned to conduct a Hong Kong School Children Happiness Annual Survey in 2012. In 2017/18 this annual study was augmented by including a survey on life education in schools. Since 2023, the Lingnan team was joined by the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, the Department of Paediatrics of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Paediatric Society. The 2024/2025 study began with an invitation sent to all Hong Kong’s subvented schools in March 2023. We enlisted a total of 10 primary schools and 8 secondary schools in this study, covering 1752 primary school students, 1982 secondary school students, and 116 teachers.

Lingnan University has achieved another remarkable milestone in the 2025 edition of the World’s Top 2% Scientists list, published by Stanford University. This year, a total of 43 Lingnan scholars were named in the list, representing an increase of about 50 per cent compared with last year’s 29. Among them, 19 scholars were ranked among the global top 100 in their respective disciplines, underscoring the international recognition of Lingnan’s research excellence and its rising global impact.

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.

Lingnan University President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, Prof S. Joe Qin, welcomed the 2025 Policy Address delivered by Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, highlighting a series of education-related policy initiatives as follows:

The CREW Intelligent Wheelchair Control System, developed by the Humanitarian Technology team of the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI) of Lingnan University, won the “Top 10 Technological Innovation Award” at the “Shenzhen International Intelligent Elderly Care Industry Expo ‘Industrial Bank Cup’ The First Shenzhen Health & Elderly Care Robotics Competition”.

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.

To encourage new students to explore and take part in all the different aspects of university life, Lingnan held a key orientation activity, its Campus Life Carnival, last night, 4 September. Over a thousand new students visited the 40 stands set up by student societies, university teams and units encouraged new students to join, gave advice, and explained Lingnan’s many extracurricular activities.

Lingnan University congratulates the “Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou” cluster on achieving the top position in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) Ranking of World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters. Released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), this ranking recognises the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) outstanding innovation capacity and its vital strategic role in the global innovation ecosystem.

To reduce plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability, scholars from the Lingnan University School of Interdisciplinary Studies and their research team have developed a successful new eco-friendly bioplastic material. Unlike conventional plastics, it degrades naturally into harmless water and carbon dioxide in as little as 29 days under ambient conditions, and is a practical way to mitigate global plastic pollution. Their study, “Sustainable DNA-polysaccharide hydrogels as recyclable bioplastics”, was recently published in the respected journal Nature Communications.

The School of Graduate Studies (GS) of Lingnan University in Hong Kong hosted the “Empower Your Future” Lingnan Postgraduate Orientation 2025 today, 28 August, welcoming about 3,600 new postgraduate students for the 2025/26 academic year, the highest number ever recorded. The cohort includes students from the Hong Kong SAR, Macau, Mainland China, Canada, France, Portugal, Switzerland, the US, Vanuatu, Ghana, and Cameroon enrolled in taught master’s, doctoral, and MPhil/PhD programmes.

Lingnan University held its 2025/26 academic year New Student Orientation (NSO) and Official Welcome on campus today, 25 August, welcoming over 1,400 new undergraduates from the Hong Kong SAR, the Mainland, and overseas, including students from Germany, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Russia, South Korea, and Vietnam into the Lingnan family.

Lingnan University constantly seeks to attract talented students with diverse talents. This year, through its Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA), the University has admitted five outstanding athletes: cyclists Yeung Cho-yiu, Phoebe Tung, and Liang King-hung, rower Head Jaden Li, and taekwondo athlete Lam Siu-wai. All five will pursue the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management (SCEM) in the 2025/26 academic year, and the University will provide complete support to ensure well-balanced development in both academia and athletics.

On 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, Lingnan University announced the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation with the United Nations University (UNU) to establish the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University (UNU Hub at Lingnan University), making it the first higher education institution in Asia to set up a UNU Hub. The Hub is scheduled to open officially in October 2025 and will have an annual operating budget of over HK$8 million. Its Humanitarian Innovation and Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) will spearhead research and design initiatives, education and training programmes, and international collaborations, and improve living conditions in developing countries and regions of the Global South by leveraging innovative and cutting-edge technologies. Scholarships will be awarded to encourage local youth to fulfil their ambitions through knowledge and innovation.

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.

Lingnan University's science and innovation teams have achieved outstanding results at the 11th Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2025 (SVIIF) in their first-ever participation. All 13 participating projects, covering areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), smart manufacturing, and intelligent transportation, won awards, including 8 gold and 5 silver medals. One of the projects, the AI-based Fencing Training and Assessment System, led by Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), also received a special award ⸺ Prize of the International Federation of Inventors’ Association (IFIA), making Lingnan the Hong Kong higher education institution that won the highest number of total awards and gold medals at this year’s festival.