China

Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence at Lingnan University, was recently elected to the Class of 2026 Fellows of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements and remarkable contributions in the field of science. Fellowship of the RSC is one of the highest honours Canada bestows upon scholars and scientists. This year, 105 people worldwide were elected as new Fellows, and Prof Kwong is one of the three scholars in Hong Kong SAR to receive this prestigious recognition. He will attend the induction ceremony in Ottawa in November.

Two new papers published in Nature offer new insights into how this group of ancient humans looked, evolved, and behaved.

As Hong Kong’s population ages at one of the fastest rates in the world, the demand for family eldercare increases daily. To understand the responsibilities and roles assumed by grandchildren in caring for their grandparents, the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS) at Lingnan University conducted an in-depth interview study, which shows that having been looked after by grandparents in childhood is a major reason why grandchildren are willing to take on these same responsibilities for their own grandparents; another key motivation is the desire to alleviate their parents’ burden. However, the study highlights a common dilemma faced by grandchildren acting as carers: a lack of nursing knowledge and skills. Also, as more families employ foreign domestic helpers for childcare, this shift in caregiving models may weaken the traditional role of grandparents, which could in turn affect the long-term intergenerational eldercare support network.

Prof Jean-Michel Morel, Chair Professor of the Division of Industrial Data Science at Lingnan University, has been elected a Foreign Member of the Luxembourg Academy of Sciences and Arts (LASA). The honour recognises his pioneering research extending from mathematical foundations to image analysis and industrial data science, and demonstrating the profound contribution of fundamental mathematics to artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision, and image analysis, aligning with LASA's mission to foster interdisciplinary exchange.

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.

New study of James Webb Space Telescope images suggests that little red dots are not simply single points of light but likely exist within compact star-forming galaxies.

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.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, and Lingnan Fellow of the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS) and internationally renowned chemical engineering scholar Prof Ignacio E. Grossmann attended the 22nd IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (IEEE CASE 2026) in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. The conference, themed “Smart Industry”, brought together leading scholars and industry experts from around the world in the fields of automation and robotics. During the conference session, President Prof S. Joe Qin introduces Prof Grossmann’s academic background and distinguished achievements. Prof Grossmann delivered a plenary speech today (18 August), entitled “Challenges in the Application of Mathematical Programming Approaches to Industrial Enterprise-wide Optimisation”, sharing the challenges of applying mathematical programming approaches to enterprise-wide optimisation, as well as the applications of related research in industrial production planning, supply chains and enterprise decision-making.

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.

The study aims to provide more insight for approaches to digital detox and addressing smartphone dependence, highlighting moving beyond restricting device use and more psychological interventions.

An engineered enzyme selectively targets palmitic acid, a common C16 fatty acid, offering a possible route to higher-value food and pharmaceutical lipids.

Lingnan University has always actively supported the holistic development of local athletes. This year, the University has admitted seven elite athletes, a record intake, through the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA Scheme). They include four cyclists, Ma Yik-sin, Ma Yik-fei, Kwok Chun-yan, and Siu Ka-chun; triathlete Lam Lok-shi; tenpin bowler Amen Yuen Cheuk-hin; and high jumper Hui Chi-man. All seven will enrol in undergraduate programmes for the 2026/27 academic year: five of them will pursue the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management programme, while Lam will study Psychology, and Hui will study Philosophy.

Lingnan University’s annual student exhibition "Who Cares?" will open with a ceremony on 10 August at 5:00 pm and will be open to the public from 11 to 17 August. The exhibition offers a new-generation curatorial perspective where viewers are invited to re-examine the meaning of "care" from different viewpoints. Organised by 32 students from the Master of Arts in Curating and Art History (MACAH) programme under the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries, the exhibition is divided into six curatorial units and features over 40 multimedia works, including paintings, sculptures, installations, new media, and video art by more than 30 artists from the Hong Kong SAR, the Chinese Mainland, and beyond. Admission is free, and the public is invited to explore the deeper significance of "care" through art.

Human retention of decision-making control can reduce fatigue and maintain task mastery

Prof Xie Haoran, Associate Dean of the School of Data Science, Professor and Person-in-Charge of the Division of Artificial Intelligence at Lingnan University, has been elected a new member of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) Young Member Section (YMS) in 2026. He becomes the second young scholar at Lingnan, following Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Division of Science, to receive this honour, which highlights Lingnan’s strengths in developing young talent with international impact and furthering high-level research.

The flowering plant Saxifraga candelabrum has been confirmed as a new carnivorous lineage, according to research published in Nature Communications, supporting a prediction made by Charles Darwin about the plants.

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.

With global warming and extreme weather intensifying, can animals raise their thermal tolerance to cope with a continuously warming environment? A joint research project run by the Division of Science at Lingnan University and an international research team carried out practical testing on tropical intertidal snails that live under the scorching sun. The team simulated the real-world conditions of coastal rocks heating up under intense sunlight in the Hong Kong SAR and Singapore, and discovered that the maximum temperature of some rocks has approached the upper physiological thermal limit of these intertidal snails. Since this can cause cardiac arrest and an inability to maintain normal physiological functions, it means that their thermal tolerance may not be able to increase indefinitely as the environment continues to warm, and extreme heat in the future may increase their risk of mortality. The research findings have been published in internationally renowned academic journal The Biological Bulletin.

A review maps how modern diagnostics and reversible materials can help museums protect silk, leather, paper and wood with less damage.

The Chinese bahaba (Bahaba taipingensis), a marine fish species endemic to the Chinese coast and known as the “Panda of the Sea”, is a critically endangered species and one of the few marine fish listed as a first-class protected wild animal in China. Collaborative research led by the Division of Science at Lingnan University has now developed a cost-effective environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring qPCR approach specifically designed for the Chinese bahaba. Using the new technology, the research has detected traces of the species in western Hong Kong SAR waters, marking the first scientific discovery of the fish in the city in over a decade. The researcher highlights that the technology enables experts to monitor the species non-invasively and to evaluate conservation outcomes without capturing or disturbing rare marine animals, thus providing important scientific evidence to assist in marine conservation planning in China.

A plant enzyme recovered collagen from lambskin trimmings at higher yield than acid or pepsin extraction while preserving its structure.

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.

On 10 July, to mark the grand finale of its JUPAS Summer Festival series, Lingnan University hosted a special screening of The Way We Talk—the critically acclaimed local production about the deaf and hard-of-hearing community—under the theme of "Society and Us". The film preceded a dialogue between Mr Adam Wong Sau-ping, producer, screenwriter, and director, and Ms Jacqueline Liu, producer, converging with Prof Lisa Leung Yuk-ming, Associate Professor of the Department of Cultural Studies at Lingnan University, and Prof Enoch Tam Yee-lok, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries, to explore the intersections of academic theory and creative narrative.

A recyclable enzyme catalyst could support cleaner production of flavour esters for food, drink and cosmetics.

A new review charts the future of diacylglycerols for cleaner oil processing, functional foods and medical nutrition.

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.

Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management of Lingnan University, has been invited to join the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Board of Governors. As the first Chinese recipient of BGS’s 2026 Dean of the Year, Prof Leng continues to elevate Lingnan’s global leadership in business education.

A mild enzymatic method helps refine algae oil for nutrition products while preserving its valuable nutritional components

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.