News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today held the “Materials Forum 2026 cum Establishment Ceremony of the Department of Materials (MAT)”. As the first flagship academic event following the department's inception, the forum brought together distinguished scholars and researchers from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, the United States, Korea, and other regions. The event not only marked the establishment of MAT but also provided a platform for discussing emerging frontiers and future opportunities in materials science.

A research team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a dynamic integrated interface engineering strategy that enhances the energy density and stability of anode-free lithium metal batteries by reconfiguring key battery interfaces. A pouch cell using the strategy achieved a specific energy of 467 Wh kg-1, comparable to conventional commercial batteries. A full coin cell retained 90% of its capacity after 200 cycles. The study opens a new pathway towards lighter and longer-lasting next-generation batteries. 

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) MBA Program and HKUST Entrepreneurship Center, in collaboration with two leading European student organizations, Erasmus AI Society and MAIN (Maastricht AI & Tech Network), recently concluded the AI Hackathon and Symposium. The event was strongly supported by Hong Kong Talent Engage under the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government and featured as a flagship event of the Hong Kong AI Summit 2026.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently received a generous donation from distinguished alumnus Dr. Joseph CHEUNG Wang Ngai to establish the Dr Joseph W N Cheung Research Excellence Award, a new initiative designed to recognize and support outstanding research achievements at the University. The gift will be designated for HKUST's new School of Medicine and HKUST Business School, underscoring Dr. Cheung's commitment to driving research breakthroughs and nurturing future generations of scholars.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the launch of the HK$100 million RAISe+ Project Fund (RPF), a dedicated funding initiative that will provide financial backing and tailored commercialization support to HKUST research teams participating in the HKSAR Government's Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+). The Fund will strengthen capabilities in intellectual property strategy, market development, and commercialization, accelerating the translation of breakthrough research into real-world applications. It will also support the innovation and technology (I&T) development of the Northern Metropolis and contribute to Hong Kong's development as an international innovation and technology hub.

A research team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an Embodied Sensorimotor Robotic Arm (EmArm) capable of whole-arm tactile sensing and adaptive manipulation. By embedding a soft optical tactile skin directly into a robotic skeleton and integrating it with a real-time decision-making algorithm, EmArm can perceive and analyze contact information across its upper and lower arms, enabling human-like tactile perception and adaptive object manipulation. The system can also distinguish between different touch interactions, such as tickling and patting, respond in real time, and avoid obstacles through tactile feedback, opening new possibilities for the development of embodied intelligent robots.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has successfully concluded the "Jobs and Development Conference 2026". As one of the signature events marking HKUST’s 35th anniversary, this year’s edition of the flagship international conference was held in Asia for the first time. It brought together more than 100 leading economists, policymakers and industry practitioners globally to discuss new challenges and opportunities arising from labor markets, the demand for emerging skills and economic transformation.

A research team led by Prof. Haruki WATANABE, Professor in the Department of Physics and the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with Prof. Yukitoshi MOTOME and graduate student Sena WATANABE from the University of Tokyo, has developed a unified theory that predicts when two states of matter are genuinely distinct and when they are secretly the same. The breakthrough provides a general framework for classifying phases across magnetic systems with different spin values and resolves a long-standing debate surrounding the behavior of water ice under extreme pressure.