HKUST Boundless Article

When news broke that Prof. Luk Kam Biu had been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), his reaction was understated.

“Knowing the high caliber of the NAS members, I was humbled by the news and am excited to join the club,” says Prof. Luk, who has been at the forefront of particle physics for decades.

But behind this quiet, unassuming nature lies a career defined by bold questions, meticulous experimentation, and discoveries that have reshaped our understanding of the subatomic world. 

The news that he had won the 2026 Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award was “almost hard to believe,” says Prof. WANG Jue from HKUST’s Department of Physics.

Prof. Wang says the award “carries a special meaning” and seems “almost like an angel investment” because it presents him with greater freedom “to build new experimental platforms and explore ambitious directions.”

This research drive is directed at exploring how light can be used to create and control quantum states in ultra-thin materials for future electronic and information technologies.

United by a drive to innovate, all 62 teams from HKUST and HKUST (Guangzhou) won awards at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva between March 11 and 15.

Between them, the 36 teams from HKUST and 26 teams from HKUST (GZ) brought home 13 Gold Medals with Congratulations of the Jury, 20 Gold Medals, 20 Silver Medals, and nine Bronze Medals.

This outstanding achievement by the HKUST entrants represented the highest number of awards among all higher education institutions in Hong Kong.