Five Nobel Laureates to Mentor and Inspire Young Scientists at HKUST Landmark Event

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) will host the inaugural Nobel Heroes@HKUST event on January 13, 2026 (Tuesday). This landmark gathering will bring together Nobel Laureates across Physiology or Medicine, Economic Sciences, Chemistry and Physics for a day of dialogue and inspiration.

As part of the University's 35th anniversary celebrations, this event themed “Visionaries in Dialogue" offers a unique platform for students, faculty, alumni, researchers, and the public to engage directly with some of the world’s most influential scientific minds.

The centerpiece of the event will be a fireside chat with the Nobel laureates. This session aims to illuminate the human stories, intellectual perseverance, and creative spirit behind transformative discoveries, providing invaluable insights for the next generation of innovators.

The Nobel Heroes attending the event are (listed alphabetically by family name):

• Prof. Tim HUNT (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2001), for their discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle
• Prof. Louis J. IGNARRO (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1998), for their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system
• Prof. Robert C. MERTON (Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 1997), for a new method to determine the value of derivatives
• Prof. Hartmut MICHEL (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1988), for the determination of the three-dimensional structure of a photosynthetic reaction centre
• Prof. Konstantin NOVOSELOV (Nobel Prize in Physics 2010), for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene

Event Details:

• Date & Time: 13 January 2026 (Tuesday), 9:30 – 11:30am
• Venue: Chiang Chen Lecture Theatre (LT-J), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The event is open for registration to HKUST members and the wider community. For more details and to secure your place, please visit: https://calendar.hkust.edu.hk/events/nobel-heroes-hkust-visionaries-dialogue 

Co-organized by HKUST, Laureates City Holdings Limited, Red Carpet Investments Limited, and Sunwah Kingsway Capital Holdings Limited, and proudly supported by the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, this event underscores Hong Kong's growing stature as a global hub for innovation, technology, and academic exchange.