News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) nurtured startups showcased their innovations at the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneur Summit and Entrepreneurship Competition and seized four prestigious accolades: the Overseas Group Championship, First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize. This achievement not only underscores HKUST's strong capabilities in deep-tech and cutting-edge innovation but also highlights the immense commercialization potential of its research breakthroughs to a global audience of industry leaders and investors. It further reinforces the University's leadership in innovation and technology, leveraging research excellence to accelerate industry advancement and generate meaningful societal impact.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has achieved notable achievements in the Research Grants Council's (RGC) Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) and Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) for the 2026/27 exercise, with three distinguished scholars receiving the fellowship awards. The honors recognize their pioneering research in frontier fields, including electrosynthesis, quantum materials, and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), as well as their exceptional contributions to driving impactful scientific breakthroughs and advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

Prof. LAW Kam-Tuen, Chair Professor of the Department of Physics and the Director of Research Office at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been named "New Cornerstone Investigator" by the Tencent-funded New Cornerstone Science Foundation for his extraordinary achievements in quantum physics.He has been endowed with funding to establish a New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, inaugurated on May 28. The award - up to RMB 15 million over five years from the New Cornerstone Science Foundation - will support Prof. Law and his team's research in quantum physics. He is the second HKUST researcher to receive this prestigious title, following Prof. Xi DAI, Chair Professor of the Department of Physics, who was awarded in 2023.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) announced today that it has risen significantly by 11 places to 33rd in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2027.HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP celebrated the university's upward momentum in the rankings, stating, "This year's notable progress is truly heartening. It stands as clear evidence of the collective synergy among our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and reaffirms our excellence in teaching, research, and nurturing future talent."

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.Such a milestone emphasizes the remarkable spirit of cooperation between the two institutions, spotlighting HKUST’s deepening commitment to cross-border partnerships that boost social and economic development within the region.

Four scholars from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have been honored as Fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world’s largest professional organization in computer science. ACM has named 71 new Fellows globally this year, and among the 12 Fellows based in Asia, four are from HKUST.HKUST’s honourees include Prof. Tim Kwang-Ting CHENG, Vice-President for Research and Development, Chair Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Prof. Jiaya JIA, Chair Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Director of the Von Neumann Institute; Prof. Ke YI, Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; and Prof. Hui XIONG, Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Transfer) and Chair Professor of the Thrust of Artificial Intelligence at HKUST (Guangzhou).

Prof. LAW Kam-Tuen, Chair Professor of the Department of Physics and the Director of Research Office at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been named a "New Cornerstone Investigator" by the Tencent-funded New Cornerstone Science Foundation. The prestigious award will provide up to RMB 15 million over five years to support his research efforts in quantum physics.Among 35 distinguished scientists selected this year from across the nation, Prof. Law is the sole honoree from Hong Kong, underscoring HKUST’s leading role in fundamental scientific research.

Physics unlocks many of the universe’s enigmas, thanks to the relentless dedication of many great minds. Among them is Prof. DAI Xi, the Dr William M W Mong Professor of Nanoscience and Chair Professor of Physics at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His theoretical work in condensed matter physics and topological materials research has added fresh perspectives to modern physics, earning him the prestigious 2025 Future Science Prize—widely regarded as China’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize.