News & Stories

Reaching for the Moon is exactly how the School of Engineering AI robotics expert has spent her career. Now she is helping to launch the University and Hong Kong as an international hub for pioneering space robotics and mission development.

One small machine for HKUST, one giant leap for greenhouse gas tracking.When the Tianzhou-10 robotic cargo spacecraft docked with China’s Tiangong Space Station on May 11, it successfully delivered the world’s first lightweight, high-resolution, high-precision synergistic observatory for carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) emission point sources. This scientific breakthrough was steered by researchers from the School of Engineering, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).The groundbreaking instrument, called the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, or MUSICO for short, made history as Hong Kong’s first scientific payload on the national space station.

hen Prof. Fugee TSUNG looks back on his career, he does not see a straight line from engineering to statistics to artificial intelligence. Instead, he sees a series of “seeds” planted early in life, each one growing into a way of thinking that defines his work across industrial engineering, quality control, and interdisciplinary innovation.

As AI expands its role in the devices and infrastructure that underpin and enhance our lives, Prof. SHI Ling’s leading contributions to developing and securing the digital systems of this rapidly emerging world are opening innovative ways forward for industry, society, and next-generation talents.

Prof. LU Mengqian, now Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, told the unique story of a little girl in Qingdao with tremendous physical and intellectual potentials.

To Prof. Stephane REDONNET, scientific research is a personal as much as a professional journey, which calls not only for rigor and inventiveness, but also authenticity and boldness. A latecomer to academia, he brings his significant background in aerospace research, as well as the life experiences gained from his unconventional path.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been appointed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to lead the international "Hong Kong Operation Robot" project for the Chang'E-8 mission. The project will unite global aerospace scholars and experts to develop a multi-functional lunar surface operation robot. Equipped with a mobile charging station and capable of dexterous operations, the robot is designed to make significant contributions to the nation's lunar exploration missions.

Prof. XIE Yuan, Fang Professor of Engineering and Chair Professor of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was honored with a 2025 CCF Overseas Outstanding Contribution Award by China Computer Federation (CCF). He is concurrently Director of the Jockey Club STEM Lab of Future Advanced Computing Technologies (FACT Lab) and the Institute of Integrated Circuits and Systems at HKUST.