News & Stories

A recent study by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) reveals a looming climate crisis: the world could face heightened risks of “precipitation whiplashes” – violent swings between extreme droughts and floods – as early as 2028. This research, led by Prof. LU Mengqian and Dr. CHENG Tat-Fan of HKUST’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, attributes the escalating risk to climate-driven intensification of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) events. This large-scale pattern of tropical intraseasonal climate variability is now propagating faster due to global warming. The findings, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, pave the way for improved subseasonal forecasts, i.e., two to six weeks in advance, enabling timely decision-making in disaster preparedness and management, and helping to enhance food and water security, energy management, and infrastructure resilience.

As a pioneering electrochemist and Head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Prof. SHAO Minhua is accelerating the clean energy transition and seeking to fast forward top faculty and young talents in making their own contribution to a resource-friendly world.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) ranked 19th globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, retaining its position as Hong Kong and Mainland China’s top institution for the second consecutive year.  The rankings, which assessed 2,500 universities, recognize institutions advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). HKUST excelled in SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), reflecting its leadership in innovating resilient infrastructure and industries, promoting urban sustainability and promoting terrestrial ecosystem conservation. 

Self-driving cars will soon be able to “think” like human drivers under complex traffic environments, thanks to a groundbreaking cognitive encoding framework built by a multidisciplinary research team from the School of Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). This innovation significantly enhances the safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs), reducing overall traffic risk by 26.3% and cutting potential harm to high-risk road users such as pedestrians and cyclists by an impressive 51.7%. Even the AVs themselves benefited, with their risk levels lowered by 8.3%, paving the way for a new framework to advance the automation of vehicle safety.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (“HKUST”) has partnered with Esquel Enterprises Limited (“Esquel Group”) to launch a five-year study program that allows HKUST students to conduct biannual field research at the textile manufacturer’s 500,000-square-meter Sustainable Development Garden Integral, recognized as one of China’s top 20 sustainable development projects by the United Nations.  Guided by HKUST faculty, students will visit the garden twice a year in groups to assess and make recommendations regarding its sustainability impact on environmental monitoring and biodiversity conservation.  This initiative marks another academic-industry collaboration aimed at accelerating the Greater Bay Area’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has received a generous donation from the Ho Iu Kwong Charity Foundation (the Foundation) to enhance student development and campus life. In appreciation of this benevolent support, HKUST has named the UG Student Hall III in honor of Mr. Ho Iu Kwong and his wife, Ms. Kwok Pui Chun.  Mr. HO Sai-Chu, eldest son of the late philanthropist and Chairman of the Foundation, attended the naming and plaque unveiling ceremony for the Ho Iu Kwong and Kwok Pui Chun Hall, joined by his family members, the Foundation’s representatives, and HKUST senior management. The late Mr. HO Iu Kwong, founder of Fook Lee Construction Company Ltd, was a distinguished business figure who made significant contributions to education and society.  

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau (French Consulate General) for the third time, deepening eight-year collaboration. This agreement strengthens joint efforts to address global sustainability challenges, which include the Anita Conti Sustainable Innovation Fellowship, an initiative designed to foster the development of the next generation of researchers, innovators, and environmentalists, equipping them to tackle the pressing challenges of climate change and its global impacts.

The global transdisciplinary "research-to-operation" (R2O) initiative, “Seamless Prediction and Services for Sustainable Natural and Built Environments” (SEPRESS), led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has been endorsed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as part of its International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD). Over the next decade, HKUST’s SEPRESS will spearhead efforts to collaborate with global partners in transforming scientific advancements into tailored solutions that enhance climate resilience and sustainability worldwide, with a particular focus on Least Developed Countries. SEPRESS will achieve this by translating progress in weather-to-climate prediction research into scalable solutions and fostering global partnerships to deliver actionable outcomes.