News & Stories
2025

News
HKUST Partners with Top US and Swiss Universities to Propose Innovative Strategy Reshaping Stability and Sustainability of Perovskite Solar Cells
A research team from the School of Engineering (SENG) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has introduced comprehensive bio-inspired multiscale design strategies to address key challenges in the commercialization of perovskite solar cells: long-term operational stability. Drawing inspiration from natural systems, these strategies aim to enhance the efficiency, resilience, and adaptability of solar technologies. The approaches focus on leveraging insights from biological structures to create solar cells that can better withstand environmental stressors and prolonged use.

Stories
Sparking Sustainable Consciousness: A Journey of Teaching and Transformation
In the vibrant halls of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Dr. Meike SAUERWEIN, Lecturer of the Division of Environment and Sustainability, is igniting a quiet revolution. Her course, ENVR 1080: The Smart Consumer – Uncovering the Hidden Story Behind the Product Label, is far more than a typical sustainability course—it is an eye-opening experience that makes students rethink their everyday purchases and their ripple effects on the environment and society.
News
HKUST Unveils Otto Poon Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today inaugurated the Otto Poon Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability (CCRS), a transformative initiative designed to accelerate research, innovation and policy solutions in climate resilience and sustainable development. Established through the generous support of Ir Dr. Otto POON, Founder of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation, the Center unites HKUST’s world-class expertise in climate science, advanced modeling systems, artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy and sustainable policy to deliver scalable and actionable strategies for governments, industries, and communities worldwide.

News
Creating an Environment Where the Sustainable Is Attainable
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.
News
HKUST Ranks Among World’s Top 20 and Hong Kong #1 in THE Impact Rankings
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.

News
From Indonesia to Hong Kong, Young Engineer Finds Her Calling
Compassionate and altruistic, one energetic Indonesian HKUST BEng graduate is using the knowledge and skills she obtained at university to help change the world for the better.
Sustainability is more than a buzz phrase for Cindy Aiko Filbert TANAKA (BEng in Chemical and Environmental Engineering), who is rapidly building a career with one of the world’s leading business consultancies.

News
HKUST & Esquel Unveil Five-Year Study: Empowering Students for Sustainable Innovation
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.

News
Pioneering Climate Resilience and Sustainability: HKUST Launches Landmark UNESCO-Backed Initiative
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.