News & Stories
2025

News
Minister Yin Hejun Expresses Confidence in HKUST’s Role in Driving National Scientific Progress (Chinese Version Only)
國家科學技術部(科技部)部長陰和俊日前率代表團訪問香港科技大學(科大),深入考察科大在前沿科研領域的最新突破與人才培養成果。科大校董會主席沈向洋教授、校長葉玉如教授與大學管理層及科研團隊熱情接待。
陰和俊部長日前於香港特區政府總部舉行的在港全國重點實驗室授牌儀式上,向科大頒授三個全國重點實驗室牌匾,包括兩所重組後更名的「神經系統疾病全國重點實驗室」與「顯示與光電子全國重點實驗室」,以及一所與香港理工大學(理大)合作新建的「沿海城市氣候韌性全國重點實驗室」。
陰和俊部長於授牌儀式當天的下午考察科大。訪問期間,陰和俊部長對科大在科研方面取得的卓越成就予以高度肯定,並讚揚科大辦學理念具有國際視野、創業精神與創新思維。他指出,科大建校僅三十多年,已迅速發展成為世界頂尖大學之一,彙聚眾多頂尖科學家,培養大批傑出人才,產出多項重大科研成果,緊密契合國家戰略與經濟社會發展需求。
陰部長強調,創新驅動發展是國家核心戰略,科技創新是其中的關鍵。他期望科大和香港科技界於「一國兩制」方針指引下,充分發揮背靠祖國、聯通世界的獨特優勢,構建全球高層次人才聚集高地,服務國家發展大局,持續增強國際競爭力。
科大校董會主席沈向洋教授就科技部一直以來對科大的支持,向陰部長表達衷心謝意。沈主席表示﹕「陰部長這次專程來港授牌,體現了國家科技部對香港高等教育與科技創新的重視和肯定。部長親臨科大指導,更是體現了對我們的親切關懷和支持。科大創校30餘年來,在國家和香港特區政府的支持下,已經逐步發展成為亞洲乃至世界領先的研究型大學。我們期待在科技部的指導下,進一步對接國家戰略需求,在基礎研究、人才培養、成果轉化等領域,為科技強國的建設貢獻更多力量。」
葉玉如校長向代表團介紹了科大在人才培育、創新科研與成果轉化方面的戰略部署。她說﹕「人才是大學發展的核心。三十多年來,科大彙聚了一批國際頂尖的學者和專家,致力於開拓前沿領域的科學研究,同時積極推動創新成果轉化,以高水準、具影響力的學術成就惠澤社會。未來,科大將繼續聚焦國家戰略需求,加快引進和培養海內外高端人才,深化跨學科合作和構建國際化的科技創新網路,為解決全球關鍵科學問題提供突破性方案,為國家科技強國建設和高水準科技自立自強作出更多貢獻。」
News
HKUST Thanks MOST for Vote of Confidence with Granting of Three State Key Labs
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today received plaques from YIN Hejun, Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for its three State Key Laboratories (SKLs) at the Government Headquarters of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). HKUST sincerely thanks MOST, and the Hong Kong Innovation, Technology, and Industry Bureau (ITIB) for their continued trust and recognition of the University’s research efforts. In addition to the two renamed SKLs following restructuring – the “State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders (SKLNSD)” and the “State Key Laboratory of Displays and Opto-Electronics (SKLDOE)” – HKUST will also collaborate with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to establish a new “State Key Laboratory of Climate Resilience for Coastal Cities (SKLCRCC)”.

News
Living the Change: Making HKUST’s Campus the Heart of Sustainability Breakthroughs
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) selected eight cutting-edge projects for the latest round of Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab program for testing on campus. Covering a wide range of sustainability challenges on campus, the projects address energy efficiency, renewable energy optimization, water management, wellness, ecosystem enhancement, and predictive maintenance strategies, providing students and faculty with hands-on experience with prototypes before real-world implementation.
News
HKUST Launches World’s Largest AI-Powered Educational Sandbox Game: Advancing AI Literacy and Encouraging Citizen Science
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the launch of “Aivilization”, the largest-scale AI multi-agent social simulation sandbox to date. This innovative platform studies how human interaction with AI can shape a virtual society, where ‘AI inhabitants’ can organically develop their own governance structures, economies and cultural norms.
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, understanding the dynamics of communication between humans and artificial intelligence has become a crucial area of study. Previous simulation models like Project Sid1 and Stanford Smallville2 have explored similar themes, with community sizes of around 1,000 and dozens of AI agents respectively, to observe the evolution of AI civilizations.

News
HKUST Summer Bootcamp Fosters Interdisciplinary Learning and Global Perspective for Top High School Students from 13 Regions (Chinese Version Only)
香港科技大學(科大)本科招生及入學事務處舉辦的 Polymath 主題暑期訓練營圓滿落幕,吸引來自13個國家及地區逾150名中學生參與。參與的學生不僅參加了由科大教授主持的課堂講座、研究展示與實驗室參觀,更透過「專題項目研習」(Capstone Project),為科大合作夥伴包括海洋公園公司、香港數碼港及宏碁電腦(Acer)提出的現實挑戰設計創新解決方案。此訓練營不僅提升了學生的學術能力,還激發了他們跨學科的創新思維。

News
HKUST Team Advances Plant Gene Regulation with GHR Motif Discovery
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are tiny RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by controlling messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and are critical for various biological processes, including development, stress responses, and epigenetic regulation. In plants, the enzyme DICER-LIKE 1 (DCL1) processes miRNA precursors into mature miRNAs, and mutations in DCL1 can lead to developmental issues like delayed flowering and abnormal leaves, making its precision essential for plant growth. A research team led by Prof. NGUYEN Tuan Anh from the Division of Life Science at HKUST has recently made significant strides in understanding miRNA biogenesis by developing a groundbreaking massively parallel dicing assay to investigate human DICER, which functions similarly to plant DCL1.

Stories
Where AI Meets Humanity: A Scholar Democratizing Storytelling
In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, its potential to ignite human creativity is quietly revolutionizing storytelling—even in filmmaking. Leading this charge is Professor RAO Anyi, an assistant professor in the newly established Division of Arts and Machine Creativity at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).
Prof. Rao, named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, is pioneering AI’s role in democratizing storytelling. He develops AI tools that empower filmmakers to generate content and control complex elements or special effects like scene lighting. With a mission to merge the realms of filmmaking, art, and AI, he aims to nurture a tech-savvy generation of storytellers.
News
CAHE and HKUST Co-hosts "Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao High-Level University Presidents Roundtable" in Hong Kong
The "Mainland-Hong Kong-Macao High-Level University Presidents Roundtable" hosted by the China Association of Higher Education (CAHE) and co-organized by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), was successfully held in Hong Kong yesterday. Themed "University Missions and Collaborative Innovation in the Context of Building an Education Nation," the event featured a keynote speech by HUAI Jinpeng, Minister of Education of China, with opening remarks by CHAN Kwok-Ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and LIN Huiqing, President of the China Association of Higher Education.