News & Stories

Staff and students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) can now access Hong Kong’s first homegrown artificial intelligence large language model (LLM), developed by the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI), at no cost! Previously exclusive to civil servants for pilot use, HKUST is the first local university to trial the HKGAI V1 LLM, marking a significant milestone in the University’s AI development, unlocking new possibilities for learning and teaching while fostering innovation, collaboration, and responsible AI practices.

Scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) are among the researchers worldwide honored with the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, often referred to as the "Oscars of Science." This prestigious recognition was presented to the A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS (ATLAS) Collaboration at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) for its groundbreaking studies on high-energy collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This recognition highlights a decade of dedicated research and innovation by the HKUST researchers, who have contributed significantly to the ATLAS Collaboration's achievements, including the discovery of the Higgs boson, commonly known as the "God Particle", and searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Scholars at the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have unveiled an innovation that brings artificial intelligence (AI) closer to quantum computing – both physically and technologically. Led by Prof. SHAO Qiming, Assistant Professor at the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, the research team has developed a new computing scheme that works at extremely low temperatures. As a critical advancement in quantum computing, it can significantly reduce latency between artificial intelligence (AI) agents and quantum processors while boosting energy efficiency. The solution was made possible by utilizing a special technology known as magnetic topological insulator Hall-bar devices.

A collaborative research team led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), and the National Center for Applied Mathematics Shenzhen (NCAMS) has introduced a nitrogen-centric framework that explains the light-absorbing effects of atmospheric organic aerosols. Published in Science, this groundbreaking study reveals that nitrogen-containing compounds play a dominant role in the absorption of sunlight by atmospheric organic aerosols worldwide. This discovery signifies a major step towards improving climate models and developing more targeted strategies to mitigate climate impact of airborne particles.

In a significant advancement for boosting renewable energy generation development, the School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has taken the lead in breaking through studies of the nanoscale properties of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). This initiative has resulted in the development of more efficient and durable cells, poised to substantially diminish costs and broaden applications, thereby connecting scientific research with the needs of the business community.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-TECSU) are jointly organizing the Hong Kong Secondary Student Space Station Popular Science Payload and Science Experiment Design Challenge, which encourages student teams to submit scientific experiment design proposals suitable for implementation under space conditions or microgravity. The kick-off ceremony and experiment proposal design briefing session of the challenge were held today (February 25).

A recent study by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has revealed a startling public health threat: About 17 million people are at risk of gastrointestinal problems due to excessive sulfate levels in groundwater. This alarming finding emerged from the world’s first high-resolution global groundwater sulfate distribution map, launched by the university’s School of Engineering.

A research team led by Associate Professor Ding PAN from the Department of Physics and the Department of Chemistry at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with Prof. Yuan Yao from the Department of Mathematics, has made significant discoveries regarding the complex reaction mechanisms of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in supercritical water. These findings are crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms of CO₂ mineralization and sequestration in nature and engineering, as well as the deep carbon cycle within the Earth's interior.