News & Stories

Millions of students worldwide have long relied on self-paced learning through pre-recorded video lectures, a model that forms the backbone of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and large-scale online education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, dependence on video-based online learning has increased significantly, with learner participation rising sharply. However, this expansion has also been accompanied by a widespread decline in student engagement, undermining overall learning outcomes.A research team at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), led by Prof. LI Ping, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Science and Chair Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, has found that a brief one-on-one pre-lecture conversation (8–10 minutes) — whether with a human or an AI instructor — improves students’ neural synchrony and learning outcomes.

A research team led by Prof. HSING I-Ming, Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with Prof. ZHAI Yuanliang, Associate Professor of the Division of Life Science (LIFS), has successfully developed the world's first DNA-guided CRISPR-Cas system capable of programmable RNA targeting and cleavage.This breakthrough overturns the conventional CRISPR paradigm, which uses RNA as a guide to target DNA. The new system holds tremendous potential for clinical applications, opening new avenues for RNA-targeted therapies and diagnostics, including improved accuracy in rapid infectious disease testing and the advancement of antiviral treatments. The findings have been published in the international prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology.

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have discovered that in perovskite solar cells, conventional passivation strategies mainly act on the film surface and struggle to reach buried interfaces, much like a superficial “external dressing” that cannot repair deep microstructural defects formed during film growth. In particular, the rapid evaporation of solvents during film formation inevitably leads to voids and nanoscale grain-boundary grooves at the bottom interface of perovskite films. These long-overlooked defects severely hinder charge transport and trigger interfacial failure during device scaling and operation, becoming a critical bottleneck for efficiency, stability, and large-area manufacturing.

A cross-disciplinary team led by Prof. QU Jianan, Professor from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and Prof. Julie L. SEMMELHACK, Visiting Assistant Professor from the Division of Life Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a powerful laser control technique. Functioning as a “smart dimmer”, it can selectively adjust the brightness of every pixel during laser scanning, and prevent unintended neural activation, thereby significantly enhancing the precision of all-optical brain manipulation and imaging. This innovation will drive research into brain disease mechanisms and facilitate small animal disease models for new drug development.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has co-established the “Beijing Key Laboratory for Meteorological Artificial Intelligence,” officially launched on 17th April. The laboratory is led by the Beijing Urban Meteorological Engineering Technology Research Center (Institute of Urban Meteorology, CMA, Beijing), with co-founding partners including HKUST, Zhongguancun Academy, and Zhongguancun Institute of Artificial Intelligence.

A research team led by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) pathology analysis system that can accurately recognize multiple types of cancer using only a minimal number of samples—without requiring any additional training. This breakthrough significantly enhances the flexibility and efficiency of AI-assisted medical care, marking a major step forward toward the widespread adoption of intelligent pathology.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has once again achieved strong results under the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One‑Plus (RAISe+) Scheme launched by the Innovation and Technology Commission. In the third round of funding, seven HKUST research projects have been recommended for funding, accounting for nearly one-third of all approved projects in this round. Together with the first two rounds, HKUST has now secured a total of 19 funded projects, the highest number among local universities, underscoring its leading role in translating research outcomes into real-world applications and in advancing industry-academia-research collaboration.

A research team led by Prof. Yoonseob KIM, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has reported a significant breakthrough in lithium metal battery (LMB) technology. The team has successfully synthesized a novel single-crystalline 3D borate covalent organic framework (B-COF), which demonstrates exceptional performance as a solid-state electrolyte, thereby enhancing the performance of solid-state lithium batteries. This advancement promises safer and higher energy density solutions for electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage. The research paper, titled “Single-Crystalline Borate Covalent Organic Frameworks for Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries,” has been published in the prestigious journal Advanced Science.