HKUST Holds Establishment Ceremony for Department of Materials HKUST held the “Materials Forum 2026 cum Establishment Ceremony of the Department of Materials (MAT)”. As the first flagship academic event following the department's inception, the forum brought together distinguished scholars and researchers from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, the United States, Korea, and other regions. The event not only marked the establishment of MAT but also provided a platform for discussing emerging frontiers and future opportunities in materials science. As the seventh academic department within the School of Engineering, MAT aims to become a world-class, impact-driven, interdisciplinary research hub, transforming traditional Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) into a new era of AI-powered “MSE-I”. To drive interdisciplinary innovation and talent development, the Department will anchor its research on three core pillars supported by two frontier technology platforms. The three core research pillars include: “Materials for Health and Biomedicine”, focusing on advanced materials to improve healthcare, diagnostics, and medical technologies; “Materials for Energy and Information”, addressing challenges in sustainable energy, electronics, and next-generation information technologies; and “Materials for Terrestrial and Space Sustainability”, extending materials innovation to environmental sustainability, extreme environments, and space exploration. The two cross-disciplinary technology platforms are “Advanced Materials Modeling and Characterization”, enabling researchers to understand and analyze materials across multiple length and time scales; and “AI-Empowered Materials Synthesis and Discovery”, integrating AI, automation, and data-driven experimentation to accelerate materials synthesis and the discovery of novel materials. Discover more about HKUST’s new Department of Materials in the comments! #HKUST #HKUSTResearch #DepartmentOfMaterials #MaterialsScience #MaterialsEngineering #AdvancedMaterials #ArtificialIntelligence

HKUST Develops Dynamic Integrated Interface Engineering for Lithium Metal Batteries A research team at HKUST has developed a dynamic integrated interface engineering strategy that enhances the energy density and stability of anode-free lithium metal batteries by reconfiguring key battery interfaces. A pouch cell using the strategy achieved a specific energy of 467 Wh kg⁻¹, comparable to conventional commercial batteries. A full coin cell retained 90% of its capacity after 200 cycles. The study opens a new pathway towards lighter and longer-lasting next-generation batteries. The study was led by Prof. SHAO Minhua, Cheong Ying Chan Professor of Energy Engineering and Environment and Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) at HKUST. Other team members, all from Prof. Shao’s research group in the CBE Department, include postdoctoral fellows Dr. CHEN Yunyi (first author) and Dr. LU Siqi, former postdoctoral fellow Dr. QIAN Xitang, 2026 PhD graduate Dr. LYU Yuxiang, and current PhD students QIU Yican, ZHOU Siyu and LAN Xinyi. This research was recently published in Nature Communications under the title “Highly stable quasi-solid-state initially-anode-free lithium metal batteries enabled by dynamic integrated interface engineering”. 🔋 How could we make batteries lighter and longer-lasting? Find out in the comments! #HKUST #HKUST35 #ResearchInnovation #ScientificBreakthrough #BatteryTechnology

HKUST Brings Europe and Asia Together Through Cross-Continental Student AI Hackathon and Symposium HKUST MBA Program and HKUST Entrepreneurship Center, in collaboration with two leading European student organizations, Erasmus AI Society and MAIN (Maastricht AI & Tech Network), recently concluded the AI Hackathon and Symposium. The event was strongly supported by Hong Kong Talent Engage under the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government and featured as a flagship event of the Hong Kong AI Summit 2026. The event brought together 550 outstanding students from 16 top universities across Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to exchange ideas, foster collaboration and explore the frontiers of AI technology. In a 24-hour extreme test of innovation, teamwork and endurance, participating teams were challenged to leverage AI technology to conceptualize innovative solutions for real-world business cases. Ultimately, 56 teams successfully developed working product prototypes and demo videos within the stipulated timeframe, fully demonstrating the practical capabilities and innovative potential of next-generation talent. 🏆 Check out the Award winners and more event highlights in the comments! #HKUST #HKUSTMBA #AIHackathon #ArtificialIntelligence #GlobalCollaboration

HKUST Receives Donation from Dr. Joseph Cheung to Establish Research Excellence Award HKUST has recently received a generous donation from distinguished alumnus Dr. Joseph CHEUNG Wang Ngai to establish the Dr Joseph W N Cheung Research Excellence Award, a new initiative designed to recognize and support outstanding research achievements at the University. The gift will be designated for HKUST's new School of Medicine and HKUST Business School, underscoring Dr. Cheung's commitment to driving research breakthroughs and nurturing future generations of scholars. The signing ceremony was held on the HKUST campus. Witnessed by Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST; Prof. King LI, Founding Dean of Medicine; and Prof. FONG Yuk-fai, Associate Dean of Business and Management, the agreement was signed by Prof. Charles NG, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement of HKUST, and Dr. Joseph CHEUNG Wang Ngai, Chief Executive Officer of Oasis Investment Management Limited. Find out how this award will support research excellence at HKUST in the comments. #HKUST #ResearchExcellence #ResearchInnovation #HKUST35A #DrJosephWNCheungResearchExcellenceAward

HKUST Launches HK$100 Million RAISe+ Project Fund to Accelerate Research Commercialization HKUST today announced the launch of the HK$100 million RAISe+ Project Fund (RPF), a dedicated funding initiative that will provide financial backing and tailored commercialization support to HKUST research teams participating in the HKSAR Government's Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+). The Fund will strengthen capabilities in intellectual property strategy, market development, and commercialization, accelerating the translation of breakthrough research into real-world applications. It will also support the innovation and technology (I&T) development of the Northern Metropolis and contribute to Hong Kong's development as an international innovation and technology hub. Capitalized by returns generated from the University's equity holdings in previous spin-off companies, the RPF marks the University’s first dedicated reinvestment of commercialization proceeds into a new generation of research ventures and technology startups. Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, said, "HKUST has taken one step further to launch the RAISe+ Project Fund, which complements the Government’s efforts. By providing additional institutional support for research teams, the Fund helps promising research teams progress from R&D towards practical application." Find out in the comments how the RAISe+ Project Fund bridges the lab and the marketplace. #HKUST #HKUST35 #ResearchInnovation #Technologydevelopment #ResearchCommercialization