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

HKUST Researchers Redraw the Boundary between Phases of Matter A research team led by Prof. Haruki WATANABE, Professor in the Department of Physics and the Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at HKUST, in collaboration with Prof. Yukitoshi MOTOME and graduate student Sena WATANABE from the University of Tokyo, has developed a unified theory that predicts when two states of matter are genuinely distinct and when they are secretly the same. The breakthrough provides a general framework for classifying phases across magnetic systems with different spin values and resolves a long-standing debate surrounding the behavior of water ice under extreme pressure. The paper titled “Topological phase transitions and their thermodynamic fate in arbitrary-𝑆 classical pyrochlore spin ice” was published in Physical Review X. Whether phases of matter are separated by a sharp boundary often depends on symmetry. For example, while liquid water and steam are commonly regarded as different states, they actually share the same underlying symmetries—meaning their molecules have no preferred position or direction. As a result, they can be continuously transformed into one another beyond a specific critical point, making them a single thermodynamic phase. Ice, by contrast, forms a crystal lattice in which molecules occupy fixed positions, breaking a symmetry preserved by liquids and gases. Because these symmetries differ, ice must remain separated from liquid by a genuine phase boundary. Learn more about how HKUST researchers reinterpreted high-pressure ice systems through the lens of magnetism in the comments. #HKUST #HKUST35 #ResearchInnovation #Physics #Magnetism #CondensedMatter

HKUST Hosts Asia Debut of Jobs and Development Conference HKUST has successfully concluded the "Jobs and Development Conference 2026". As one of the signature events marking HKUST’s 35th anniversary, this year’s edition of the flagship international conference was held in Asia for the first time. It brought together more than 100 leading economists, policymakers and industry practitioners globally to discuss new challenges and opportunities arising from labor markets, the demand for emerging skills and economic transformation. Held at HKUST’s Clear Water Bay campus on October 9 and 10, the two-day conference was hosted by the HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies (IEMS) in partnership with the World Bank, the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU) at the University of Cape Town, the Institute for Structural Research (IBS), Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It served as a premier global platform for advancing evidence-based research and policy dialogue on employment and development. Convening international scholars and economists from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Middle East, Australia, and South and Central America, the conference reflected the growing importance of global collaboration in addressing labor market challenges. In her opening remarks, Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, said: “For 35 years, HKUST has thrived on openness, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to solve society's greatest challenges. We are living through a profound transformation driven by AI, which is no longer simply a productivity tool quietly sitting on our desktops, but is fundamentally reshaping how value is created, how skills are defined, and how work itself is organized." Explore the global dialogue on the future of work, AI adoption, and economic transformation via the link in the comments. #HKUST #HKUST35 #employment #labormarket #JobsandDevelopmentConference2026