Research & Achievements
Achievements and Milestones
Nobel Laureate Ferenc Krausz Joins HKU to Promote Interdisciplinary Research
Professor Ferenc Krausz, Nobel Laureate in Physics, joined HKU in November 2025 as Professor, Chair of Laser Physics in the Department of Physics under the Faculty of Science. As a world-renowned authority in ultrafast laser science and quantum optics, Professor Krausz’s appointment will strengthen HKU’s capabilities in cutting-edge research and advance innovations in medical diagnostics worldwide. His joining aligns with HKU’s vision of pursuing academic excellence and advancing knowledge, and it is anticipated that he will make significant contributions to scientific development, benefitting both Hong Kong and the global community. In an exclusive interview, Professor Krausz shared his inspiring journey and insights into the future of scientific discovery.
Natural Science
HKU Engineering Researchers Unveil New Insights into Ion-Driven Charge Transfer
An engineering team at HKU has pioneered the discovery of a new mechanism of ion-driven charge transfer, which provides a deeper understanding of contact electrification phenomena and reveals that electrons and ions transfer simultaneously under changing humidity conditions. This insight will aid in developing new strategies to create materials that work reliably even in humid environments. The findings not only advance fundamental scientific understanding but also open up new possibilities for eco-friendly technologies such as printing, coating, environmental monitoring, and energy harvesting.
Health and Medical Sciences
HKUMed Develops World-First AI-Powered Fertilisation-Competent Sperm Identification Tool
A research team from HKUMed has pioneered a model using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify sperm with fertilisation potential, achieving a clinical validation accuracy rate exceeding 96%. This AI model automatically selects high-quality sperm based on the morphological features of sperm binding to the egg's zona pellucida (ZP), outperforming traditional methods in terms of speed and reliability, reducing human error, and significantly enhancing the precision of male fertility assessment — ultimately increasing the success rates of assisted reproductive procedures.
Environment and Sustainability
HKU’s Project Mingde: Transforming a Hakka Village into an Educational and Cultural Hub
A Hakka village in Guangxi gets abundant rainfall but also struggles with a critical shortage of fresh water and hygiene problems. HKU’s Project Mingde addressed these challenges with the award-winning Duling Educational and Cultural Centre, which harnesses rainfall through innovative water harvesting systems, including tiered roofs, a lotus pond, and underground recycling. The initiative exemplifies interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to social impact, earning international recognition such as the Architizer A+ Jury Award and the Architecture MasterPrize. Overall, it showcases how thoughtful architecture and engineering can turn environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities, fostering resilience and cultural preservation.
Natural Science
HKU Researcher and Collaborators Detect First “Heartbeat” of a Newborn Neutron Star in Distant Cosmic Explosion
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong, Nanjing University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences detected the first millisecond pulsation — a "heartbeat" — inside a gamma-ray burst (GRB 230307A), indicating the birth of a magnetar. Using data from GECAM and Fermi satellites, they identified a 909-Hz oscillation lasting 160 milliseconds, providing direct evidence that some GRBs are powered by newly formed, rapidly spinning neutron stars with strong magnetic fields, rather than black holes. This discovery confirms theoretical predictions and offers new insights into the engines driving cosmic explosions.
Health and Medical Sciences
HKU Dentistry Develops World’s First AI System for Single-Tooth Prediction of Early Childhood Caries Detection with Over 90% Accuracy
Affecting over 70% of 5-year-olds in Chinese Mainland, early childhood caries (ECC) is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease worldwide, disproportionately affecting specific teeth. Current prevention strategies typically treat all teeth equally, despite clear differences in susceptibility. A research team from the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with multiple research teams in Qingdao, has developed the world’s first AI system — Spatial-MiC, which is capable of predicting early childhood caries risk for individual teeth based on microbial characteristics. By combining data from a tooth's microbial community with information from its neighbours, Spatial-MiC achieved 98% accuracy in detecting existing cavities and 93% accuracy in predicting cavities two months before they became clinically apparent — significantly outperforming current whole-mouth assessment methods. This research paves the way for precision dentistry approaches that could provide targeted preventive care to high-risk teeth before damage occurs.
