HKUST Advances Preparatory Work for School of Medicine with Steady Progress in Infrastructure, Curriculum Development and Global Talent Recruitment In less than a year since receiving Government approval to establish Hong Kong's third medical school, HKUST has achieved a series of major milestones, including the advancement of key infrastructure, the completion of its curriculum framework, and the recruitment of internationally renowned academic and clinical leaders. HKUST is building a new-generation medical school that integrates medicine, technology and innovation while meeting the highest professional and academic standards. Key milestones over the past year include the groundbreaking of the HKUST Medical Education and Research Complex (the Complex) in April and the appointment of Prof. King LI as Founding Dean in June, marking the transition from planning to implementation. More recently, HKUST signed a memorandum of understanding with the HKSAR Government outlining the framework for the proposed medical school, covering curriculum accreditation, financial arrangements, faculty recruitment, clinical teaching and capital works. In his latest Policy Address, the Chief Executive reaffirmed the Government's support for the project, including plans for Kai Tak Hospital to serve as an interim teaching hospital and the integrated development of the future medical school campus and teaching hospital in the San Tin University Town. Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, said, "We are particularly encouraged by the strong support received from the Government, healthcare sector and wider community, as well as our success in attracting internationally respected academic leaders, clinicians and scientists to join us. Their decision to become part of this journey is a strong vote of confidence in HKUST's vision and in Hong Kong's future as a hub for medical education, research and healthcare innovation." Prof. King Li, Founding Dean of HKUST School of Medicine, said, “On academic development, we have finalized the overarching framework and structure of our future-oriented medical curriculum, drawing on the University's strengths in science, engineering, AI, data science and emerging technologies. We remain confident of meeting the target in admitting the first cohort of 50 students in the 2028/29 academic year. Our goal is to nurture competent, safe, compassionate and ethical doctors to serve the community.” Learn more about the future plans for the HKUST School of Medicine in the comments. #HKUST #HKUST35A #HKUSTSchoolOfMedicine #MedicalSchool #MedicalEducation

HKUST Hosts International Society for Molecular Neurodegeneration 2026 Conference HKUST recently hosted the "International Society for Molecular Neurodegeneration (ISMND) 2026 Conference". Centered on the theme “Cell Biology and Therapeutics of Neurodegenerative Diseases,” the event featured keynote lectures by Prof. Thomas SÜDHOF and Prof. Randy SCHEKMAN, Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine, and brought together more than 40 world-leading experts to share the latest insights into the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. As a flagship event celebrating HKUST’s 35th anniversary, this year’s conference was held at the Shaw Auditorium of HKUST from October 20 to 23. The comprehensive program featured keynote lectures, invited talks, short presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, and exhibitions. Discussions centered on recent advances in understanding the fundamental cellular processes that go awry in neurodegenerative diseases and innovative therapeutic strategies being developed to combat them. The conference also highlighted advancements in early diagnosis, disease pathways, and targeted therapeutic strategies. Learn more about innovative therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases in the comments. #HKUST #HKUST35A #ISMND2026 #NobelLaureates #Neuroscience #NeurodegenerativeDiseases

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