The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, and the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Xiang Zhang, have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today (March 31) to establish a co-operation framework for advancing research and practical applications of cutting-edge construction technologies in public housing projects. This partnership will leverage the research prowess of a global top university alongside the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA)'s full-cycle functions - from planning and design through construction and operations management to maintenance - and its comprehensive practical scenarios, bringing world-class innovations to local construction practices to pioneer industry leadership and accelerate Hong Kong's construction sector toward higher quality, more intelligent, and sustainable practices.

The “Action for Earth” Summit, one of the flagship events of Hong Kong Climate Week 2026, is being held today at Rayson Huang Theatre, The University of Hong Kong. The Summit brought together representatives from the United Nations, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Hong Kong SAR Government, the business sector, and leading international academic institutions to examine policy pathways, frontier research and actionable strategies for climate adaptation—reflecting the growing international consensus to shift the focus from “mitigation” to proactive “adaptation”.

The research project “Scalable fabrication of flexible, ultra-flat diamond films” co-led by Professor Zhiqin Chu in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor Yuan Lin in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has been selected as one of China’s Top 10 Scientific Advances of 2025.  This innovative technology has successfully enabled the large-scale, high-quality preparation of diamond membranes, laying a critical foundation for the development of next-generation electronic and optical devices.

Initiated and hosted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU)’s Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality (ICCN), Hong Kong Climate Week 2026 marks its opening today under the theme “From Mitigation to Adaptation — Bridging Global Consensus and Local Implementation.” The week-long event aims to harness Hong Kong’s unique strengths as an international financial centre and a global connectivity hub to accelerate a just, inclusive and resilient net-zero transition. It also underscores Hong Kong’s role as a “two-way bridge,” connecting the Chinese Mainland with the world, advancing the deployment of climate technology, and channelling green finance.

The HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science (HKU IDS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will host the Hong Kong Global AI Governance Conference 2026 on 10–11 April at the Rayson Huang Theatre. The Conference will bring together scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the world to discuss emerging issues in artificial intelligence governance.

Free-electron lasers can be tuned to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, but they conventionally require large-scale facilities. Researchers from The University of Osaka show that laser wakefield acceleration can dramatically miniaturize this technology by improving plasma stability and electron beam quality. Their study demonstrates such lasers in the extreme ultraviolet, with the ultimate goal of further refining the technology to operate at x-ray wavelengths.

Emissions of NOx and carbon monoxide have dropped on the city's streets since 2005, according to research from University of Utah atmospheric scientists that could help Utah address its air quality problems. Pollution reductions stem from cleaner cars, tougher regulations and traffic levels that have not rebounded following pandemic lockdowns.

A new study highlights a critical misunderstanding in how biochar is used to fight climate change and improve soils, warning that oversimplified claims could undermine both scientific progress and carbon markets.