A column article by Prof. Erwin HUANG, Adjunct Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), explored how shifting perspectives and altering information formats – whether through visual arts or modern generative AI tools – can unlock original insights and overcome cognitive roadblocks. He argued that overcoming creative blocks and complex problems requires externalizing ideas and changing their formats.

In an article on Southeast Asia's energy ministers meeting this week to discuss regional energy security amid supply disruptions caused by the US-Israel war on Iran, Prof. Laurence DELINA, Associate Professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability, was quoted as saying that ASEAN's rhetoric has long exceeded its achievements, with cooperation largely limited to bilateral energy-sharing agreements and lacking EU-style enforcement power. He added that integrating the region's energy grid poses both political and technical challenges due to diverse national contexts.

In an article on superpowers' race to put nuclear reactors on the moon, Prof. Julien DE TROULLIOUD DE LANVERSIN, Assistant Professor in the Division of Public Policy, noted that nothing is certain right now. He added that on a race, superpowers prefer not to be bogged down by complex issues for which no clear solutions exist.

The greenhouse gas monitoring instrument "MUSICO", spearheaded by HKUST and operated by HK's first-ever payload specialist, Dr. LAI Ka-Ying aboard the Tiangong Space Station, will be showcased in the "aerospace thematic zone" at the "InnoCarnival 2026" from October 24 to November 1. HKUST team revealed that the captured image data will be made available on the UN website for global use across various sectors. EMIA Assoc. Prof. ZHAI Chengxing, who is responsible for the development of the "MUSICO", stated that data analysis is currently underway with no preliminary conclusions yet. However, he noted that the published data will support carbon monitoring reports, methane leak detection, and the carbon trading market.

In a YouTube video on Chinese Mainland’s global talent push amid a tightening immigration and research policies in the US, Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Ocean Science, and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), stated that after working for two decades in the US, she returned and joined HKUST in 2022 to conduct climate change and extreme weather research with tangible societal impacts. At HKUST, her team led the development and May launch of the MUSICO, which is designed to detect and measure carbon dioxide and methane emissions from space. PHYS IAS Prof. Haruki WATANABE after spending ten years at the University of Tokyo relocated to HKUST in March. Prof. Watanabe was drawn by HKUST's ambition, research environment, and substantial startup support, allowing him to recruit a post-doctoral research team.

Prof. Stuart GIETEL-BASTEN, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Science (Research) in the Office of the Dean of Humanities & Social Science, Professor in the Division of Public Policy and Division of Social Science, predicted that secondary schools and even universities in certain regions might close and be repurposed as China's population continues to age. His assessment comes as Primary schools and kindergartens on the mainland are being converted into elderly care facilities due to falling birth rates and a shrinking youth population.

Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Ocean Science, and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), and CIVL graduate Homer were interviewed on the RTHK program “HK Connection”. Prof. Su's team has developed MUSICO to monitor greenhouse gas emissions from the Earth's surface from space, and combined satellite data with AI to predict extreme weather and assist power plants in determining electricity generation. Inspired by this work, Homer joined the research team to participate in the development of a wind power prediction system.

A column article by Prof. Erwin HUANG, Adjunct Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), exploring how different user interfaces and AI tools shape human thought processes rather than merely speeding up productivity. He stressed that the essential skill in the AI era is not just achieving faster input speed or prompt mastery but developing a "strategic pause"—knowing when to let ideas expand via voice, converge via text, reorganize via visuals, and pause to evaluate whether a conclusion is truly well-formed.

In an interview with CNN creator Matias GREZ, Prof. Stuart GIETEL-BASTEN, Professor in the Division of Public Policy (PPOL) and Division of Social Science, discussed how sperm racing events raise awareness about sperm health and male fertility. Prof. Gietel-Basten explained that male fertility is closely linked to factors like sperm motility, density and morphology.

MUSICO, developed by HKUST research team, has been deployed aboard the China Space Station and operated by HK astronaut Dr. LAI Ka-Ying. In a media interview, Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Ocean Science, and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), stated that the project achieved a complete closed loop of manufacturing and operation in HK, demonstrating HK's scientific research capabilities. Encouraging HK youth to bravely pursue their scientific aspirations, she noted that supportive policies for the aerospace industry set under the Government’s five-year plan and Policy Address send a positive signal for building a robust aerospace ecosystem. She added that HK can leverage its strengths in insurance, financial service and legal system to develop the aerospace economy.