An article by Donald LOW, Professor of Practice in Public Policy, and ZHANG Jiebin, MBA candidate, on Vietnam's economic performance.

During an interview at the 2026 World AI Conference, Prof. GUO Song, Chair Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD) and Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), highlighted that humanoid robots need to integrate both brain-like logical reasoning and cerebellum-like control loops to handle complex physical interactions. The future direction involves integrating a simulator (a world model) with a planner as a vision-language-action (VLA) model.

Ekko Chiu, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT) student and a participant of the 2026 Summer InnoTalent program, visited a new intelligent park in Zhongshan city, GD, which opened on July 17, 2026. During the tour, she witnessed the integration of HK's research with the Chinese Mainland's manufacturing. Seeing promising opportunities in smart manufacturing and AI in the GBA, she hopes to contribute to the related development in the future.

Prof. ZHANG Qian, Head and Chair Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), delivered a speech on how Physical AI empowers the consumer health industry at a forum on the consumer technology integration and innovation held on July 15, 2026.

The 4th "Four Seas Cup" Hong Kong International University Student Weiqi Competition kicked off on Wednesday at HKUST, drawing a record 29 teams from 25 countries, with the attendance of Secretary for Education Dr. Christine CHOI Yuk-Lin and Hong Kong Greater Bay Area WeiQi Promotion Association Chairman Ms. Xu Ying. HKUST Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof. Charles NG Wang-Wai said the event has become a popular Weiqi contest for college students in HK, while AIS Dean Prof. QU Huamin noted that the Weiqi course has been sought after by local students.

Prof. GAO Yang, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), alongside Prof. WU Bo from PolyU will deliver a lecture on aerospace explorations on July 20 during the 36th Hong Kong Book Fair

Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), attending the opening ceremony of the "Creative minds: A STEAM journey for young innovators" carnival, where she delivered a keynote speech titled "MUSICO - The eye in the sky", aimed at inspiring youth engagement with innovative technology.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR) Chair Prof. SU Hui pointed out that the collapse of a reservoir in Guangxi exposed infrastructure weaknesses. Under the impact of climate change, China's long coastline, complex topography, and monsoon climate have led to prominent risks, and El Nino has brought forward this year's typhoon season. ENVR Adjunct Prof. SHUN Chi-Ming warned of torrential rains in inland cities following typhoons, noting that extreme heat can also trigger sudden convective downpours in HK.

HKUST received HK$54.41 million in funding from the RGC for two elderly care research projects, representing the highest total funding amount among local universities. One of the projects was led by Prof. ZHANG Qian, Head of the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), and Chair Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at HKUST. The project titled "PMAI-PD: A Personalized Multimodal AI Platform for Integrated Life-Cycle Management of Parkinson’s Disease in Aging Populations" under the "Smart Technology and an Ageing Population" domain, has received a total of HKD27.628 million funding (including university matching fund) for five years.

In articles on typhoon threats and impacts faced by China, Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), was quoted as saying that the severe impacts of Maysak and the looming threat of Super Typhoon Bavi indicate a broader trend toward more intense and damaging typhoon season in 2026. She added that El Nino is shifting typhoon tracks westward toward China's coast and heightening risks, while climate change is making storms wetter and more destructive.