As AI tools become increasingly powerful, AI literacy has become more important than ever. At a student seminar hosted by HK01 at Yu Chun Keung Memorial College, Dr. Jac LEUNG, Lecturer in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), explored deepfakes, misinformation, and the risks of AI overreliance, while sharing practical strategies for critical thinking and responsible human-AI collaboration in learning.

HKUST hosted the third Climate Adaptation and Resilience Conference (CARE2026) from 8 to 10 October, bringing together over 500 experts from around the world to address urban climate resilience and green finance. Prof. Tim CHENG Kwang-Ting, Vice-President for Research and Development of HKUST, stated that HK as one of Urban-PREDICT’s Global Demonstration Cities provides a valuable platform for sharing its experience in climate resilience and learning from international best practices to strengthen its own systems. CARE2026 embodies this mission by uniting experts from different disciplines, institutions, and regions to share science, data and practical experience to help communities anticipate hazards, reduce risks and recover more effectively. He expressed hope for collaboration across various sectors to turn prediction into action, transform research into impact, and build a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come. Prof. CHEN Fei, Co-Chair of WWRP Urban-PREDICT of the WMO (Urban-PREDICT) and Associate Head of the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR) of HKUST, delivered a keynote speech, highlighting that research has confirmed that providing warnings several hours in advance and integrating localized data can significantly enhance the effectiveness of measures against extreme weather events.

HKUST is leading global collaboration in urban weather forecasting and climate resilience through the Urban-PREDICT International Coordination Office, established on campus in November 2025 under the WMO World Weather Research Program. Co-chaired by Prof. CHEN Fei, Associate Head and Professor in the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), Urban-PREDICT brings together scientists from all six inhabited continents to develop next-generation urban-scale hazard prediction and early warning systems. Urban-PREDICT selected HK, Montevideo (Uruguay), and Lusaka (Zambia) from an initial pool of 14 global candidates last year to serve as Global Demonstration Cities. HKUST recently convened experts from the Urban-PREDICT Steering Group to evaluate progress made during the project's first year and chart future directions for international collaboration and research. The discussions and insights emerging from Urban-PREDICT will continue at the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Conference 2026, taking place at HKUST from today to Saturday to explore how climate risks affect interconnected systems and how risk intelligence can support more effective preparedness, decision-making, investment, and adaptation strategies. Prof. Chen stated that Hong Kong, as one of the global demonstration cities, is not only a valuable testbed for innovation but also an important platform for international knowledge exchange.

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.

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.

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.

The MUSICO arrived at Tiangong Space Station aboard the Tianzhou-10 cargo spacecraft. Prof. SU Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Ocean Science, and Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), who leads the MUSICO project, stated that HK's first astronaut Dr. LAI Ka-Ying operated a robotic arm to install MUSICO outside the Mengtian lab module of the Tiangong space station. With the camera designed to monitor greenhouse gas distributions from space, Prof. Su described it as an "eye” in the sky capable of capturing 1,000 pictures daily across 250,000 emission sources to help reduce emissions, with future applications planned for broader environmental pollutant tracking.

Prof. Christine LOH, Chief Development Strategist in the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), stated that HK must take a long-term perspective on global shifts over the next 10 to 20 years, strategically planning the infrastructure and talent needed to prepare for future challenges.

A column article by Prof. Erwin HUANG, Adjunct Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), on the market expectations and user experience challenges of Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo analyzes whether the tech giant can once again turn an existing niche technology into a mainstream daily necessity under new CEO John Ternus.

A column article by Prof. Erwin HUANG, Adjunct Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD), on the true innovation of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, argues that Apple’s success has always relied on reassembling existing technologies into intuitive user experiences rather than inventing hardware from scratch. He noted that iPhone Duo’s success hinges on whether Apple can seamlessly integrate dual-screen multitasking and cross-application AI personal agency into daily usage.