Lingnan AI Expert Wins IEEE Evolutionary Computation Paper Award

Leading scholar in artificial intelligence (AI) Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research), Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence at Lingnan University, has been honoured with the 2026 IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation Outstanding Paper Award for his co-authored paper Learning-Aided Evolution for Optimization. It is the sole paper to receive this award this year, underscoring its importance in the fields of evolutionary computation and AI.

The award, highlighting Prof Kwong's international leadership in AI research, was established by the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society, whose journal is a globally recognised academic citation index database platform, ranked 11th among 204 journals in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence category of the Web of Science.

Published in 2023, the award-winning paper introduces a groundbreaking approach that integrates a learning component into traditional evolutionary computation methods, enabling AI to identify optimal solutions faster and more accurately in complex scenarios. The research team developed a novel, learning-aided, evolutionary optimization (LEO) framework, which allows artificial neural networks (ANNs) to learn from successful experiences during the evolutionary process. By observing which solutions outperform previous ones and recording this knowledge for future reference, evolutionary computation methods can move beyond random mutation to leverage past experience, significantly improving efficiency.

To evaluate the effectiveness of LEO, extensive experiments were conducted on international benchmark platforms, including single-objective and multi-/many-objective evolutionary optimization problems. Results demonstrate that LEO consistently outperforms traditional evolutionary computation methods, achieving higher efficiency and accuracy in complex problem-solving. Originally a highly forward-looking concept in 2023, LEO has increasingly been applied to areas requiring complex computations, such as traffic planning, smart manufacturing, drug discovery, and green energy, demonstrating broad practical potential.

Prof Kwong said “As global societies and industries face growing demands for rapid computation and precise prediction, traditional evolutionary optimization approaches often struggle with large datasets or multi-objective scenarios. Our innovative approach allows AI to learn from past experience, helping evolutionary optimization approaches avoid unnecessary steps and quickly find high-quality solutions. In today's fast-evolving technological landscape, this methodology is becoming an essential tool in AI applications. This international recognition not only validates our team's efforts, but also favours Hong Kong's global leadership in AI research, with a long-term positive impact for society.”

The research paper is co-authored by Prof Zhan Zhi-hui and Dr Li Jian-yu from the College of Artificial Intelligence of Nankai University; Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, and Prof Zhang Jun from Hanyang University. For the full paper Learning-Aided Evolution for Optimization, please visit: Learning-Aided Evolution for Optimization | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore.

Lingnan University AI expert Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu receives the 2026 IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation Outstanding Paper Award.

Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum holds induction course to commence training activities

The Security Bureau (SB) today (October 24) began a two-day-one-night induction course for members of the new-term SB Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum to launch training activities in the coming year for Hong Kong youth members and those from its partners, Shenzhen University and youth groups of public security forces of Macao.

Addressing the launch ceremony, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, introduced activities in the coming year and shared four key factors for success. He encouraged youth members to acquire knowledge across different fields, sharpen their communication and analytical skills, maintain an attitude to learn through practical application and establish a holistic outlook. He said that future development opportunities for young people are unlimited and encouraged members to seize the chances to broaden their horizons through next year's activities, nurture an affection for home and country, cultivate a global vision and service spirit, and translate what they have learnt into capital to contribute to the country.

Leaders from Leaders Forum's partners, the Vice President of Shenzhen University, Professor Li Meng, and the Director of the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, Mr Wong Chi-fai, also delivered speeches at the launch ceremony.

The induction course was held at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy in Hong Kong. In addition to discipline, team-building and leadership training, the youth members also experienced simulation training of firemen and ambulancemen. Moreover, distinguished personalities from different sectors were invited to share their experiences in the induction course, including the Permanent President of the Leaders Forum, Mr Chan Hak-kan, who provided an analysis of irreplaceable skills in the AI era; and Hong Kong's female wushu athlete Juanita Mok, who shared her journey in learning wushu. Teacher of College of Social Sciences of Shenzhen University Mr Gao Wang and the Acting Director of the Research and Development Department of the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, Mr Un Kim-fong, also gave talks at thematic seminars.

The SB established the Leaders Forum in October 2022 to deepen participation in youth work. There are 50 members from Hong Kong, 30 youths from Shenzhen University and 26 members from the youth groups of public security forces of Macao in the new term of the Leaders Forum.

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