In today's highly competitive society, many parents insist their children learn more and learn faster in order to “win at the starting line”. A recent study by the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University examining the relationship between stress and creativity has found that different types of stress, such as competition, noise, confined environments, and engaging in challenging tasks, may actually reduce children's creative performance, but adolescents and adults tend to show more innovative ability under moderate competitive pressure. The research findings have been published in top-tier international academic journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, and provide important insights in workplace management strategies, and for the education sector and creative industries.
Prof Huang Yi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Lingnan University, and her research team conducted a meta-analysis of 99 experimental studies on creative performance published worldwide over the past half-century (from 1965 to 2022), involving 8,749 participants ranging from primary school children to adults. The team divided them into three groups for in-depth analysis: children aged 12 and below, adolescents aged 13 to 17, and adults aged 18 and above.
The results showed that the impact of stress varies across different age groups, and different types of stress also affect individual creativity in distinct ways. For children, “common stressors” such as competition, physical stress including noise, confined environments, and performing time-limited or difficult tasks tend to trigger anxiety, and make it harder for them to express creativity. Nevertheless, the study also found that both adolescents and adults show a trend of enhanced creativity under competitive pressure, although examination stress generally has a negative impact on the creativity of all three age groups. Additionally, adults struggle to focus and think deeply under “deadline culture”, which impairs their creativity.
Prof Huang explained that children's brain regions responsible for higher-order thinking are not yet fully developed, resulting in weaker emotional regulation compared to adolescents and adults. As a result, children may not be able to cope effectively with stress, and are more sensitive to failure, and prone to anxiety. In contrast, adolescents and adults tend to perceive competition as a challenge, and under moderate pressure their creativity can actually be stimulated. However, adults juggling multiple roles and responsibilities experience a certain level of stress from the need to manage time effectively.
Prof Huang also emphasised that creativity is extremely important, explaining "From a psychological perspective, creativity is one of the core abilities that people rely on to solve problems in daily learning, life, and work. Creativity helps to connect new things with existing knowledge, and think outside the box and find alternative solutions when facing difficulties. Creativity is also related to mental health, and people with greater creativity tend to have more psychological flexibility and be better able to adjust their mindset when confronted with stress and adversity.”
She also noted that examinations, noise, and tight deadlines are typical forms of “Hong Kong-style stress.” These findings offer helpful guidance to educators, workplace managers, and the creative industries: to encourage creativity in children, competitive pressure should be reduced by cutting back on frequent evaluations, and replaced with a supportive environment that allows for free exploration. This helps children build positive emotions, social competence, and problem-solving skills, which are the best ways to unlock their creative potential.
For adolescents and adults, workplace managers can harness the motivating effects of competition by introducing moderately competitive elements when appropriate, such as establishing healthy peer review and collaboration mechanisms. Meanwhile, educational institutions and businesses should focus on setting reasonable deadlines, avoiding a culture of chronic overwork, and instead creating an environment that allows employees the space for deep thinking.
Prof Huang Yi and her research team publish a study on stress and creativity.
Lingnan University.
Lingnan University and the Universidad de la República (University of the Republic, UdelaR), the largest public higher education institution in Uruguay, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 10 February 2026 on Lingnan campus, formally establishing an academic partnership. This is an important step in advancing academic cooperation between Lingnan and universities in South America.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, welcomes the delegation, introduces them to the university, and explores opportunities for collaboration during the meeting.
Prof Héctor Cancela, President of the UdelaR, and Mr Federico Lage, Consul-General of Uruguay in the Hong Kong SAR, led a delegation to Lingnan University, where they were welcomed by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing, Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning, Prof Zhang Dian, Associate Dean of the School of Data Science and Person-in-Charge of the Division of Industrial Data Science, Prof Jean-Michel Morel, Chair Professor of the Division of Industrial Data Science, and Prof Bradley R. Barnes, Special Advisor to President on Internationalization and Director of Global Education.
President S Joe Qin said, “Lingnan University is committed to supporting the vision of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China in developing Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub and promoting the ‘Study in Hong Kong’ brand. In response to changing times, the University has in recent years integrated artificial intelligence and data science elements across various disciplines, advancing its distinctive ‘Liberal Arts + Technology’ development model. More than 20 per cent of our academic and research staff were recognised by Stanford University in 2025 as being among the world’s top 2% of scientists. We look forward to working with the Universidad de la República to leverage the strengths of both institutions, advancing interdisciplinary research collaboration and developing innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.”
The delegation visits the Lingnan campus and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI).
The signing ceremony was chaired by Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu and Prof Héctor Cancela, and attended by senior representatives of both universities. Prof Chan said “Lingnan University actively establishes partnerships with leading universities worldwide. To date, we have set up academic collaborations with over 280 institutions across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa. UdelaR is the oldest public university in Uruguay, and this will open up valuable networks, academic resources, and exchanges between researchers in Lingnan and South America, making the most of both universities’ strengths, and improving knowledge transfer.”
In the MoU, the two universities will establish a framework for academic exchange and cooperation in research, and explore potential areas of collaboration, including the exchange of academic and research staff, possible student exchange, and joint academic research and publication in fields of interest to both. The partnership aims to expand cross-regional academic networks.
The UdelaR delegation toured the Lingnan campus and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative (LEI), gaining an understanding of the University’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, which encourages faculty and students from different disciplines to design innovative humanitarian technologies together, and teaches students to address social issues through pivotal research.
Lingnan University and the Universidad de la República (University of the Republic, Udelar) sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The ceremony is officiated by Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing of Lingnan University (left), and Prof Héctor Cancela, President of the Udelar (right), with senior representatives of both universities attending the event.
Lingnan University has made considerable progress in recent years, and came first globally under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG 4 (Quality Education) in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Impact Rankings 2025, the first university in the Hong Kong SAR to achieve a global first in any UN SDG. Lingnan was also in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 for the first time, one of the top 301–350 universities worldwide out of 2,191 institutions, its international outlook rated 47th. Universidad de la República (University of the Republic, Udelar) is consistently ranked as the top university in Uruguay and a premier public institution in Latin America, holding a #650 position in the 2026 QS World University Rankings.
