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.
Lingnan University congratulates Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying who has been chosen for the nation’s next space mission, where she will probably operate the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), a space-based research instrument led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Prof Li Jia, Director of the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI), and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) at Lingnan University, together with her research team, contributed key data from a carbon emissions source database for the project, which will be used to compare greenhouse gas data including carbon dioxide and methane emission sources observed by MUSICO, helping researchers identify emission intensity and distribution patterns of power and industrial facilities across different regions more accurately, thereby providing robust scientific support for China’s carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals.
Prof Li said that currently many satellite monitoring systems worldwide focus mainly on greenhouse gas emissions at the regional level, and identifying carbon emissions from a single large stationary emission source from space remains challenging as relying on the high-sensitivity MUSICO instrument also depends greatly on long-term, ground-based carbon emissions data for comparison.
Prof Li Jia (right), Prof Su Hui (middle), and Dr Wang Fan (left) at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.
Prof Li said “Our database covers more than half of China’s carbon dioxide emission sources, and records emission volumes from different regions and industrial facilities. It is resolved down to the level of total emissions per square kilometre, with precise geographic coordinates, and functions much like a map and a navigation system, helping MUSICO identify the specific locations, intensities, and operational patterns of emission sources in space. This enables the instrument to observe the large-scale distribution of greenhouse gas concentrations, and also to analyse emissions from individual factories or facilities with greater precision, thereby increasing the accuracy and scientific value of space-based observation data.”
Prof Li continued “As an international financial centre, the Hong Kong SAR is well positioned to use Lingnan’s empirical data to advance the development of the green economy. In future, the database may be applied to carbon emissions verification, emissions reduction assessment, and urban low-carbon management, providing scientific support for low-carbon transformation in the Greater Bay Area and across China.”
For several years now, Prof Li Jia’s team has carried out extensive research on industrial carbon emissions in China, and participated in core national carbon neutrality projects, compiling inventories covering major high-emission industries, such as power generation, cement, steel, chemicals and electrolytic aluminium.
Over the past 20 years, Prof Li’s team has carried out continuous research on carbon emissions from the power and industrial sectors in China and Southeast Asian countries. The team has participated in and led carbon capture and storage planning projects in six Asian countries, and developed emissions inventories covering China’s major high-emission industries, including power generation, cement, steel, chemicals, and electrolytic aluminium. This is consistent with the analysis of individual emission sources such as ground-based power plants and oilfields, and helps verify whether observed measurements reflect normal fluctuations or abnormal emissions.
Between 2022 and 2025, Prof Li’s team collaborated with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning (CAEP) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and took part in a first-batch key research project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, which expanded the database to cover additional major emission sectors.
From left: Hong Kong SAR astronaut Lai Ka-ying, Prof Li Jia.
Prof Li Jia said that the opportunity to participate in space monitoring-related scientific research collaboration on behalf of Lingnan University was made possible by WJYSIS’ continued encouragement of cross-disciplinary integration, fostering collaborative research in environmental science, data analytics, and artificial intelligence; also, while the Chinese Mainland has taken a leading position in large-scale carbon capture and emissions reduction technologies, the Hong Kong SAR has many advantages in international academic networks and well-established research collaboration platforms, which promote scientific exchange, research related to sustainable development, and collaboration between China and the international community.
Council members of Lingnan University visit the Lingnan University Shenzhen Research Institute (LUSZRI).
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, said that in recent years, Lingnan University has actively promoted its Liberal Arts + Technology development strategy, encouraging faculty and students to conduct interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world issues. Lingnan researchers’ involvement in national space and carbon monitoring projects shows the University’s strong foundation in inter-university and interdisciplinary collaboration, and highlights its academic contributions to public development in environmental science, data analytics, and low-carbon research.
The MUSICO research project is co-led by Prof Su Hui, Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Global STEM Professor at HKUST, and Prof Zhang Limin, Chair Professor and Head of the same department. Prof Zhai Chengxing, Associate Professor of the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas is the mission system engineer, and other team members are Senior Scientific Officer Dr Rong Pingping, Assistant Professor Zhang Jize, and Associate Professor Wang Zhe from HKUST’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Professor Ning Zhi, Associate Professors Shi Xiaoming, and Gu Dasa from the Division of Environment and Sustainability; Associate Professor Ma Xiaojuan from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Professor Zhu Pengyu from the Division of Public Policy; Professor Gao Meng from Hong Kong Baptist University; and Associate Professor Li Jia from Lingnan University.
