Lingnan University Hosts Chinese New Year Media Reception and Announces Campus Development Plans

Lingnan University held its 2026 Chinese New Year media reception on the Tuen Mun campus today, 17 March, hosted by Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; 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; Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration); Prof Sam Kwong Tak-Wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, and Prof Lau Chi-pang, Special Advisor to President on Publicity cum Director of Communications and Public Affairs. They announced the University’s most recent news and its strategic development blueprint for the coming years, which includes a series of campus development initiatives which will continue to improve teaching, research, and innovation.

Lingnan University hosts its Chinese New Year media reception. From the left: Mr Ernest Chan Chi-man, Vice-President (Administration); Prof Raymond Chan Hon-fu, Vice-President (Academics) cum Provost and Lam Man Tsan Chair Professor of Scientific Computing; Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science; Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning; and Prof Sam Kwong Tak-Wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and J.K. Lee Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence. Photo source: Lingnan University

President S. Joe Qin said that to meet Lingnan’s growing need for more space, the University recently acquired a new 3,600-square-metre facility, Lingnan T-Plus, which will support the main campus by providing additional teaching venues and classrooms. Conveniently located and about 15 minutes’ walk from the main campus, Lingnan T-Plus is expected to be operational in the 2026/2027 academic year. Students and staff will be able to commute to the main campus easily and stay involved with campus life.

President S. Joe Qin announces campus development initiatives to further improve teaching, research and innovation. Photo source: Lingnan University

The expansion of Lingnan’s main campus in Tuen Mun has begun with the construction of the seven-storey Lingnan Education Organization Building, the University’s first dedicated science building, which will have a floor area of approximately 8,000 square metres and house the School of Data Science (SDS) and the interdisciplinary research hub. It is scheduled to be completed in 2028, and will upgrade University teaching and research facilities.

The Tuen Mun Main Campus will have a new 200-square-metre lecture theatre in the Lau Chung Him Building with seating for about 200 people, which will provide another venue for teaching, academic lectures, and large conferences. It is intended to come into use in the 2026/2027 academic year, improving the educational environment and strengthening support for academic events and the exchange of ideas.

In addition, a new 150-square-metre, 110-seat, multi-purpose venue with a large-scale LED display will be built on the Main Campus near the landmark Wing On Plaza for campus activities, academic seminars, press conferences, providing a high-quality space for teaching and discussions. It is scheduled for completion in 2027.

The University has recently acquired a new facility, Lingnan T-Plus. Photo source: Lingnan University

Looking back at 2025, President S. Joe Qin said that Lingnan University achieved several “No. 1 in the Hong Kong SAR” and “Only one in the Hong Kong SAR” distinctions across key indicators, demonstrating that the University’s strengths in teaching and research, as well as its commitment to whole-person education, have received international recognition. These accolades include coming first globally in “SDG 4: Quality Education” in the 2025 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, and becoming the first university in Asia to partner with the United Nations University (UNU) to establish the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University. The UNU Hub plans to commence operations in the middle of this year, and will promote interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering, data science, and design innovation, encouraging faculty members and students from different disciplines to co-design humanitarian technologies to address real-world challenges in a practical and sustainable way.

President Qin also noted that in recent years, the University has implemented the “Liberal Arts + Technology” innovative education model, solidifying its position as a leading research-oriented liberal arts university, comprehensive in arts and sciences, in the digital era. More than 20 per cent of its faculty members were on the 2025 Stanford University “World’s Top 2% Scientists” list. As its 60th anniversary approaches in 2027, the University has launched the “Lingnan-60 Global Talent Recruitment” campaign to attract 60 leading scholars. As of February 2026, 33 top scholars have joined the University, strengthening Lingnan’s engineering and research capabilities in interdisciplinary fields such as industrial data science, smart infrastructure, carbon neutrality technologies, and sustainable energy and materials. This will enable the University to take a leading role in major cross-disciplinary, high-impact engineering projects related to the Hong Kong SAR’s re-industrialisation and carbon neutrality.

President Qin also announced that the University will officially launch the Samuel C.C. Ting Elite Class (CCT Class) in the 2026/27 academic year. Named in honour of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Prof Samuel C.C. Ting, the class will select a group of top talents from its outstanding undergraduate students, who receive full University Entrance Scholarships, and will offer them comprehensive learning opportunities and support. The CCT Class symbolises the University’s commitment to an educational philosophy grounded in Creative and Critical Thinking. Through this initiative, the University aims to nurture a new generation of globally minded academic leaders, carrying forward Prof Ting’s legacy of bold innovation and rigorous research integrity, while further strengthening the University’s leading position as a research-oriented liberal arts university comprehensive in arts and sciences.

The Lingnan Education Organization Building is scheduled for completion in 2028. Photo source: Lingnan University

Lingnan University has achieved spectacular results at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva with all 13 of the inventions it entered winning awards. This remarkable success includes one Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury, five Gold Medals, three Silver Medals and four Bronze Medals. The number of projects entered and awards received have more than doubled since last year, setting a new record for Lingnan, and confirming the University’s excellence in groundbreaking interdisciplinary research.

This year’s award-winning inventions integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with diverse applications (AI+X), notably AI + Creativity, AI + Humanity, AI + Pedagogy, AI + Sustainability, and AI + Trustability. These span professional domains such as data science, advanced materials, sustainable energy, art technology, and transformative education, fully demonstrating Lingnan’s achievements in interdisciplinary collaboration and human-centric innovation, which ultimately drive positive social impact and enhanced community wellbeing.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University, expressed his delight at the University’s latest important milestone and congratulated all the award-winning teams. He said, “This year, multiple innovative inventions jointly developed by faculty and students’ teams were entered by Lingnan University. By actively breaking traditional disciplinary boundaries under the AI + concept, we have integrated AI into various academic fields, resulting in a series of human-centred research and innovative solutions that respond to societal needs, affirming the University’s mission of ‘Education for Service’. In the face of global technological innovation challenges, Lingnan continues to promote interdisciplinary research, strengthen industry–academia–research collaboration, and transform research into practical applications. At the same time, we seek to equip students with humanistic values to guide technological applications, and make a positive impact on society.”

The research project that received the Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury is “FlexiBot: Make Every Parking Spot a Charging Spot”, developed by a team led by Prof Tang Xiaopeng, Assistant Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Division of Science. FlexiBot is an intelligent robot designed to provide wireless charging for electric vehicles in any parking space. The robot automatically locates and moves to the nearest charging point. Its wireless charging module and adapter are compatible with all electric vehicles, offering park-and-charge compatible chargers. The system also features smart scheduling for charging, automatically avoiding peak electricity times to reduce grid load and cost.

A total of five projects have won the Gold Medals, including “SmartCool: Digital Twin AI, Cool Smarter with Human Feedback, Hit Carbon Zero”, developed by a team led by President S. Joe Qin; “BuildGuard: Blockchain Oracle AI for Instant Secure Compliance”, developed by Prof Wu Liupengfei, Assistant Professor of the Division of Industrial Data Science at the School of Data Science; “IDShield: AI Behavioural Fingerprinting for Anonymous Dialogue Decode”, developed by a team led by Prof Shen Jiaxing, Assistant Professor of the Division of Artificial Intelligence of the School of Data Science; “Solid-Safe Lithium Battery: Puncture-Proof, 500Wh/kg, Compatible with All Lines”, developed by a team led by Prof Chen Ze, Assistant Professor of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies; and “StorySketcher: A Multi-Agent AI System for Child-Led Co-Creative Narratives”, a project developed by Prof Xu Xian, Assistant Professor of the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries.

Three projects have won Silver Medals, including “Face Fortress: Adaptive All-In-One AI for Digital ID Safety”, developed by a team led by Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research); “Hydrogel Smart Window: Cool Without Power”, developed by a team led by Prof Chen Xi, Dean of the Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies; and “Smarter Traffic, Safer Roads: AIoT and Real-Time GeoAI Innovations for Urban Transport”, a project developed by Prof Paulina Wong Pui-yun, Head and Associate Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the Division of Science.

Four projects have won the Bronze Medals, including “DynaGuard: The Smart Brain for Dynamic System Monitoring and Diagnostics”, developed by a team led by President S. Joe Qin; “Generative AI Assessment System (GAAS): A Game-Changer for Timely Student Feedback”, developed by a team led by Prof Frankie Lam King-sun, Director of the Teaching and Learning Centre; “TransLab: AI-powered Translation Learning and Evaluation Suite”, a project developed by Prof George Chan Chi-yu, Assistant Professor of Practice of the Department of Translation; and “CineSim: Interactive Cinematography Lab”, a project developed by Dr Tobby Kan Shiu-tao, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries.

The International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held annually since 1973, is the world’s largest exhibition of innovation and invention. This year’s exhibition features over 1000 inventions from approximately 35 countries and regions.

Awards Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury

Project Title FlexiBot: Make Every Parking Spot a Charging Spot

Winning Lingnan Faculty and Staff • Prof Tang Xiaopeng, Assistant Professor, Division of Science
• Mr Wang Fangyu, Senior Research Assistant, Division of Science

Project description FlexiBot is an intelligent robot designed to provide wireless charging for electric vehicles in any parking space. Key Features include Autonomous Mobile Charging, Excellent Compatibility, and Smart Scheduling.

Awards Gold Medal

Project Title SmartCool: Digital Twin AI, Cool Smarter with Human Feedback, Hit Carbon Zero

Project description An AI-driven air conditioning management system that optimises performance through the integration of predictive algorithms and RL-MPC control technology. It features desk-side smart feedback and load forecasting for energy saving.

Awards Gold Medal

Project Title BuildGuard: Blockchain Oracle AI for Instant Secure Compliance

Project description Acts like a tamper-proof inspector for remote manufacturing using AI and secure blockchain data feeds for real-time compliance audits.

Awards Gold Medal

Project Title IDShield: AI Behavioural Fingerprinting for Anonymous Dialogue Decode

Project description Designed to detect and remove behavioural signals that could lead to re-identification in AI platforms, ensuring privacy compliance.

Awards Gold Medal

Project Title Solid-Safe Lithium Battery: Puncture-Proof, 500Wh/kg, Compatible with All Lines

Project description An innovative all-solid-state lithium battery without flammable electrolytes, offering high energy density and enhanced safety for drones and electric vehicles.

Awards Silver Medal

Project Title Face Fortress: Adaptive All-In-One AI for Digital ID Safety

Project description Integrates deepfake detection and image quality filtering into a single verification pipeline for high-security scenarios.

Lingnan University achieves outstanding results at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, winning 13 awards, more than twice as many as last year.

“Face Fortress: Adaptive All-In-One AI for Digital ID Safety”, developed by a team led by Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) (right), wins a Silver Medal.

“FlexiBot: Make Every Parking Spot a Charging Spot” wins a Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury. The project was developed with the participation of Mr Wang Fangyu, Senior Research Assistant of the Division of Science at Lingnan University.

“SmartCool: Digital Twin AI, Cool Smarter with Human Feedback, Hit Carbon Zero” wins a Gold Medal. Shown in the photo is Dr Liu Yiren, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Division of Industrial Data Science at the School of Data Science, who contributed to the project led by President S. Joe Qin.