HKU MFA Showcase and "Black Box Magazine" Anniversary Issue Launch: Creative Writing Across Forms and Formats

HKU’s MFA in Creative Writing in English has recently held its 2026 Showcase at the HKU Black Box. It took place alongside the launch of the anniversary issue of Black Box Magazine, a student arts, culture, and literary publication curated by the current MFA cohort and the wider postgraduate community of the School of English. The combined event, led by Dr. Antony Huen, the Director of the MFA programme and Founder and Editor of Black Box Magazine, drew a full-house audience of faculty members, students, and invited guests, including novelist Matthew Wong Foreman and photographer Joyce Yung.

Photo by the HKU School of English

The Showcase presented original works by the MFA cohort, spanning spoken word, short drama, and cross-media performances drawing on music, dance, digital art, and Gen AI. Audiences were transported into surreal, futuristic, Gothic, and digital worlds, where new meanings around contemporary human concerns emerged. Adapted from the students’ creative dissertations, these live presentations showcased a wide range of worldviews, personas, and themes, sparking unexpected insights and new ideas.

A dance presentation by an MFA student. Photo by the HKU School of English

A dramatic dialogue between two MFA students. Photo by the HKU School of English

A notable feature of this year’s Showcase was the integration of art and technology. Many works explored human–AI interactions and the ethical questions emerging in a smart-technology era. Some performances used AI as a co-performer, while others incorporated programming and digital tools to enhance theatrical effects. These technological elements highlighted the cohort’s willingness to experiment and engage with emerging tools and practices.

A musical duet by two MFA students. Photo by the HKU School of English

A dramatic monologue by an MFA student. Photo by the HKU School of English

Within the Showcase, the anniversary issue of Black Box Magazine was also launched. In a brief conversation with the Editor, Dr. Antony Huen, the student editing leads of the issue and guest contributors Matthew Wong Foreman and Joyce Yung discussed the issue’s theme, “Margins”, and its creative and critical implications. The dialogue highlighted the MFA’s commitment to boundary-crossing in contemporary writing.

A dialogue on Issue 2 of "Black Box Magazine." Photo by the HKU School of English

Guest contributors Matthew Wong Foreman (left) and Joyce Yung (center) in dialogue with Dr. Antony Huen (right). Photo by the HKU School of English

Together, the MFA Showcase 2026 and the launch of Black Box Magazine’s second issue marked a celebratory moment in the growing range of achievements of the MFA community at HKU and beyond.

MFA student hosts (first and second from the left) with Professor Tong King Lee (Head of School) (third from the left), Dr. Antony Huen (third from the right), Matthew Wong Foreman (second from the right), and Joyce Yung (first from the right). Photo by the HKU School of English

A research team from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) will participate in China’s planetary exploration mission, Tianwen-3. According to the selection results released by the China National Space Administration recently, the “Short-Wavelength Infrared Spectrometer”, led and developed by HKU, has been officially chosen as a payload for deployment on the service module of the Tianwen-3 mission. The instrument will play a critical role in forecasting dust storms during landing manoeuvres, searching for biosignatures, detecting hydrous minerals, and surveying Martian resources.

HKU Short-Wavelength Infrared Spectrometer”, led and developed by HKU, has been selected for deployment on the service module of the Tianwen-3 mission. Photo source: HKU

Tianwen-3 mission is China’s first Mars Sample Return mission. Scheduled for launch in 2028, with sample return planned for 2031, the mission aims to address fundamental scientific questions, including the uniqueness of life on Earth and the universality of biochemical mechanisms in the universe.

Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU, commented, "HKU is honoured to participate in the Tianwen-3 planetary exploration mission. The selection of our research project as a mission payload reflects the University’s deep-seated expertise in planetary science and deep-space exploration, while marking a significant contribution to the nation’s strategic advancement as a leading space power. We remain committed to deepening our frontier research to further expand the boundaries of human knowledge."

The project is led by Professor Yiliang LI of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at HKU, with major collaborating institutions including Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics.

The instrument will be used for key investigations, including forecasting dust storms during the landing maneuver, searching for biosignatures, detecting hydrous minerals, and surveying resources on Mars. Photo source: HKU

The orbital spectrometer will undertake three primary tasks:

1. To monitor the potential emergence and development of dust storms, thereby guiding the safe landing of the lander at sites of highest scientific value.
2. To provide detailed, high-spatial-resolution mineralogical mapping of candidate landing sites from orbit, supporting final-stage landing site selection for the Tianwen-3 mission.
3. Following completion of the sample return phase, the instrument will remain in orbit for at least five years to conduct sustained observations of Mars’s low-latitude regions.

Professor Yiliang LI of HKU Earth and Planetary Sciences, Photo source: HKU

Professor Li stated, “This mission marks a significant contribution from Hong Kong’s scientific community to the nation’s deep space exploration programme. Using hyperspectral imaging technology, we will directly search for biosignatures and hydrous minerals on Mars, which is fundamentally important for understanding the distribution of life in the universe.”

Professor Li has served as a core member of both the Landing Site Selection Team and the Mission Science Team of Tianwen-3 mission. The selection of this payload demonstrates HKU’s international competitiveness in Earth and planetary sciences while fostering interdisciplinary synergy across science and engineering in Hong Kong.

Professor Li further noted that the project aligns with two concurrent developments, “First, the continued expansion of HKU’s research capabilities in Earth and planetary sciences, particularly in cosmochemistry and astrobiology focusing on solar system bodies such as asteroids, Mars and Jupiter; and second, the Hong Kong SAR Government’s strategic initiative to cultivate a local aerospace industry, by leveraging the region’s geographical advantages.”