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, was recently elected to the Class of 2026 Fellows of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements and remarkable contributions in the field of science. Fellowship of the RSC is one of the highest honours Canada bestows upon scholars and scientists. This year, 105 people worldwide were elected as new Fellows, and Prof Kwong is one of the three scholars in Hong Kong SAR to receive this prestigious recognition. He will attend the induction ceremony in Ottawa in November.
Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Prof Sam Kwong on receiving this prestigious honour, stating, “Prof Sam Kwong’s election as a Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering is not only a recognition of his outstanding academic contributions, but also a great honour for the University. This achievement fully demonstrates that the University's strategic research strength in ‘AI +’ has reached a world-leading level. It will further expand Lingnan's influence in the international academic community, attract more outstanding young scholars and students to join us, strengthen our research and innovation teams, and build a stronger talent pool to undertake national level research. Lingnan will use this international academic platform to foster more interdisciplinary research collaboration, accelerate technology transfer, and create tangible contributions that truly benefit society.”
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu said he is deeply honoured to be elected and that “As Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, I will continue to reinforce connections with elite academic institutions, including those in North America, to promote high-level research collaboration and student exchange programmes, and to improve the postgraduate training system, creating more opportunities for young talents to exchange and collaborate with world-renowned scholars. Lingnan University’s cutting edge research has always focused on addressing real-world social challenges and promoting environmental sustainability. We are committed to advancing trustworthy and efficient ‘AI +’ research, and to applying AI technologies across industries, fostering interdisciplinary innovation, nurturing a new generation of globally-minded research talents, and supporting the Hong Kong SAR's development into an international innovation and technology centre.”
Prof Kwong, a world-renowned scholar in evolutionary computation, AI solutions, and image/video processing, was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE) in 2025. Since 2021, he has been one of Stanford University’s top 2% of scientists worldwide, and Clarivate has listed him as a Highly Cited Researcher since 2022. He is a Fellow of several illustrious academic institutions, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE). Prof Kwong has been granted more than 50 US patents, published over 500 journal and conference papers, and his research outcomes have been applied in many innovative fields, including multimedia transmission, intelligent logistics, and medical diagnostics.
In the past few years, the “AI +” innovative technologies developed by Prof Kwong and his team have won several major invention awards. His “AI-based Fencing Training and Assessment System”, won the Gold Medal and Prize of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2025, and “Face Fortress: Adaptive All-In-One AI for Digital ID Safety” also won a Gold Medal at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival 2026.
Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada is composed of leading international scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. It is dedicated to recognising the academic excellence of outstanding scholars, promoting knowledge innovation, and providing scientific solutions and academic advice for public policy and global challenges.
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 elected as a 2026 Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada.
