The 2026 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference ("the Conference"), serving as the closing event of the 2026 Future Science Prize Week, was held today (9 November) at The University of Hong Kong. This year, 12 outstanding young scientists from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India and Singapore were awarded the title of Asian Young Scientist Fellow. Around 150 young scientists, researchers and members of the public from various regions attended the Conference.
Twelve outstanding young scientists were awarded the Asian Young Scientist Fellow title this year, many of them receiving their honours in Hong Kong today. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
Opening remarks were delivered by Professor Anderson Shum, President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences and Vice-President (Research) of The University of Hong Kong, and Professor Jong Hae Keum, Chair of the 2026 AYSF Steering Committee and Professor at the School of Mathematics, Korea Institute for Advanced Study.
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Twelve outstanding young scientists were awarded the Asian Young Scientist Fellow title this year, many of them receiving their honours in Hong Kong today. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
Professor Jong Hae Keum, Chair of the AYSF 2026 Steering Committee and Professor of the School of Mathematics at Korea Institute for Advanced Study, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
Professor Anderson Shum, President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences and Vice-President (Research) of The University of Hong Kong, delivered the opening remarks at the AYSF Annual Conference. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
The 2026 AYSF Annual Conference welcomed approximately 150 young scientists, researchers and members of the public from various regions. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
Professor Jong Hae Keum, Chair of the AYSF 2026 Steering Committee and Professor of the School of Mathematics at Korea Institute for Advanced Study, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
Professor Shum congratulated this year's awardees and praised their research for demonstrating the vitality and strength of young Asian scientists working at the forefront of interdisciplinary research. He noted that the 12 award-winning young scientists hail from seven regions around the world, underscoring Hong Kong's role as a scientific hub in Asia and the significance of the Asian Young Scientist Fellowship. This initiative brings together young scientists from various regions and disciplines, aiming to foster collaboration and facilitate original breakthroughs.
Professor Anderson Shum, President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences and Vice-President (Research) of The University of Hong Kong, delivered the opening remarks at the AYSF Annual Conference. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
He added that this year's Future Science Prize Week is especially meaningful, concluding with this conference at The University of Hong Kong. He expressed his hope that the Conference will promote exchange between academia and industry, nurture future research talent and advance global scientific development, and that the presence of leading scientific minds would inspire the next generation and carry forward the spirit of scientific enquiry.
This year, 12 young Asian scientists were honoured for their outstanding research achievements in the fields of physical sciences, life sciences, and mathematics and computer science, with four awardees in each field. In the physical sciences category, one of the awardees is Professor Jijian Xu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the City University of Hong Kong, who specialises in research into advanced battery materials and electrolytes for sustainable energy technologies. In the field of life sciences, Professor Jaekyung Kim, Assistant Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, was selected for his work in revealing how sleep supports motor learning and memory consolidation, and how neural circuit modulation promotes motor function recovery following a stroke. In the field of mathematics and computer science, Professor Hokuto Konno, Associate Professor at The University of Tokyo, received the honour for his pioneering research in differential geometry and geometric topology, including variational gauge theory, smooth four-manifolds and diffeomorphism groups.
Several renowned scholars were invited to participate in the event and serve as award presenters, including Professor Xiaofan Wang, Professor at the School of Medicine at Duke University School; Professor Zhaomin Hou, Chief Scientist at RIKEN and Deputy Center Director of the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science; and Professor Vijaykrishnan Narayanan, Jae S. Lim Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
The 2026 AYSF Annual Conference welcomed approximately 150 young scientists, researchers and members of the public from various regions. Photo source: the Future Science Awards Foundation
The Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference aims to encourage and support promising and outstanding young researchers in Asia, promoting creative and transformative research and fostering cross-disciplinary innovation and international exchange. Each of the 12 awardees will receive USD$100,000 in funding over a two-year period.
The 2026 Future Science Prize Week events are being live-streamed and can be watched on the official website of the 2026 Future Science Prize Week (https://www.futureprize-hk.org) and on the social media platforms of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.
Highlights of the 2026 Future Science Prize (Hong Kong)
6 November (Fri) 9:30 a.m. to 5:10 p.m., Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Science Museum
Science Symposium I
6 November (Fri) 2:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Tsang Shiu Tim Art Hall, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Science and Technology Forum: Human-Machine Symbiosis Era - Boundaries of AI and Human Choices
7 November (Sat) 9:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m., Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Science Museum
Science Symposium II
8 November (Sun) 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Science Museum
2026 Future Science Prize Laureates' Dialogue with the Youth
8 November (Sun) 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., The Hall, East Kowloon Cultural Centre
2026 Future Science Prize Awards Ceremony and Concert
9 November (Mon) 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Loke Yew Hall, The University of Hong Kong
2026 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference
