The Hidden Shipping Carbon Cost of Extreme Weather: Quantifying the Hydrodynamic Penalty of Hurricane Evasion     Mr LUO Qinrui         ( Supervisor: Prof Bo Huang ) Abstract: Global maritime transport is the backbone of international trade but faces intensifying threats from climate change, particularly the increasing frequency and severity of tropical cyclones. While existing literature focuses heavily on weather routing optimization algorithms, there remains a critical

Assessing Sustainable Yield Potential of China’s Staple Grain Systems     Ms LU Ziqiong        ( Supervisor: Prof Peng Zhu ) Abstract: Ensuring national food security while advancing agricultural sustainability is a critical challenge for China. Addressing this challenge requires spatially explicit quantification of crop yield, soil organic carbon (SOC), and their interactions at field-relevant scales. However, most existing studies assess crop yield and soil properties se

Governance through Urbanisation and Resettlement: Poverty-Alleviation Resettlement and the State Project of Urban Civilisation in Lhasa, Tibet    Mr LIU Langjie       ( Supervisor: Prof Junxi Qian ) Abstract: As a key component of the “poverty alleviation” strategy within the Tibet Autonomous Region’s 13th Five-Year Plan, between 2016 and 2020, 28,900 Tibetan farmers and herders identified as “impoverished households” were relocated to Lhasa. To facilitate the integration

Three Dimensional Building Modeling with LiDAR Point Clouds using Deep Learning  Miss SUI Jialu      ( Supervisor: Prof Hongsheng Zhang ) Abstract: Urban-scale three-dimensional building modeling constitutes a critical technical underpinning for optimizing urban energy allocation, boosting socioeconomic benefits, refining urban planning and governance systems, and advancing smart city development. As a core pillar of smart city construction, Building Information Modeling (

Decoupling Urban Warming from Economic Growth through Land‑Use and Land‑Cover Dynamics: A Multi‑Scale Perspective Mr Li Yiyan     ( Supervisor: Prof Hongsheng Zhang ) Abstract: In the urbanization process of the 21st century, balancing economic growth and environmental issue has become a central challenge for urban construction. Economic growth brings a range of benefits, including increased income, improved social welfare, and enhanced infrastructure. However, it also res

Transportation Equity in Dense Cities: Environmental Burdens and Mobility Benefits  Mr NIU Chenming  ( Supervisor: Prof Junshi Xu ) Abstract: Transportation equity in dense cities is shaped by both environmental burdens and mobility benefits, yet conventional evaluations often obscure how these impacts vary across space, time, and travel modes. This research advances two connected, equity-focused studies that examine how traffic-related emissions and emerging mobility tech

Refining Regional Carbon Emissions Inversion by Integrating Urban-Climate Interactions  Miss ZHOU Wan  ( Supervisor: Prof Yuyu Zhou ) Abstract: High-resolution and timely monitoring of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is pivotal for effective climate mitigation, as cities constitute the dominant source of global anthropogenic carbon. However, traditional "bottom-up" inventories suffer from intrinsic limitations, including multi-year latency, insufficient spatiotemporal

Comprehensive climate mitigation pathways under urbanization  Mr LI Shijie  ( Supervisor: Prof Yuyu Zhou ) Abstract: Climate change, driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, is posing a threat to both the natural environment and human society. To mitigate climate change, an increasing number of countries have embarked on climate mitigation actions, making commitments such as energy transformation and net-zero emissions. As an active participant in these efforts, C

Investigating Variation in Space Industry Activities, 2000-2025 Mr BONSOR David James Sam ( Supervisor: Prof Patrick Adler ) Abstract: Space activities are commonly understood to have been dominated by state-led programmes in United States and the Soviet Union during the pioneering stage of the industry beginning in 1950s. Since the early 2000s, as rocket and satellite technologies have become more accessible, economics more affordable, and regulation more amenable, the in

Towards Seamless High Resolution Global Land Surface Parameter Products Generation Mr GUAN Shikang     ( Supervisor: Prof Shunlin Liang ) Abstract: Land surface parameters derived from satellite observations have found broad applications in diverse sectors, including meteorology, agriculture, forestry, and transportation, where they play a critical role in informing development policies. Driven by advances in high-performance computing and the rapid evolution of artificial

HKU GEOGRAPHY: Monthly Research Talks The value of negativity for tourism resilience: A second-wave positive psychology approach Date: 23 JAN 2026 (Friday) Time: 15:00-15:15 (HKT) Via Zoom: https://hku.zoom.us/j/98300713382?pwd=dGdqelhpWUwyOENmTUJyalVKemtHQT09 (No registration required) Abstract : This talk explains how negative emotions enable tourism resilience as readily as positive ones, and it advances tourism resilience theory using second-wave positive psychology (SWP

Recently, Professor Kuishuang Feng from the Department of Geography at The University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with multiple domestic and international research teams, has made significant progress in the field of sustainable consumption research. The related findings have been published online in  Nature Sustainability  under the title "Consumption inequalities in material use undermining resources sustainability." Furthermore,  Nature Sustainability  has specially inv

19 JAN 2026 On 19 January, the Faculty of Social Sciences welcomed 20 students from Carmel Secondary School for an engaging departmental lab visit. Coordinated by the Admissions Outreach Team, the group explored the C.P. Lo Lab of GIS and the Soil and Biogeography Lab on 10/F. Professors Yanjia Cao, Professors Nicky Lam, and Professors Lishan Ran introduced the latest research in geographic information systems, soil science, and biogeography, and shared insights into studying

HKU Tourism Seminar Series Soundscape and wellbeing in rural tourism villages Date: 16 JAN 2026 (Friday) Time: 16:00-18:00 (HKT) Venue:   Chamber, Faculty of Social Sciences, 11/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=10473 Prof. Honggang Xu Dean of Tourism Management , Sun Yat-Sen University Honggang Xu: Prof. PhD, dean of School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University. Her research

Geography Distinguished Seminars Series SatGPT: Next-generation spatial decision support system Date: 13 JAN 2026 (Tuesday) Time: 14:00-15:00 (HKT) Venue: Chamber, Faculty of Social Sciences, 11/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Mode:  Hybrid Via Zoom:   Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=104567 Abstract : SatGPT is an innovative solution that integrates Large

Geography Distinguished Seminars Series How to adapt farming systems to climate change Date: 13 JAN 2026 (Tuesday) Time: 15:00-16:00 (HKT) Venue: Chamber, Faculty of Social Sciences, 11/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Mode:  Hybrid Via Zoom:   Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=104699 Abstract : Climate change impacts agricultural production in a multitude of

Global urban vegetation exhibits divergent thermal effects: From cooling to warming as aridity increases Link to the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aea9165 Brief summary : A research team led by Professor Yuyu Zhou from the Department of Geography at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled a critical “warming paradox” in global urban greening strategies, challenging the universal assumption that vegetation always cools cities and providing a new road

The Third Remote Sensing Academic Forum, jointly organized by Yunnan Normal University and the University of Hong Kong with the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Remote Sensing,” was successfully held in Kunming, China, from January 10 to 11, 2026. The event brought together nearly 100 experts and scholars from more than 20 leading universities and research institutions, including the University of Hong Kong, Peking University, Wuhan University, Sun Yat‑sen University, Beiji

Geography Distinguished Seminars Series The Silicon Gaze: A typology of biases and inequality in LLMs through the lens of place Authors: Francisco W. Kerche, Matthew Zook, Mark Graham  Date: 16 DEC 2025 (Tuesday) Time: 14:00-17:00 (HKT) Venue: CLL, Department of Geography, 10/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Mode:  Hybrid Via Zoom:   Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest

Departmental Research Seminars Series Misaligned Carbon and Health Burdens Across China's Supply Chains: Source Attribution Informed Co-Mitigation Date: 12 DEC 2025 (Friday) Time: 15:00-16:00 (HKT) Venue: CLL, Department of Geography, 10/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=104276 Abstract : China faces the dual challenge of decarbonization and air quality improvement, yet effectively