HKU Researchers Reveal Hidden Climate Threat: PM2.5 Pollution Undermines Plant Water-Use Efficiency and Carbon Uptake
HKU Press: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/29302.html Faculty of Social Science: https://web.socsc.hku.hk/school_news/hku-researchers-reveal-hidden-climate-threat-pm2-5-pollution-undermines-plant-water-use-efficiency-and-carbon-uptake/ Researchers of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have discovered that fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) significantly impairs the ability of plants to efficiently use water and absorb carbon dio
Aug 25
Congratulations to Prof. Shunlin Liang on Receiving the RGC Senior Research Fellowship Award
Prof. Shunlin Liang, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Geography, has been awarded the 2026/27 Senior Research Fellowship by the Research Grants Council (RGC). Under the fellowship, Prof. Liang will receive HK$8.5 million over a period of 60 months to support relief from teaching and administrative duties, as well as to provide funding for his research project. Prof. Liang’s funded project is titled “Advancing Multimodal AI for Socioeconomic Mapping Using Satellit
Jul 22
2026 HKU100 Scholars
16JUL2026 Professor Kuishuang Feng has been awarded the prestigious title of “HKU-100 Scholar” by the University. This highly competitive award is a testament to Professor Feng’s outstanding academic achievements and his significant contributions to the fields of climate change, environmental economics, and sustainable systems. As many of you know, Professor Feng’s innovative research—particularly his work on climate risk, urban transport resilience, and multi-regional input-
Jul 16
HKU Research Reveals Unintended Climate Trade-off: Clean Air Policies Intensify Urban Heat Island in Humid Cities
HKU Press: http://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_29204.html Faculty of Social Science: https://web.socsc.hku.hk/school_news/hku-research-reveals-unintended-climate-trade-off-clean-air-policies-intensify-urban-heat-island-in-humid-cities/ Researchers at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered a critical, underrecognized trade-off in global environmental policies: while essential for improving public health, large-scale air pollution reductions are unintentionally intens
Jun 26
2026 Mid-Career Award by the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR)
Professor Jimmy Li has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Mid-Career Award by the International Society for Aeolian Research (ISAR). Notably, he is the sole awardee globally selected for this honour for the 2025-2026 cycle. The ISAR Mid-Career Award is a prestigious recognition of significant contributions to the field of aeolian research. Professor Li will formally receive the award and deliver a seminar at the upcoming International Conference on Aeolian Research (I
Feb 6
Highly Cited Researchers 2025 by Clarivate Analytics
19NOV2025 We are delighted to share the wonderful news that four of our esteemed colleagues have been included in the 2025 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list. This distinguished honors, bestowed upon only the top 0.1% of researchers globally, underscores their exceptional scholarly achievements and far-reaching influence. They join totally 54 HKU researchers on the list and are the sole representatives from the Faculty of Social Sciences. [Cross-Field] Professor Kuishuan
Nov 19, 2025
World’s Top 2% of the Most-cited Scientists 2025 by Stanford University
06NOV2025 10 of our esteemed department faculty members, including Professor Wendy Chen, Professor Peng Gong, Professor Bo Huang, Professor Shunlin Liang, Professor George Lin, Professor Laibao Liu, Professor Becky Loo, Professor Junxi Qian, Professor Zhenci Xu and Professor Yuyu Zhou, are among the latest annual report of the top 2% most-cited scientists in the world published by Stanford University for 2025.
Nov 6, 2025
World's top 1% scholars by Clarivate Analytics for 2025
06NOV2025 9 of our esteemed department faculty members, including Professor Wendy Y CHEN, Professor Peng GONG, Professor Bo HUANG, Professor Nicky Y F LAM, Professor Shunlin LIANG, Professor George C S LIN, Professor Becky P Y LOO, Professor Zhenci XU and Professor Yuyu ZHOU, are among the world's top 1% scholars by Clarivate Analytics for 2025. The full list of HKU Scholars in the Top 1% can be viewed on HKU Scholars Hub.
Nov 6, 2025
HKU and KAIST Symposium Advances Climate Action and Resilience Solutions
20 AUG 2025 On August 20, 2025, the Department of Geography and the Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality (ICCN) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) hosted a transformative symposium titled "Integrative Solutions and Transformative Pathways" at the Social Sciences Chamber, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus. The event convened distinguished academics and experts to tackle urgent climate challenges through innovative research and collaborative dialogue. With two k
Sep 25, 2025
Comprehensive Remote Sensing, 2nd Edition Published Under the Leadership of Prof. Shunlin Liang
We are proud to announce the publication of the second edition of Comprehensive Remote Sensing (Elsevier), a nine-volume Major Reference Work now available on ScienceDirect (https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780443239496/comprehensive-remote-sensing). This landmark publication is led by Editor-in-Chief Professor Shunlin Liang, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Geography, who also served as the editor of Volume 5, “Remote Sensing of Earth’s Energy Budget
Sep 17, 2025
Social Sciences Outstanding Research Output Award 2024-25
We are pleased to announce that Professor Frank van der Wouden has been awarded the Social Sciences Outstanding Research Output Award 2024-25 in the category of Applied Research. This accolade is a testament to Professor van der Wouden’s dedication and excellence in advancing our understanding of collaborative learning. Professor van der Wouden’s paper, “The impact of geographical distance on learning through collaboration,” co-authored with H. Youn and published in Researc
Sep 10, 2025
