To mark The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)’s 35th anniversary and celebrate our decade-long collaboration with Times Higher Education (THE), the University co-hosted the landmark Asia Universities Summit (AUS) 2026 from 22 to 24 April 2026 at the Shaw Auditorium, HKUST. Centered on the theme Igniting Global Transformation: Asia's Leadership, the three-day summit gathered more than 600 leading academics, government policymakers and industry trailblazers spanning 40 countries and regions worldwide — the widest geographic representation of participants across all AUS editions to date, alongside a record-setting lineup of 112 distinguished speakers, the largest speaker lineup in the summit’s history.
The summit opened with an official ceremony graced by Dr. SZE Chun-Fai Jeff, Acting Secretary for Education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government; HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP; THE Chief Global Affairs Officer Phil BATY; and THE Asia Pacific President Mei Mei LIM. Their opening remarks outlined Hong Kong’s unique strengths as an international education hub, Asia’s growing influence in global academia, and the vital role of cross-university collaboration amid rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and climate action.
A rich array of high-level plenary and breakout sessions followed the opening, covering transformative research and industry priorities. Highlights included a fireside chat on longevity science between President Ip and Karolinska Institutet Vice-President Prof. Martin O. BERGÖ, alongside an AI dialogue featuring HKUST Council Chairman Prof. Harry SHUM and Microsoft Commercial Business CEO Judson ALTHOFF. Additional themed panels explored trusted AI governance, climate-resilient urban development, university startup ecosystems, women’s academic leadership, and cross-border joint research frameworks. Across the summit’s nearly 40 sessions in total, HKUST is strongly represented by 18 senior management members and faculty, who act as speakers and moderators during the sessions,, including Provost Prof. GUO Yike, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof. Charles NG, Vice-President for Research and Development Prof. Tim CHENG, and Vice-President for Administration and Business Prof. TAM Kar-Yan, who shared the University’s track record in interdisciplinary research and cross-sector partnerships.
A brand-new highlight introduced this year was exclusive private leadership roundtables for university presidents and vice-presidents — a format that received overwhelmingly positive feedback from senior institutional delegates. These closed-door sessions brought together over 15 university heads and senior Asian leaders for candid strategic exchanges on Greater Bay Area innovation corridors, pan-Asia tech collaboration, and joint frameworks to nurture talent and advance sustainable urban research.
Beyond the core 3-track summit agenda, two exclusive auxiliary events complemented the three-day programme. The THE Awards Asia 2026 Gala Dinner was held at Cloud 39, The Henderson, with Mr Tim LUI, Chairman of the University Grants Committee (UGC), as the Guest of Honour. Separately, a drinks reception hosted at HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Building served as the exclusive venue for the global reveal of the THE Asia University Rankings 2026.
The three-day summit concluded with a closing ceremony, cementing new strategic partnerships and aligning all participants around a shared vision for the future of higher education across the region.
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