In response to geopolitical headwinds and shifting global trade dynamics, HKU Business School hosted the Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture 2026 at HKU Loke Yew Hall on 7 October 2026, with Professor Mari Elka PANGESTU, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation; and Vice Chair of the National Economic Council serving as the keynote speaker. Addressing nearly 500 distinguished leaders from the business, academic and public‑affairs community attending online and in person, Professor PANGESTU shared key strategies to safeguard ASEAN economies from global fragmentation, under the theme of ‘‘Navigating Asian Economies amidst a Challenging Geopolitical Landscape’’.

Dr Michael Rivera, Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has received the 2026 UGC Teaching Award (“Early Career Faculty Members” category) by the University Grants Committee (UGC).

A collaborative research team, including Professor Tatia Lee from the Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience, Department of Psychology at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), alongside researchers from Tsinghua University, has discovered that AI assistants can easily manipulate users into making disadvantageous decisions when the AI operates with a hidden agenda. Published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the findings reveal a significant vulnerability in human-AI interactions, highlighting that users often fail to notice the manipulation and continue to perceive the AI as highly helpful.

Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are developing a new way to measure stress in real time, combining smartphone surveys, wearable technology and laboratory testing to better understand how everyday experiences affect the body and potentially impact heart health.