HKUST Scholars Honored as RGC Senior Research Fellow and Research Fellows for Outstanding Research Achievements

Prof. Minhua SHAO, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, has been named RGC Senior Research Fellow for a project titled "Near-Stoichiometric Electrosynthesis of Oximes and Amino Acids".

He is one of three outstanding scientists from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) honored this year by the Research Grants Council (RGC). Together, these researchers have secured over HKD 19.72 million in funding. Their groundbreaking projects aim to turn complex laboratory discoveries into practical, everyday technologies—ranging from green manufacturing to next-generation computer memory and trustworthy artificial intelligence.

Prof. Tim CHENG, HKUST’s Vice-President for Research and Development, congratulated the team, noting that their work perfectly aligns with Hong Kong’s vision to become a global technology hub. By translating basic science into practical tools, these projects will help local businesses upgrade their tech and stay highly competitive in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Here is a closer look at the three award-winning projects and how they will shape our future:

Project title: Near-Stoichiometric Electrosynthesis of Oximes and Amino Acids

Awardee: Prof. Minhua SHAO (Senior Research Fellow)
The Goal: To reinvent how we manufacture essential chemical building blocks using green electricity.
The Challenge: Chemicals called oximes and amino acids are crucial for making medicines, antibacterial sprays, and antidotes. However, making them traditionally requires extreme heat, high pressure, and toxic materials, which harms the environment.
The Solution: Prof. Shao's team is designing a sustainable alternative. By using renewable electricity and advanced machine learning, they are building a specialized device (a "membrane-electrode-assembly electrolyzer") that can efficiently turn simple nitrogen compounds into these valuable chemicals at room temperature.
The Impact: This green method is expected to slash raw material costs by 70% and deliver highly efficient yields, paving the way for clean, eco-friendly industrial manufacturing.
 

Project title: Novel Properties of Quantum Matter Due to Crystal Symmetry

Awardee: Prof. Junwei LIU (Research Fellow)
The Project: Novel Properties of Quantum Matter Due to Crystal Symmetry
The Challenge: As our digital world grows, we need computer memory that is faster and can hold more data. Traditional magnetic storage devices are reaching their physical speed and size limits.
The Solution: Prof. Liu is exploring a newly discovered class of materials called "altermagnets" (a concept he pioneered in 2021). These materials naturally possess unique quantum properties that make them ideal for ultra-fast, high-density data storage.
The Impact: By searching for and testing these new quantum materials, this project will lay the groundwork for next-generation computer memory and quantum computing, making our future devices incredibly fast and energy-efficient.
 

Project title: Generative Search and AI-Mediated Markets: Ensuring Visibility, Credibility, and Fairness

Awardee: Prof. Jia LIU (Research Fellow)
The Project: Generative Search and AI-Mediated Markets: Ensuring Visibility, Credibility, and Fairness
The Challenge: Generative AI tools (like ChatGPT and AI-powered search engines) are changing how we find information. However, the internet is becoming flooded with fake or manipulative content designed to trick these AI systems, which can lead to biased search results and spread misinformation.
The Solution: Prof. Liu is creating a protective framework to ensure AI search engines remain fair and credible. The team is building tools to help businesses—especially local small and medium retail, finance, and professional services—track how visible they are on AI search platforms. Crucially, they are also developing methods to detect and filter out low-credibility or fabricated content.
The Impact: This research will provide businesses with practical dashboards to navigate AI-driven markets safely, while safeguarding everyday consumers from online misinformation.
 

About the Fellowships

The RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) and Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) provide local scholars with abundant funding (HKD 8.5 million for senior fellows and HKD 5.6 million for fellows) over a 5-year period. This financial support releases them from teaching and administrative duties, allowing them to focus 100% of their energy on solving some of the world's most pressing scientific and societal challenges.

(This news was originally published by the HKUST Global Engagement and Communications Office here.)