Steven Ying PhD Research Award Presentation Ceremony 2025

Mr. Steven Ying (front row, center), Director of the Foundation for Amazing Potentials, Prof. Shao Minhua (front row, third right), Director of HKUST Energy Institute, and the inaugural recipients of the Steven Ying PhD Research Award Liu Guimei (front row, first right), PhD student of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Zhao Chen (front row, second right), PhD student of Ocean Science [Download Photo]

With a generous donation by Foundation for Amazing Potentials, HKUST Energy Institute launched the “Steven Ying PhD Research Award 應琦泓先生博士生傑出研究獎” (the “Award”) in 2025. The Award aims to recognize and reward PhD students who have demonstrated outstanding research performance and achievements in the areas of sustainability, environmental studies, energy technology, green technology or related disciplines. Each awardee will receive a one-off cash prize of HK$50,000. A total of two awardees were chosen from 23 applicants across the campus in this round by a selection committee.

The Award Presentation Ceremony was successfully held on June 6, 2025. Mr. Steven YING, Director of the Foundation for Amazing Potentials and Prof. SHAO Minhua, Director of HKUST Energy Institute, Cheong Ying Chan Professor of Energy Engineering and Environment, and Head and Chair Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, presented the cheques to acknowledge the two winners for their exceptional research performance:

LIU Guimei, Year 4 PhD student, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
ZHAO Chen, Year 3 PhD student, Department of Ocean Science

At the ceremony, on behalf of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Energy Institute (EI), Prof. Shao expressed deepest gratitude to Mr. Ying and Foundation for Amazing Potentials for a donation to establish the Steven Ying PhD Research Award. Prof. Shao said, “HKUST has committed to sustainability research and aims to become a net-zero campus. This Award not only recognizes students’ outstanding sustainability-related research, but also encourages students to participate more in international exchange activities, such as conference and research exchange program.”

Mr. Steven Ying shared with the audience by evoking the three key dimensions of observation and analysis in Chinese philosophy – 天時 (timing), 地利 location/place, and 人和 (talent/people). He pointed out that HKUST and EI are unity placed on top of a fast-changing world. AI is the main driver of transforming technologies nowadays. HKUST and EI should grasp the opportunities and own advantages to foster the green energy technology development. Mr. Ying further encouraged students to polish their talent and to exert themselves well to make the world change.

The awardees Liu Guimei and Zhao Chen demonstrated their research work and thanked Mr. Steven Ying, the Energy Institute and their supervisors Prof. Shao and Prof. HE Ding, Assistant Professor of Ocean Science, for supporting their research journey.

Donation