Studying the characteristics of materials has captured the attention of many scientists, especially physicists. The knowledge that researchers gain from dissecting the properties of materials impacts the lives of people around the world. In three virtual physics presentations organized in April and May 2021 by the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), expert scientists discussed the history and latest advances in understanding atomic-level interactions in glass, tuning quantum states, and raising the temperature of superconductivity, all part of the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Physics. This series is supported in part by the Kwang Hua Educational Foundation.

Working at the frontiers of understanding and perception, three professors at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) are set to transform understanding of quotidian devices, such as LEDs or solar panels. As part of the continuing Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) Distinguished Lecture Series, the three-part section on physics in April and May 2021 introduced some of the most innovative ideas to tackle real-world problems.

The interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience continues to invite new perspectives on the brain. Yet, there are still many unknowns about the organ responsible for the biological success of the human species. Organized by the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), and as part of the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences, two talks explored the human brain’s mysteries.

The doors of the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) were reopened in May for the launch of the institute’s first series of lectures since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Made possible by a generous grant from the Kwang Hua Education Foundation, the HKIAS Distinguished Lecture Series on Life Sciences aims to identify and showcase the work of life scientists and neuroscientists at CityU whose research cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Hong Kong registered a record-breaking of Covid-19 cases in July, pushing its total infections over 3,000 since its first coronavirus outbreak in late January. The Infectious Disease Modelling Group at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently has developed a comprehensive computer model that can tell the pattern of disease transmission and helps to predict effective measures against a Fourth Wave in Hong Kong.

Electronics and photonics underpin countless aspects of life. In Hong Kong the electronics industry accounted for more than 70% of exports in 2020. And with the emergence of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area as an innovation and technology hub, R&D in electronics and photonics here is a driving force. To explore challenges and opportunities for these technologies, researchers from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) presented a series of webcasts at the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) in March and April. They discussed advances in nanotechnology, wireless communication, photonics, electrical power grids and terahertz technology — and in doing so, connected a diverse group of interdisciplinary scientists and industry professionals.

Hong Kong should turn itself into a smart city by developing advanced, clean and stylish energy, suggested Professor Joseph Y. Hui at a distinguished lecture for the Institute for Advanced Study at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 6 July.