The 2026 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference ("the Conference"), serving as the closing event of the 2026 Future Science Prize Week, was held on 9 November at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). This year, 12 outstanding young scientists from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India and Singapore were awarded the title of Asian Young Scientist Fellow. Around 150 young scientists, researchers and members of the public from various regions attended the Conference.
Opening remarks were delivered by Professor Anderson Shum, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) of The University of Hong Kong, President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences , and Professor Jong Hae KEUM, Chair of the 2026 AYSF Steering Committee and Professor at the School of Mathematics, Korea Institute for Advanced Study.
Professor Shum congratulated this year's awardees and praised their research for demonstrating the vitality and strength of young Asian scientists working at the forefront of interdisciplinary research. He noted that the 12 award-winning young scientists hail from seven regions around the world, underscoring Hong Kong's role as a scientific hub in Asia and the significance of the Asian Young Scientist Fellowship. This initiative brings together young scientists from various regions and disciplines, aiming to foster collaboration and facilitate original breakthroughs.
He added that concluding this year's Future Science Prize Week with this conference at The University of Hong Kong is especially meaningful. He expressed his hope that the Conference would promote exchange between academia and industry, nurture future research talent and advance global scientific development, and that the gathering of leading scientific minds would inspire the next generation and carry forward the spirit of scientific enquiry.
This year, 12 young Asian scientists were honoured for their outstanding research achievements in the fields of physical sciences, life sciences, and mathematics and computer science, with four awardees in each field. In the physical sciences category, one of the awardees is Professor Jijian XU, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong, who specialises in research into advanced battery materials and electrolytes for sustainable energy technologies. In the field of life sciences, Professor Jaekyung KIM, Assistant Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, was selected for his work in revealing how sleep supports motor learning and memory consolidation, and how neural circuit modulation promotes motor function recovery following a stroke. In the field of mathematics and computer science, Professor Hokuto KONNO, Associate Professor at The University of Tokyo, received the honour for his pioneering research in differential geometry and geometric topology, including variational gauge theory, smooth four-manifolds and diffeomorphism groups.
Several renowned scholars were invited to participate in the event and serve as award presenters, including Professor Xiaofan WANG, Professor at the School of Medicine, Duke University; Professor Zhaomin HOU, Chief Scientist at RIKEN and Deputy Center Director of the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science; and Professor Vijaykrishnan NARAYANAN, Jae S. Lim Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
The Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference aims to encourage and support promising and outstanding young researchers in Asia, promoting creative and transformative research and fostering cross-disciplinary innovation and international exchange. Each of the 12 awardees will receive USD$100,000 in funding over a two-year period.
Recordings of the 2026 Future Science Prize Week events can be replayed on the official website of the 2026 Future Science Prize Week (https://www.futureprize-hk.org) and on the social media platforms of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.
About The Future Science Prize
The Future Science Prize is a privately funded science prize jointly established by scientists and entrepreneurs. It is established by the Future Science Awards Foundation Limited, which was incorporated in Hong Kong in 2016. Each prize carries a monetary award of one million US dollars, with three award categories: life science, physical science, and mathematics/computer science. The Prize aims to recognize scientific breakthroughs that are original, innovative, and have long-term significance. Regardless of the researcher's nationality, the nominated work should be completed mainly in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.
Through awarding those who have made great contributions to society, the Future Science Prize expects to enlighten the spirit of science, to arouse enthusiasm for science, to influence social trends, and to attract more young people to pursue science as their own career.
Future Science Prize website: https://www.futureprize.org/
2025 Future Science Prize Week website: https://www.futureprize-hk.org
About The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences (ASHK)
The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences (ASHK) was established by a group of most distinguished scientists in Hong Kong in 2015 to promote the development and advancement of science and technology in Hong Kong, and to raise Hong Kong's profile as a centre of scientific excellence. The Academy brings together leading scientists in Hong Kong as well as from overseas who have contributed significantly to promoting science and technology in Hong Kong. With the vision that "The Academy thrives to provide leadership in developing Hong Kong as a centre of scientific and technology excellence", the Academy and all its Members have worked unceasingly for the mission that "The Academy promotes the development and advancement of science and technology in Hong Kong and informs the public on relevant issues.
To recognise the indispensable contribution of young scientists in Hong Kong and to leverage their enthusiasm for promoting science and technology, the Academy set up the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences (YASHK) as an autonomous chapter in 2018.
Members of ASHK and YASHK are now working together complementarily in science popularisation, deepening cooperation between scientists and industrialists, nurturing talents, advising the public and the authority on matters relating to science and technology, recognition of outstanding scientists and other aspects promoting and advancing science and technology.
The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences official website: http://www.ashk.org.hk/
