
HKBU and BNBU debut premier cohort of 15 cross-border projects under Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities "1+1+1" Joint Funding Programme
In a historic stride for academic collaboration, the Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities "1+1+1" Joint Funding Programme celebrated the official commencement of its inaugural cohort of 15 cross-institutional projects on April 8, 2025. The ceremony, held at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (BNBU), marked a pivotal moment in fostering innovation-driven partnerships between Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and BNBU, with co-principal investigators from both institutions leading each funded initiative.
Leaders in Politics and Academia Converge
Presided over by Professor Lyu Aiping, HKBU Vice-President (Research and Development) and Professor Pan Jianxin, BNBU Vice-President (Research and Development), the event drew distinguished attendees including Professor Alexander Wai (HKBU President and Vice-Chancellor), Professor Chen Zhi (BNBU President), Ms Yang Huifang (GDSTC Communication and Cooperation Division Director) and Mr Dai Ge (Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology Innovation Deputy Director), alongside senior representatives from Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (GDSTC), Zhuhai Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology Innovation, HKBU and BNBU.
A Tripartite Vision for Innovation
The programme, underpinned by a seed fund pool from 2024 to 2026 of approximately RMB 90 million, unites the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (GDSTC), HKBU, and BNBU in advancing cutting-edge research across strategic fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary applications. Each project will be jointly led by researchers from HKBU and BNBU, with teams collaborating on scientific and technological breakthroughs.
Professor Alexander Wai heralded the initiative as a transformative platform for advancing research excellence between HKBU and BNBU, emphasising its role in bridging institutional resources to accelerate technological breakthroughs with societal impact. He highlighted the programme’s potential to cultivate a synergistic effect within the Greater Bay Area, uniting Guangdong and Hong Kong’s research capabilities and academic networks to drive innovation in science and education development.
Professor Chen Zhi underscored the programme’s strategic focus on data science, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary innovation, noting its 15 flagship projects exemplify the programme’s alignment with national strategic imperatives and pressing technological priorities. He emphasised the initiative’s catalytic role in fortifying BNBU-HKBU’s synergistic academic partnership and propelling Guangdong-Hong Kong innovation leadership within the Greater Bay Area.
Certification and Collaboration
During the ceremony, leaders conferred certificates to the project leads, symbolising the formal launch of this ambitious partnership. Representatives from both universities underscored the programme’s role in catalysing high-impact outcomes. A networking session followed, enabling researchers to forge connections ahead of collaborative work commencing in 2025.
Full List of Funded Projects:
| HKBU PI | BNBU PI | Project Title (Chinese only) |
1 | Dr CHEN Donglong | 實時安全的手語識別與生成關鍵技術與示範應用 | |
2 | Professor WANG Qingguo | 大規模文本屬性圖的異常檢測研究與應用 | |
3 | Professor ZHANG Hui | 高精度三維數字資產採集系統、與重建生成算法研發以及在新聞與藝術科技場景的應用 | |
4 | Professor SU Weifeng | 基於視覺的無標記舉重專項技術動作追蹤及受力分析研究 | |
5 | Professor NG Adolf K.Y. | 制度變遷與港口系統發展的路徑依賴:基於數據科學的大灣區時空動態分析 | |
6 | Dr MENG Rui | 整合人工智能與功能代謝組學策略構建肝臟系統疾病演化發展的診斷分子圖譜 | |
7 | Professor WANG Yuliang | 反散射問題的深度學習方法研究 | |
8 | Professor Eugene Ch’ng | 先秦時代青銅鐘的數字研究: 音﹑形﹑創 | |
9 |
| Dr WANG Xi | 人工智能輔助檔案(AMA)--交互式敘事生成的革命性方法 |
10 | Professor PAN Jianxin | 腦成像數據的深度統計學習理論與方法研究 | |
11 | Professor WU Jianglun | 結合影像技術與時空複雜性分析用於阿爾茨海默症早期篩查與神經調控 | |
12 | Dr ZHUO Weipeng | 面向大規模無規則IoT傳感器數據的圖神經網絡的優化與加速及其在國產NPU上的適配 | |
13 | Professor XU Baojun | 基於近紅外有機探測器與人工智能算法的中藥材真偽與優劣快速檢測 | |
14 | Professor DI Yana | 數據驅動的科學與工程計算算法與軟件 | |
15 | Professor SHI Lei | 奧運參賽運動員健康保障和運動表現AI系統的研發 |