As we prepare to welcome our students back for a new academic year, I would like to share with you some encouraging developments across the Faculty. A great deal is happening, from strong admissions results to a new scheme promoting interdisciplinary research collaborations, and I am grateful to colleagues who have contributed to these achievements.
I am very pleased to report the strong results of our 2026 JUPAS Main Round admissions. This year’s outcomes further demonstrate the continued appeal and competitiveness of HKU Science. Our 6688 Science Master Class has recorded the highest ever average Best 5 score, placing it near the top of all HKU programmes. It also continues to stand out as a top choice for science-inclined students among STEM programmes across Hong Kong. Notably, a high percentage of admitted students attained at least one Level 5**, and the same proportion ranked the programme as their first choice.
Our other undergraduate programmes also performed very well. The interdisciplinary 6858 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws programme attracted a strong cohort with a highly competitive average Best 5 score. Our mainstream 6901 Bachelor of Science programme, which admitted a sizeable cohort, achieved an excellent average Best 5 score as well, placing it first among comparable broad-based science programmes in all major local universities. Importantly, the average Best 5 scores of all the above-mentioned programmes increased by around two points over the last year.
As part of our efforts to support a smooth transition into university life, the Faculty held an induction talk on August 13 for incoming Science students. We were pleased to meet many of our new cohort in person and look forward to welcoming our new students on campus as the semester begins.
Our postgraduate admissions continue to show healthy demand. For both our taught postgraduate programmes and research postgraduate programmes, we have received more applications than last year. I am particularly pleased that 23 Science candidates were selected for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme this year, the highest number among all HKU Faculties. This is a very encouraging outcome in our ongoing efforts to attract outstanding research talent.
Taken together, these results show that the Faculty continues to attract high-achieving and highly committed students across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, while maintaining quality, scale, and strong demand across our programmes. They also reaffirm the value of offering different pathways through which talented students can pursue science in line with their interests and goals. For this, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved.
On the research front, I am delighted by the response to our inaugural Faculty Seed Fund for Collaborative Research. We received 15 proposals involving colleagues from across our Departments and School, reflecting strong interest in new cross-disciplinary collaborations. After careful review, we have selected five projects for support, bringing together expertise in bioinformatics, AI, molecular biology and RNA research, advanced materials, and precision oncology. I hope the Fund will provide colleagues with valuable opportunities to explore new ideas, generate early results, and lay the groundwork for larger collaborative initiatives and external funding.
As we begin another academic year, these developments give us a strong foundation to build on. Thank you once again for your dedication and contributions to the Faculty. I wish you all a smooth and successful start to the new semester, and I look forward to working with you in the year ahead.
I am very pleased to report the strong results of our 2026 JUPAS Main Round admissions. This year’s outcomes further demonstrate the continued appeal and competitiveness of HKU Science. Our 6688 Science Master Class has recorded the highest ever average Best 5 score, placing it near the top of all HKU programmes. It also continues to stand out as a top choice for science-inclined students among STEM programmes across Hong Kong. Notably, a high percentage of admitted students attained at least one Level 5**, and the same proportion ranked the programme as their first choice.
Our other undergraduate programmes also performed very well. The interdisciplinary 6858 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws programme attracted a strong cohort with a highly competitive average Best 5 score. Our mainstream 6901 Bachelor of Science programme, which admitted a sizeable cohort, achieved an excellent average Best 5 score as well, placing it first among comparable broad-based science programmes in all major local universities. Importantly, the average Best 5 scores of all the above-mentioned programmes increased by around two points over the last year.
As part of our efforts to support a smooth transition into university life, the Faculty held an induction talk on August 13 for incoming Science students. We were pleased to meet many of our new cohort in person and look forward to welcoming our new students on campus as the semester begins.
Our postgraduate admissions continue to show healthy demand. For both our taught postgraduate programmes and research postgraduate programmes, we have received more applications than last year. I am particularly pleased that 23 Science candidates were selected for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme this year, the highest number among all HKU Faculties. This is a very encouraging outcome in our ongoing efforts to attract outstanding research talent.
Taken together, these results show that the Faculty continues to attract high-achieving and highly committed students across both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, while maintaining quality, scale, and strong demand across our programmes. They also reaffirm the value of offering different pathways through which talented students can pursue science in line with their interests and goals. For this, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved.
On the research front, I am delighted by the response to our inaugural Faculty Seed Fund for Collaborative Research. We received 15 proposals involving colleagues from across our Departments and School, reflecting strong interest in new cross-disciplinary collaborations. After careful review, we have selected five projects for support, bringing together expertise in bioinformatics, AI, molecular biology and RNA research, advanced materials, and precision oncology. I hope the Fund will provide colleagues with valuable opportunities to explore new ideas, generate early results, and lay the groundwork for larger collaborative initiatives and external funding.
As we begin another academic year, these developments give us a strong foundation to build on. Thank you once again for your dedication and contributions to the Faculty. I wish you all a smooth and successful start to the new semester, and I look forward to working with you in the year ahead.
Warm regards,
Professor Qiang Zhou
Dean of Science
I am delighted to share the excellent results of the Faculty of Science in the RGC GRF and ECS 2026/27 Exercise.
This year, the Faculty secured 63 funded GRF/ECS projects, achieving a success rate of 51.2% and total funding of about HK$62.5 million. This is a 4.0% increase in project count and 34.3% increase in funding over last year’s 47 projects and HK$46.51 million. On a professoriate-staff basis, Science also achieved the strongest performance among the STEM Faculties in this exercise.
This achievement reflects not only the quality of the submitted proposals, but also stronger engagement across Departments in the preparation process. I am grateful to Professor Xuechen Li, Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) for his leadership, to all Heads for actively encouraging and supporting colleagues to apply, and to all applicants for their hard work and commitment. I also thank colleagues who contributed to the grant-writing workshop and sharing sessions, and the Faculty Office team for their coordination and administrative support.
The experience this year shows that early planning, active encouragement and timely support can make a real difference. To build on this momentum, the Faculty will continue to work with Departments to encourage broader participation, and provide targeted support for the next GRF/ECS exercise. Heads are also encouraged to nominate colleagues who may be willing to serve as speakers or share their experience in the coming round.
Congratulations again to all awardees, and thank you to everyone who contributed to this encouraging outcome.
Professor Qiang Zhou
Dean of Science
Dean of Science