The Sophie and Sean Foundation (“the Foundation”), established by Ms Yang Qiumei, Sophie, held its inauguration ceremony on 10 December 2025. In response to the country’s call to build a nation that leads in education, science and technology, and talent cultivation, the Foundation has made an initial donation of HK$20 million to establish an endowed professorship and scholarships at four universities including The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), focusing on supporting research breakthroughs and nurturing innovation and technology talent in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). This initiative also aligns with the strategic direction of "supporting Hong Kong and Macao in developing into an international hub for high-calibre talents" as outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan.

The inauguration ceremony brought together distinguished guests from the political, academic, and business circles to witness the Foundation's launch. Officiating guests included: Dr Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education, HKSAR Government; Mr Liu Maozhou, The First-level Inspector of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR; The Hon. Duncan Chiu, Legislative Council Member (Technology and Innovation Constituency), HKSAR; Prof Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; Ms Yan Mei Mei, Salina, Permanent Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury (Financial Services), HKSAR Government; Ms Bonnie Y Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; and Dr Xu Li, Chairman of the Board and CEO of SenseTime, and Council Member of the Sophie and Sean Foundation. Prof Eric Grimson, Chancellor for Academic Advancement, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), also delivered congratulatory remarks online.

Initial Donation Focuses on AI, Establishing an Endowed Professorship and Scholarships

The use of the initial donation has been specified: HK$10 million is donated to CUHK to establish the "Xiaoou Tang Professorship in Engineering", aiming to recruit outstanding international scholars, advance cutting-edge research in engineering, and continue Prof Tang's philosophy of nurturing talent. Another HK$10 million is allocated to establish the "Xiaoou Tang Scholarship", planned to be awarded to outstanding PhD students engaged in AI research at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), CUHK, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore (under discussion). It is expected to benefit over 30 students to foster industry-academia collaboration and youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

The inauguration ceremony also featured a panel discussion, titled "Inheriting Legacy, Inspiring Innovation: Fostering the AI and Talent Ecosystem", where distinguished experts and scholars discussed how to promote the talent profile, the transformation of university education, and pathways to successful industry-academia-research collaboration in the AI era. The panel discussion was moderated by Prof Wang Xiaogang from CUHK, who serves as a Council Member of Sophie and Sean Foundation. Prof Yike Guo, Provost, HKUST; Prof Irwin King Kuo-chin, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), CUHK; Prof Wen Yonggang, Associate Provost (Graduate Education) and Dean, Graduate College, NTU; and Prof Ma Yi, Chair Professor in Artificial Intelligence, Director of the School of Computing and Data Science, and Director of the Institute of Data Science, HKU, served as panellists and shared their insightful views. Over 30 students from the aforementioned universities participated in the discussion, gaining insights into cutting-edge developments and future directions.

About the Foundation

The Foundation’s Chinese name “銘新” symbolises the vision of “Plum Codes, an Eternal Lore; Gull's Flight, New Logics Soar,” and the mission to create “A Legacy, Kindling Hope; A Future, Nurturing Scope.” Its English name, Sophie and Sean, is derived from the English names of Ms Yang and her husband, Prof Xiaoou Tang, a pioneer in AI. It reflects Ms Yang's dedication to supporting technology education and Prof Tang's aspiration to serve the country through technology.

Ms Yang is an expert in economics with extensive experience across academia, regulatory bodies and the international financial sector. She has long been actively engaged in philanthropy and advocates a cycle of goodwill. Prof Tang, formerly served as a Professor in the Department of Information Engineering at CUHK and founded the Multimedia Lab (MMLab) and SenseTime, mentoring more than 130 PhD students, making outstanding contributions to AI research and public welfare.

Source: The Sophie and Sean Foundation 

More details: https://www.sophieandsean.org/en/activity/64.html

A research team led by Professor Lu Yi-chun, Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has successfully developed a new high-energy-density nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery using an innovative electrolyte. Even under severe mechanical abuse from a nail penetration test, the battery maintains its safety and can achieve up to about 1,000 charge cycles. This breakthrough combines performance and safety, offering a solution for energy storage and electric mobility. The research findings have been published in the leading journal Nature Energy.

The safety risks of high-energy-density batteries limit their practical applications

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in electric vehicles (EV), grid-scale energy storage and consumer electronics. However, their high energy density also poses potential risks, such as thermal runaway, which can lead to explosions. Other options present trade-offs: lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries offer excellent safety but lower energy density, limiting driving range and compactness. Conversely, NMC lithium-ion batteries deliver the high energy density needed for long-range EVs and advanced storage but their safety vulnerabilities remain a major concern. Therefore, developing intrinsically safe lithium-ion batteries has become an urgent priority.

Solvent-relay electrolyte enables both safety and long cycle life

The research team has developed a solvent-relay strategy that automatically suppresses harmful reactions as the battery temperature rises, effectively interrupting the cascade that leads to thermal runaway. In nail penetration tests, the new NMC battery remained stable, while conventional designs ignited within four seconds. This safety innovation does not compromise performance, with the battery achieving about 1,000 stable cycles, a rare combination of high energy density and outstanding safety.

Professor Lu said: “This research opens the door to the reliable deployment of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, giving users confidence. We aim to validate our strategy in larger-format cells, laying the foundation for the commercialisation of intrinsically safe high-energy batteries. This breakthrough not only has a profound impact on the electric vehicle industry but also drives safety upgrades for large-scale energy storage systems, reducing public safety risks caused by battery failures. As the world accelerates its energy transition, safe and efficient battery technologies will be key to achieving carbon neutrality. We hope this research will provide the industry with a viable technological pathway and lead the development of next-generation lithium-ion batteries.”

Professor Chen Lian Kuan, Professor of the Department of Information Engineering of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and Professor Xu Jianbin, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Electronic Engineering of the Department of Electronic Engineering and Associate Dean (Mainland Affairs) of the Faculty of Engineering at CUHK, have been elected as 2026 Fellows of Optica.  

Professor Chen is elected for outstanding advances to the research of optical wireless communications for indoor, underwater, and water-air channels; while Professor Xu is honored for his outstanding and sustained contributions to two-dimensional materials in optoelectronics, photonics, plasmonics, and near-field radiative heat transfer.

The Board of Directors of Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, recently elected 121 members from 23 countries to the Society’s 2026 Fellow Class. Optica Fellows are selected based on several factors, including outstanding contributions to research, business, education, engineering, and service to Optica and the community.

Professor Chen has been with CUHK since 1992. He was the Department Chairman from 2004 to 2006. His research includes visible-light communication, optical wireless communication, next-generation local access networks, transmission systems, optical/electronic signal processing, performance monitoring, and biophotonics. Professor Chen has published more than 300 papers in refereed international conferences and journals. He has served as an associate editor of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters (2005-2011) and Optica/IEEE Journal of Optical Communications and Networking (2012-2015). 

Professor Xu is currently Choh-Ming Li Chair Professor of Electronic Engineering, FIEEE, FHKIE, FEURASC, Associate Dean of Engineering (Mainland Affairs), and Director of Materials Science and Technology Research Center. He has played a pivotal role in nanotechnology and electronics. His research interests include nanoscience and nanotechnology for electron devices and micro/nanoelectronics, namely 2D materials and devices; scanning probe techniques for electronics; advanced energy science and technology; interface engineering for materials and devices; physics and technology of organic semiconductors; functional and electronic oxides, etc. 

Optica (formerly OSA), Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica’s renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement.

List of 2026 Fellows of Optica