PolyU and HKUST Inaugurate State Key Laboratory of Climate Resilience for Coastal Cities and Gather Global Experts for Symposium to Tackle Challenges of Climate Change
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Approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the People’s Republic of China, the State Key Laboratory of Climate Resilience for Coastal Cities (SKL-CRCC)—jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)— was officially inaugurated on 4 December 2025. Dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by climate change, the Laboratory aims to enhance infrastructure resilience in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and coastal cities worldwide. Its core missions include strengthening climate-risk early-warning systems and emergency response capabilities, and promoting sustainable development to address the challenges posed by climate change.
The inauguration was held at PolyU’s Hotel ICON and officiated by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; Prof. Nancy IP, HKUST President; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, PolyU Deputy President and Provost; Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment, Director of SKL-CRCC and Director of Otto Poon Research Institute for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure (RICRI) of PolyU; Prof. Charles NG Wang-Wai, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement of HKUST, Director of SKL-CRCC, and CLP Holdings Professor of Sustainability; and Prof. Qingrui YUE, Chairman of the Academic Committee of SKL-CRCC.
Concurrently, a two-day international symposium was held, bringing together world-leading experts and scholars to discuss how climate resilience in coastal cities can be strengthened globally. The symposium featured approximately 30 keynotes by experts from renowned universities in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland, other parts of Asia, Europe, the Americas and Australia. Topics included marine heatwaves, earthquakes, urban water management and artificial intelligence applications. Through academic exchange and in-depth discussion, the Symposium aimed to advance world-class knowledge to strengthen climate resilience in coastal cities globally.
SKL-CRCC was officially accredited with the status of a State Key Laboratory by MOST in August 2025. To address climate change and disaster risks, it aims to deeply integrate its work into the national strategic frameworks and global development initiatives, focusing on resilience construction and disaster mitigation. It is committed to enhancing the resilience of coastal urban infrastructure to address the compound challenges posed by climate change.
