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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) hosted the China–America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium from 13 to 16 April 2026. Held in Hong Kong for the first time, the symposium was jointly organised by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the US National Academy of Engineering (NAE). It brought together about 60 outstanding young engineering experts from China and the US for in-depth exchanges across a range of cutting-edge fields, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, stimulating innovative thinking and addressing global challenges.

Professor Li Xiaohong, President of the CAE, Professor Liu Tsu-jae, President of the NAE, and Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, delivered keynote addresses at the opening ceremony. Professor Li remarked that, in the face of global challenges caused by climate change, public health issues, resources and energy concerns, and sustainable development, engineering and technology play a vital role in translating scientific discoveries into practical solutions.

President Liu noted that frontier innovation in engineering transcends national borders and that addressing global challenges through collaboration is a shared responsibility of the engineering communities of both nations. She highlighted the enduring value of the symposium as a mechanism for young scholars to deepen exchange and leverage interdisciplinary collaborative innovation, advancing engineering and technology for the benefit of the world.

Professor Lo commented that CUHK’s relationship with the CAE spans more than a decade and has fostered meaningful academic exchange and strengthened research capacity across engineering, science and medicine. It is therefore especially meaningful, he added, for CUHK to host this symposium in Hong Kong, which he characterised as an opportunity to continue this collaboration while providing a platform where new ideas can take root. He said that it also underscores the unique role of the University in bridging China and the world, and reinforces Hong Kong’s international standing as an educational hub and its vision of being an innovation hub.

The symposium focused on four cutting-edge areas: carbon capture, use and storage; the integration of engineering science and traditional medicine; the separation and purification of critical metals and materials; and the design of intelligent, interdisciplinary, integrated energy systems. Outstanding young experts in engineering and technology shared their latest research achievements, examined key technical bottlenecks and explored future development pathways through presentations, interactive Q&A sessions and poster presentations.

Since its inception in 2009, the China–America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium has evolved into a landmark platform for exchange among outstanding young talent in engineering and science from the two countries. This year’s symposium further strengthened the partnership between the two national academies of engineering, promoted exchanges among young researchers and injected fresh momentum into attempts to address global challenges and advance engineering and scientific progress worldwide.