The College of Science (CSCI)’s Graduating Class of 2026 celebrated their Commencement ceremony at the brand-new Auditorium of CityUHK’s Jockey Club One Health Tower on 17 June 2026.

About 300 graduates from the Department of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics gathered at the Auditorium that morning to celebrate the completion of their university journey. CSCI proudly presented the second batch of graduates of our flagship programme, Global Research Enrichment and Technopreneurship (GREAT). Over 500 delighted guests filled up the hall and even the balcony, sharing their loved one’s joy, with the witness of faculty members on stage.

Presided by Professor Xin Wang, Dean of CSCI, the Commencement was warmly held on the morning of 17 June. The College has invited Mr. Chan Lung Wai, Tim, the awardee of the CSCI Distinguished Alumni Award 2025-26 and an alumnus of the Department of Mathematics, as the VIP Speaker. Tim shared that "the training I received here gave me something lasting: a strong foundation in analytical thinking, problem-solving, discipline, and the confidence to keep learning", and those skills have stayed with him throughout his career.

At the Commencement, Dean presented the CityUHK Teaching Excellence Award 2025-26 to Professor Maria Babak from the Department of Chemistry. Professor Babak is known for innovative teaching approaches, explaining difficult ideas clearly, and helping students from different academic backgrounds understand complex scientific concepts.

The College also took this opportunity to present the College Awards to distinguished alumni and faculty members with outstanding performance in teaching, research and knowledge transfer.

The College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award 2025-26 was presented to Mr. Chan Lung Wai, Tim, from the Department of Mathematics, before he addressed the audience. Professor Brian Kot from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health was awarded the College of Science Teaching Excellence Award 2025-26.

The College of Science Outstanding Knowledge Transfer and Impact Award 2025-26 goes to Professor Jijian Xu from the Department of Chemistry. There were two Awardees for the College of Science Outstanding Young Researcher Awards in 2025-26. They were Professor Yu Chai from the Department of Physics and Professor Lina Zhao from the Department of Mathematics.

Bachelor of Science in Physics graduate Miss Yeung Yeuk Yee gave a speech on behalf of the Class of 2026. Her undergraduate journey included research projects on quantum spin systems, geodesic motion, and neutron scattering, across labs at CityUHK, and an overseas internship in the United States. "I also had the opportunity to broaden my perspective through an exchange at University College London, where I learned to become a more independent learner and gained a deeper appreciation for science as a truly global endeavour", she shared.

The unstable weather did not dampen everyone’s high spirits. After the Commencement ceremony, faculty members, graduates and their family members gathered in front of their home departments’ backdrops for photo-taking.

Class of 2026, happy graduation!