The Ying Family PhD Research Award Presentation Ceremony 2026

The Award Presentation Ceremony of the Ying Family PhD Research Award, jointly organized by the HKUST Energy Institute (EI), the Office of Knowledge Transfer (OKT), and the Development and Alumni Office (DAO), was successfully held on July 24, 2026, celebrating outstanding academic research and its potential for market applications. The prestigious scholarship, launched by the HKUST Energy Institute and generously funded by the Foundation for Amazing Potentials, recognizes doctoral students who show exceptional passion and research achievements in sustainability, green tech, and energy technology. The awardee will receive a cash prize of HK$50,000 to support his ongoing research.

This year's prize was officially presented to LIAO Zebing, Year-5 PhD student from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, by Mr. Steven YING, Director of the Foundation for Amazing Potentials, and Prof. SHAO Minhua, Director of the HKUST Energy Institute, Cheong Ying Chan Professor of Energy Engineering and Environment, and Head and Chair Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Inspiring Academic and Entrepreneurial Dreams

During the ceremony, Prof. Shao expressed his deep gratitude for the longstanding support of Mr. Ying and the Foundation for Amazing Potentials.

"To establish the Ying Family PhD Research Award not only recognizes our students’ outstanding academic research, but more importantly, encourages them to pursue their dreams from the lab to the market," Prof. Shao remarked.

Mr. Steven Ying echoed this sentiment, encouraging students to keep innovating, keep challenging conventional wisdom, and be proud of your home -- Hong Kong, who are and where you are from.

"Innovation is a beautiful thing, just like the birth of a new life. Every business will die in the long run. But businesses never die because innovation gives life to a new business.  Innovation is betting against conventional wisdom. Following what everyone else is doing usually leads to predictable outcomes. New discovery comes from doing something that no one has done before. If someone says to you this is not possible, then you should do your own homework. "

The awardee Liao Zebing demonstrated his research work and thanked Mr. Steven Ying, the HKUST Energy Institute, his supervisor Prof. Abhishek Kumar SRIVASTAVA, Associate Professor of Electronic and Computer Engineering, and his teammate, for supporting his research journey.

Connecting the Lab to the Market: Panel Discussion

The ceremony also featured a dynamic and informative panel discussion titled "A New Growth Model for Accelerating Tech Innovation from Lab to Market by Leveraging Frontier Technology, Supply Chain and Capital Market Across the GBA." Moderated by Prof. Carrie LING, Director of the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center, the session brought together prominent industry leaders and HKUST-linked startups specializing in sustainability and green technology: (Mr. Steven Ying, Mr. Franklin WANG, Vice President & Chief of Staff of Linklogis; Dr. Anderson LIU, Project Manager, Leyden Power International Limited; Dr. Kenny OKTAVIUS, Co-founder & CEO, PointFit Technology Limited; and Dr. Chris Hongrui LIU, R&D Director, Coalot Tech Limited) to share their experiences and to explore how frontier technology, supply chains, and capital markets can accelerate tech innovation across the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Prof. Shao extended his sincere thanks to the organizers, the moderator, and the panelists for their inspiring and informative contributions to the event.

About the Scholarship

HKUST Energy Institute launched “The Ying Family PhD Research Award 應家族博士生傑出研究獎” (the “Award”)  in 2025 with a generous donation by Foundation for Amazing Potentials, which was founded by Mr Steven YING, Managing Partner of High Impact Capital Advisors, a Hong Kong-based investment banking and financial advisory firm founded in 2011. The firm specializes in impact investing, aiming to generate competitive financial returns alongside positive social and environmental outcomes. 

The Award aims to recognize and reward PhD students who have demonstrated outstanding research performance and achievements in the areas of sustainability, environmental studies, energy technology, green technology or related disciplines. The awardee will receive a one-off cash prize of HK$50,000.