News

Prof. Harry (Chao) Yang and his research team have received the CVPR 2026 Compute Transparency Champion Award for their paper, “DenDiff: Density-Guided Diffusion for Quantity-Aware Image Synthesis.” The award is the highest recognition under CVPR 2026’s Compute Reporting Initiative and recognises exemplary reporting of computational resources, methodologies and reproducibility details. 

DenDiff addresses a persistent challenge in text-to-image generation: producing the exact number of objects requested by a user. By reformulating count control as a density-guided generation problem, the method provides diffusion models with more explicit numerical and spatial control while maintaining strong visual quality. 

Congratulations to Prof. Yang and his team on this well-deserved recognition!

Prof. Yuan Liu has received the 2026 AsiaGraphics Young Researcher Award, recognising his pioneering contributions to 3D reconstruction, neural rendering, generative AI and world-centric 3D modelling. 

His research lies at the intersection of computer graphics, computer vision and generative AI, spanning neural rendering and surface reconstruction, multiview-consistent 3D generation, and world-centric 3D tracking from monocular video. His work aims to develop intelligent systems capable of modelling and understanding complex static and dynamic 3D environments. 

Established in 2018, the AsiaGraphics Young Researcher Award is presented to at most one researcher each year to recognise outstanding recent contributions by an early-career researcher in computer graphics and interactive techniques. 

Congratulations to Prof. Liu on this well-deserved recognition!

Prof. Sai-Kit Yeung, Associate Director of the HKUST Von Neumann Institute (VNI), has been honoured with the CVPR 2026 Outstanding Area Chair Award, recognising his exceptional leadership and service in supporting the conference’s peer-review process. At CVPR 2026, Prof. Yeung also served as a Lead Area Chair, coordinating review activities and technical discussions and helping to maintain a rigorous, fair and high-quality review process. 

Prof. Yeung’s research spans artificial intelligence, 3D computer vision, computer graphics and embodied perception. His recent work also applies AI to marine science and sustainability, including underwater visual understanding, semantic mapping and AI-assisted marine conservation. 

Congratulations to Prof. Yeung on this well-deserved recognition!

深圳河套學院代表團於香港科技大學35周年校慶啟動禮期間到訪港科大，並與大學管理層及學術領導就人工智能領域的合作方向進行深入交流。

馮諾依曼研究院將作為雙方合作的重要平台，推動人工智能及相關前沿領域的學術交流與科研協作。研究院將結合香港科技大學的國際科研實力，以及深圳河套學院的科研平台與創新資源，促進深港兩地在高端科研合作與人才培養方面的協同發展。

雙方亦計劃推進博士研究生聯合培養及青年學者發展項目，探索具兩校特色的合作機制，進一步拓展人工智能領域的科研合作與人才培育基礎，持續提升雙方的科研實力與人才儲備。

2026年1月7日，上海市工商聯代表團到訪香港科技大學馮諾依曼研究院，深入瞭解人工智能在工業裝配及檢測領域的最新應用。

此次交流重點探討了如何利用人工智能技術提升工業生產效率、優化裝配流程，並實現智能化檢測，推動製造業向高精度與高自動化方向發展。

該訪問體現了馮諾依曼研究院在推動智能製造和產業數字化轉型方面的積極作用，併為未來的合作奠定了基礎。

On January 6, 2026, a delegation of leading cardiologists visited the HKUST Von Neumann Institute (VNI) to learn about the latest advancements in Embodied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential applications in healthcare.

The visit featured discussions on how Embodied AI can revolutionize medical robotics, surgical assistance, and intelligent healthcare systems, paving the way for improved patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

This engagement reflects VNI's commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and driving innovation at the intersection of AI and medicine.

On January 2, 2026, a delegation of engineers from CLP visited the HKUST Von Neumann Institute (VNI) to explore how artificial intelligence can transform energy and infrastructure management.

Discussions focused on AI-driven solutions for photovoltaics, robotics-based energy optimization, and broader applications in store and facility management, construction management, asset management, and energy management--including generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

The visit underscores VNI's commitment to advancing smart technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability across critical sectors.

2025年12月24日，清華大學基礎工業訓練中心的研究員及工程師到訪馮諾依曼研究院。訪問團參觀了研究院的創新科研設施，並與研究團隊就人工智能、計算機視覺及先進計算技術的最新進展進行深入交流。此次訪問有效促進了雙方在科研與技術應用方面的互動，為未來的合作交流奠定了良好基礎。

Participants of SIGGRAPH Asia visited the Von Neumann Institute on December 15 and 17. The Institute showcased its cutting edge research in generative AI, computer vision, and spatial intelligence. Visitors toured the laboratories, engaged with research teams, and gained firsthand insight into the Institute's latest technological breakthroughs. The visits strengthened the connection between the global computer graphics community and the Institute's interdisciplinary innovation ecosystem.

2025年12月8日，中國女企業家協會一行到訪馮諾依曼研究院進行參觀交流。代表團成員了解了研究院在人工智能、計算機視覺及前沿科技領域的最新成果，並與研究團隊就創新技術的產業化及未來合作方向展開深入討論。此次交流進一步加強了雙方在科技與創新領域的互動，為未來可能的合作奠定了良好基礎。