The Research Grants Council (RGC) has been regularly organising public lectures since 2009, featuring various distinguished local scholars as speakers. These lectures aim to disseminate research knowledge in Hong Kong's tertiary institutions and to raise public awareness of the significance and values of local research work.

This year, the RGC and the Hong Kong Science Museum will jointly organise the following four public lectures on topics including artificial intelligence (AI) and space exploration, introducing the public to the latest research findings in these fields. Details of the lectures are as follows:

Lecture Topic 1: Building Digital Trust via Societal AI: Automated Fact-Checking against Misinformation

21.11.2026 (Saturday)
2:30pm – 3:30pm

Prof. LI Yupeng (Associate Professor, Department of Interactive Media, School of Communication; Director, AI and Social Good Lab, AI Media Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University)

Trustworthy information is essential to individual and collective well-being. In today’s digital world, the rapid spread of both human and AI-generated misinformation poses a serious threat to public trust and societal stability. This lecture explores how Societal AI can address this challenge through advanced, scalable automated fact-checking systems. By integrating AI technologies with computational social science research and societal insights, we demonstrate practical approaches to verifying information effectively and reliably. Our work on AI for social good helps reduce the anxiety caused by misinformation, restore confidence in public discourse, and empower citizens to make better-informed decisions.

Lecture Topic 2: Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Sport and Physical Education through the Application of Artificial Intelligence

21.11.2026 (Saturday)
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Prof. HA Sau-ching, Amy (Chair Professor of Physical Education and Sports Science and Head of Department, Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong)

While information technology and AI is widely adopted in mainstream academic subjects in schools, application in sport and physical education is relatively scarce. In this lecture, we will introduce some emerging some AI tools used for the assessment of the quality (i.e., sports skill proficiency) and quantity (i.e., fitness performances) of physical activity. The talk will discuss how these tools may transform physical education classrooms, and how they could promote healthy, active lifestyles in children.

Lecture Topic 3: Supernovae: Remarkable Cosmic Fireworks

28.11.2026 (Saturday)
2:30pm – 3:30pm

Prof. NG Chi-yung, Stephen (Associate Professor, Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong)

Supernovae are among the most spectacular explosions in the Universe, marking the dramatic deaths of stars. These cosmic fireworks release enormous energy, briefly outshining entire galaxies and seeding the cosmos with heavy elements essential for planets and life. Long after the explosion fades, expanding supernova remnants sculpt the interstellar medium, accelerate cosmic rays, and trigger new generations of star formation. This talk will introduce the physics behind these stellar explosions and the stunning remnants they leave behind, uncovering why these transient events are the most captivating frontiers in modern astrophysics as well as highlight the recent results from supernova research.

Lecture Topic 4: A New Era of Space Exploration: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

28.11.2026 (Saturday)
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Dr. CHAN Man-ho (Associate Professor, Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong)

With the rapid development of new technology, humanity is in a golden age of space exploration, deepening our understanding of the Universe. This talk will introduce several current and upcoming space missions, including the ones initiated by our country. These missions aim to address some major enigmas about our Universe, including the mysteries of our solar system and the problems of dark matter, dark energy, and the standard cosmological model. We will examine how these groundbreaking space missions can help unlock these mysteries and reshape our understanding of the Universe.

Jointly organised by the Research Grants Council and the Hong Kong Science Museum