- Lingnan University partners with the United Nations University to launch Asia’s first UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology, set to open in October 2025 with an annual budget of over HK$8 million.
- The Hub will host the Humanitarian Innovation and Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) to drive research, education, training, and global partnerships aimed at improving living standards in the Global South.
- Signature projects include a rainwater harvesting monitoring system in the Philippines and Incuvia, a foldable baby incubator, showcasing scalable low-cost humanitarian solutions.
In celebration of World Humanitarian Day, Lingnan University released news of a historic partnership with the United Nations University (UNU) through the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation to create the UNU Hub on Humanitarian Innovation and Technology at Lingnan University. The new venture, the inaugural UNU Hub in Asia, will formally launch in October 2025 with a yearly operating budget of more than HK $8 million.
The Hub will be home to the Humanitarian Innovation and Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab), which will lead research, education, training, and global partnerships focused on enhancing living standards in the developing parts of the Global South by leveraging innovative technologies. Scholarships to inspire young people to seek knowledge and innovation for the greater good will also be provided.
Prof Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of UNU and UN Under-Secretary-General, and Prof S. Joe Qin, President of Lingnan University, signed the agreement. Prof Qin stated that Hong Kong's research excellence and global networks would enable technological innovations to be turned quickly into effective solutions to Asia's and the world's most critical social issues.
He also pointed out Lingnan's excellent global position in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, such as ranking number one globally for 'SDG 4: Quality Education' and number one in Hong Kong for 'SDG 1: No Poverty', as proof of its leadership in sustainable and humanitarian development. He also referenced the success of initiatives like 'PureAura', a portable energy-efficient air purifier designed by Lingnan's students and staff that has received 14 major international design awards.
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Prof Marwala applauded Lingnan's pioneering work in bringing innovative technology and design together with social needs to produce low-cost humanitarian solutions for poor and remote communities with limited resources. He emphasized that the Hub would be an anchor for the innovation power of Asia, reinforcing South-South cooperation and speeding up inclusive solutions that could be scaled up globally.
The Hub will be co-directed by Prof Albert Ko, Director of Lingnan's Office of Service-Learning and the Lingnan Entrepreneurship Initiative, and Dr Georgina Curto Rex of UNU Macau. Among its signature initiatives are a monitoring system for rainwater harvesting on remote Filipino islands, in collaboration with the University of Toronto, and Incuvia, a foldable, transportable baby incubator that was recently awarded at the Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival. Through these initiatives, the Hub seeks to combine research excellence with real-world practice, positioning Hong Kong as a global leader in humanitarian technology and sustainable innovation.
