On April 13, 2026, Director General FENG Lei of the Shanghai Meteorological Service (SMS) led a delegation to visit the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), engaging in academic exchange and discussion with the Otto Poon Center for Climate Resilience and Sustainability (CCRS) on topics including meteorology and finance, and artificial intelligence. The delegation included FAN Liming, Director of the Science and Technology Development Division of SMS; XU Jianming, Director of the Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory; DING Yang, Director of the Shanghai Climate Center; LI Baiping, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Meteorological Service Center; and YANG Hanwei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Meteorological Disaster Prevention Technical Center.

Group photo of the SMS delegation visiting HKGAI. Fifth from right: Director General FENG Lei of SMS; fourth from left: Prof. LU Mengqian, Director of CCRS.

During the visit, Prof. GUO Yike, Provost of HKUST and Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, met with Director General FENG Lei and his delegation. The two sides held in-depth discussions on topics including the interdisciplinary integration of meteorological science and technology, and opportunities for Shanghai–Hong Kong collaboration. Prof. GUO noted that HKUST celebrates the 35th anniversary of its founding this year and is in a vibrant "period of youth." He emphasized that HKUST will fully leverage "the drive and innovative spirit of young people," encouraging young scholars to free their minds, boldly break new ground, and focus on research that is both distinctive and forward-looking. He expressed his hope that HKUST will demonstrate its unique capacity for scientific innovation and its influence on the global stage, achieving ever greater accomplishments. Director General FENG Lei spoke highly of HKUST's innovative capabilities and pragmatic approach in recent years, and stressed that, amid the new challenges posed by global climate change and the new opportunities arising from steady urbanization, HKUST's research orientation—focused on the frontier and integrating multiple disciplines—carries significant strategic importance. He expressed his hope that both sides, drawing on their respective strengths and powered by high-quality data and platforms, will jointly advance the deep integration of research and industry, contributing wisdom and solutions to address global challenges.

At the seminar: Director General FENG Lei (right), Academician GUO Yike (center), and Prof. LU Mengqian (left).

During the seminar, presentations were delivered by YANG Hanwei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Meteorological Disaster Prevention Technical Center; Prof. LU Mengqian, Director of CCRS; and Prof. LOU Dong, Associate Dean of Business and Management (joining online), covering two themes: green finance meteorological services and climate change research. In the afternoon, XU Jianming, Director of the Shanghai Central Meteorological Observatory, and Prof. YUAN Binhang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at HKUST, delivered presentations on cutting-edge topics including the application of deep learning in weather forecasting and the exploration of large language model agents in meteorological services. Participants engaged in extensive discussions on related research directions.

The seminar in session.

Since the signing of a memorandum of cooperation, HKUST and the Shanghai Meteorological Service have continued to deepen their collaboration in the field of meteorological science and technology. This visit further advanced industry–academia–research synergy between the two sides across multiple frontier areas, laying a solid foundation for the implementation of future collaborative projects.