HKU welcomes Professor Sir Andre Geim, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and pioneering scientist behind the revolutionary creation of graphene, to join the University as Chair Professor in the Faculty of Science, commencing early April 2026. This appointment further solidifies HKU’s leadership in global scientific innovation and reaffirms Hong Kong’s role as a hub for transformative research and discovery.
Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU, declared, “Professor Geim’s ambition in discovery – turning fundamental science into world-changing innovation – perfectly aligns with our vision to be a ‘world-leading university transforming humanity’s future’. At HKU, he will find not just a platform for research, but a community of scholars ready to redefine what is possible.”
Once considered as merely a theoretical construct – an unstable ‘wonder material’ that couldn’t exist independently – graphene’s potential was realised in 2004 when Professor Geim and his collaborators successfully isolated the world’s first stable graphene sheets. This paradigm-shifting achievement earned them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Beyond this landmark breakthrough, Professor Geim’s team pioneered the wider field of two-dimensional crystals by showing that atomically thin layers of many materials can be isolated, like graphene, and then reassembled into multilayer structures. This vision proved extraordinarily fertile: it has reshaped modern materials science and condensed matter physics, enabling van der Waals heterostructures that combine conductors, semiconductors and insulators into bespoke atomic-scale architectures. The impact on science and technology has been profound, and it continues to grow.
Professor Geim’s seminal graphene research is underscored by an exceptional distinction: two of his groundbreaking papers rank among the 100 most cited scientific publications in history, as recognised by Nature. His illustrious career has been recognised with the highest honours across the scientific world, including the Copley Medal, the Royal Society’s most prestigious award; the John Carty Prize from the US National Academy of Sciences; and knighthoods from both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. As an elected member of the national academies of China, the US, and the UK, among others, Professor Geim’s influence spans continents, embodying the global spirit of scientific collaboration.
“Hong Kong’s dynamic research environment, with its distinctive East-West synergy and world-class infrastructure, provides the perfect platform for ambitious scientific exploration,” said Professor Geim. “HKU’s forward-looking approach to interdisciplinary research and its commitment to supporting bold ideas creates the conditions in which great science happens. I’m excited to collaborate with outstanding colleagues here and to contribute to discoveries that will matter globally.”
This appointment forms part of HKU’s strategic initiative to attract world-leading talent. The University has welcomed 114 distinguished international scholars from 18 countries in 2025 alone, spanning cutting-edge fields from quantum technologies to creative media. This concerted effort reinforces HKU’s status as world-leading university and a magnet for intellectual excellence.
