GRM Sustains World‑Leading Position in Geography
In the 2026 QS World University Subject Rankings, GRM is ranked 21st globally and 4th in Asia in Geography. For more details, please visit the QS website.
GRM is Now on LinkedIn, WeChat, and RedNote
We are excited to announce that GRM has officially expanded its online presence. You can now follow us on LinkedIn, WeChat (ID: GRMCUHK), and RedNote (ID: CUHK_GRM) to stay connected with our latest news, research updates, and event announcements.
GRM Professor Receives 2026 AAG Lifetime Achievement Honours
Professor Nina Lam has been awarded the 2026 American Association of Geographers (AAG) Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious accolade recognises Professor Lam’s innovative research, which has profoundly benefited society. The Resilience Inference Measurement (RIM) model she has developed facilitates more accurate assessments of a community’s capacity to withstand and recover from disasters, significantly improving disaster prevention and emergency response strategies worldwide. For more information, please visit here.
GRM-developed Satellite Launched to Advance Smart City Development
On 12 Feb 2026, CUHK Sat-1 – the world’s first satellite incorporating a large AI model – was launched. Developed by a team led by GRM’s Prof Mei-Po Kwan and Prof Peifeng Ma, the satellite is set to provide high-precision geospatial data services for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and major cities worldwide. Its applications span environmental monitoring, intelligent transport systems and emergency response. For more information, please visit here.
CUHK-BNU Geography Symposium: A New Partnership
On 28-29 Apr 2025, GRM welcomed delegates from Beijing Normal University’s Faculty of Geographical Science (BNU-FGS), led by vice-dean Prof Fenghua Pan, for the first geography symposium jointly organised by the two units. Members from GRM and BNU-FGS had wide-ranging discussions on their research in health, transport, financial and education geographies. The symposium marks the beginning of long-term collaboration between the two units in research, teaching and student exchange.
Call for Abstracts: 13th International Conference on Sustainable Tourism
GRM’s International Conference on Sustainable Tourism is set to return for its 13th edition on 8-10 May 2025. This year, five esteemed international keynote speakers will join participants to delve into the crucial intersection of tourism and sustainable transformation. Abstract submissions are open until 11 Apr 2025. For more details, please visit the Conference Website.
GRM Distinguished Lecture: “Nobel of Geography” Winner on Regional Innovation
GRM is honoured to welcome Professor Ron Boschma, an internationally renowned economic geographer, to give a lecture on 1 Apr 2025 on the topic “Regional Innovation and Smart Specialization Policy in the European Union”. Professor Boschma is the 2024 winner of the Vautrin Lud Prize, also widely known as the “Nobel of Geography”, and has made a significant impact on the EU’s regional innovation policy. Please click here for details of this lecture, and sign up here to guarantee your seat.
GRM Reception at 2025 AAG Annual Meeting
GRM invites everyone who will visit Detroit for the 2025 AAG Annual Meeting for a reception! Join us from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tue 25 Mar 2025 at The Whisky Parlor, 608 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48226. For enquiries, please contact Asst Prof Scarlett Jin.
GRM Hosted Hong Kong Geography Day 2024
GRM hosted the biennial Hong Kong Geography Day on 23 Nov 2024 under the theme “Sustainability Plus: The Greater Bay Area and Beyond”. Over 800 participants across the Greater Bay Area met at CUHK to explored critical sustainability challenges and opportunities in the region. The event featured keynote speeches by Prof. Bao Jigang from Sun Yat-sen University and Prof. Kwan Mei-po from GRM, multiple research seminars, postgraduate student paper and poster competition, and a secondary school talk by experienced geography educators. Please click here for the day’s highlights.
Pioneering satellite designed by GRM members launched
Developed under the leadership of GRM’s Prof Kwan Mei Po and Asst Prof Ma Peifeng , the “Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Technology Satellite” was successfully launched on 24 Sep 2024. The spacecraft is the world’s first large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) model scientific satellite. Focusing on high-resolution monitoring of the Greater Bay Area and its surroundings, the satellite is poised to support critical applications in disaster response, smart city development, carbon neutrality, and the low-altitude economy.
Please click here for further details, or click here to watch the satellite launch.
GRM Faculty Members Shine in World’s Top 2% Scientists List
Eight GRM faculty members have been recognized in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list published by Stanford University in September 2024. They include (listed in alphabetical order by surname): Prof. Chan Chung Shing Johnson, Prof. Chen Yongqin David, Prof. He Ying Sylvia, Prof. Kwan Mei Po, Prof. Lai Yuk Fo Derrick, Prof. Lau Ngar Cheung Gabriel, Prof. Leung Yee, and Prof. Shen Jianfa.
Rankings of GRM faculty members on the list: [PDF]
GRM Hosted International Scholars to Explore Sustainable Urban Growth Management
On 5 Sep 2024, GRM hosted a mini-conference titled ‘Zoning Urbanisation: A Global Comparison of Sustainable Growth Management’. Experts from Brazil, Ireland, Sweden and the UK joined local scholars, including GRM’s Prof Xu Jiang, Prof Ng Mee Kam and Prof Calvin Chung, to evaluate a variety of strategies for promoting sustainable urbanisation through zoning. The event sparked insightful discussions on the varied impacts of different zones on communities living in and alongside them. CUHK Faculty of Social Science and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) sponsored this mini-conference.
GRM to host 12th International Conference on Sustainable Tourism
GRM will host the 12th International Conference on Sustainable Tourism on 9-11 May 2024. Supported by the Master of Social Science in Sustainable Tourism (MSSST) programme, the conference has been held annually since 2012. The upcoming conference in 2024 revolves around the theme of “Tourism Development and Investment in Sustainability”, aiming to explore how tourism and sustainable investments can shape a better world. It will discuss how to diversify markets, reduce risks, enhance resilience, and involve locals. It will also examine how investments can foster innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship while conserving nature and culture.
For paper submission and registration information, please visit the conference website: http://mssst.grm.cuhk.edu.hk/st2024/
