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.
New Study Reveals 7,000 Years of Tropical Cyclone Activity in the Western Pacific
In a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment in June 2026, Prof Kam-biu Liu and his collaborators reconstructed more than 7,000 years of tropical cyclone activity in the western Pacific by analysing large corals blocks in Sanya, Hainan, China that were transported from reef slopes onto reef flats by powerful typhoon waves, together with paleoclimate records from across the region. Their study revealed that tropical cyclone activity in the western Pacific has exhibited a strikingly symmetrical pattern between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres since the mid-Holocene, while its activity centres and impacts shifted between low-latitude and mid-to-high-latitude regions in a see-saw pattern over the long term. These findings provide new insights into the climate processes driving long-term tropical cyclone variability and offer an important basis for assessing future tropical cyclone risks in a warming world.
Link to full article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03734-2
Feature on Scienmag online magazine: https://scienmag.com/symmetrical-tropical-cyclone-activity-in-western-pacific/
Elite PhD Admission Summer Camp 2026
GRM is hosting the Elite PhD Admission Summer Camp 2026 from 11–14 August 2026. We warmly invite outstanding Master’s students and recent Master’s graduates worldwide to experience what a future in a leading international research community in geography could look like. Please click here for more details and to register.
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.
Alumna Yu Chui-yee appointed CUHK Honorary Fellow
[16/05/2022] Congratulations to our alumna Ms Yu Chui-yee who has been appointed CUHK Honorary Fellow for her outstanding sport achievements and social contributions. A seven-time Paralympic gold medallist in fencing, Ms Yu graduated from GRM’s undergraduate programme in 2008 despite her busy training and competition schedule. For her citation, please see: https://honfellow.cuhk.edu.hk/Citation/en/20_yuchuiyee.pdf
Professor Mei-Po Kwan awarded AAG James R. Anderson Medal of Honor
[08/06/2022] Professor Mei-Po Kwan has been awarded the 2022 James R. Anderson Medal of Honor for her multidisciplinary and paradigm-shifting contributions to applied geography. This award is the highest honour bestowed by the Applied Geography Specialty Group of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). For details of the award, please see https://community.aag.org/appliedgeography/andersonmedal/andersonmedal-application.
GRM Students Crowned Champions in ESRI Young Scholars Award 2022
[10/05/2022] Five GRM students brought home two champions in the ESRI Young Scholars Award 2022 with their innovative, policy-oriented GIS applications. Mr SUM Tin Lam Alvin came first in the Individual Application category with his study on wheelchair users’ accessibility in Kwun Tong. Miss BAO Wenwei, Miss LI Wenyu, Mr LUO Haowen and Miss ZENG Bincheng Joyce topped the Group Application category with their analysis of brownfield site redevelopment for Hong Kong’s logistic industry. For students’ winning projects, please visit https://web.esrichina.hk/ysa/result_announcement.aspx
Our Department Ranked 17th in the World by QS
[07/07/2022] In the newly released QS World University Rankings By Subject 2022, our Department moves up two places to 17th in the world in the field of Geography, and ranks 4th in Asia. For details, please refer to https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2022/geography.
Professor Mei-Po Kwan named on the Highly Cited Researchers list of 2021
[16/11/2021] Professor Mei-Po Kwan has been named on the “Highly Cited Researchers” list of 2021 by Clarivate Analytics. This honour is given to researchers who have published multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science.
Professor Mee Kam Ng elected Fellow of The Royal Town Planning Institute
[05/11/2021] Professor Mee Kam Ng has been elected to the fellowship of The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in recognition of her long-standing work in spatial planning. Fellow is the highest professional membership grade offered by the RTPI and is only awarded to its members who have made a major personal contribution to the planning profession for the benefit of the public.
Professor Johnson Chan and Professor Lawal M. Marafa awarded funding under Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme
[5/10/2021] Professor Chan Chung Shing Johnson (as principal investigator) and Professor Lawal Mohammed Marafa (as co-investigator) have been awarded a funding of HK$2,632,500 under the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme for their project “Community-based Narratives and Public Experiential Engagement for Cultural and Historical Heritage Conservation and Revitalisation of Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung” from 1 January 2022 to 30 June 2024. The scheme is managed by the Environmental Protection Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Their project highlights village and rural environments as changing cultural landscapes which provide tangible heritage and hidden values for conservation and revitalisation. Based on community-based storytelling and narratives approach and public experiential engagement, the project aims to generate valuable records and information about culture and history of Yim Tin Tsai, a small but once prosperous offshore island in Sai Kung, Hong Kong.
World-renowned scientist Prof. Vaclav Smil visited our Department
Prof. Vaclav Smil, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, Canada, visited our Department and delivered a seminar on “Energy transitions: Realities of decarbonization” on 14 September 2017. Information about Prof. Smil’s interdisciplinary research in the fields of energy and environment can be found at: http://vaclavsmil.com/
Colleagues of our Department published important scientific findings in Nature Climate Change
Profs. Chen Yongqin and Lau Ngar-Cheung, together with Prof. Li Jianfeng of Hong Kong Baptist University and Prof. Thian Yew Gan of University of Alberta, recently published their research findings on the elevated increases in human-perceived temperature under climate warming in Nature Climate Change (January 2018). The study has attracted much media coverage locally and internationally. More details can be found at: http://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press_detail.php?id=2696&t=cuhk-and-hkbu-discover-the-elevated-increases-in-human-perceived-temperature-under-climate-change&s=
