School of Government at Nanjing University and Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong Establish “Joint Laboratory for AI-enabled City Development and Safety Governance”
On April 21, 2026, the School of Government at Nanjing University (NJU) and the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) signed a cooperation agreement and officially inaugurated the Joint Laboratory for AI-enabled City Development and Safety Governance. The laboratory is the first research platform established under the Hong Kong Advanced Research Institute of Nanjing University. Building on the interdisciplinary strengths of HKU and NJU, the Joint Laboratory aims to address national strategic priorities, accelerate disciplinary transformation, and develop integrated solutions spanning intelligent sensing, digital twins, and smart decision-making. By advancing the mutual empowerment of technological innovation and governance transformation in the era of artificial intelligence, the initiative seeks to promote safer and more resilient future cities.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Academician Tan Tieniu, Party Secretary of NJU, and Professor Gong Peng, Vice-President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic Development) of HKU. The cooperation agreement was signed by Professor Zhang Haibo, Dean of NJU’s School of Government, and Professor Chang Yung Ho, Dean of HKU’s Faculty of Architecture. The Joint Laboratory will be co-led by Dean Zhang Haibo, alongside Chair Professor Wilson Lu, Head of HKU’s Department of Real Estate and Construction and Director of iLab@HKU. The Expert Advisory Committee’s chief advisors include Professor Anthony Yeh, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chair Professor of Urban Planning and Design at HKU, and Dr Zheng Guoguang, former Deputy Minister of China’s Ministry of Emergency Management.
During their stay in Hong Kong, Dean Zhang Haibo and Professor Peng Yi also visited The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and City University of Hong Kong, holding discussions on topics including joint scientific research, exchange programs and dual-degree opportunities for graduate students, and broader institutional collaboration. Preliminary cooperation intentions were reached.
