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BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Pengyu Zhu is a Professor in the Division of Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He is also the Director of the Center for AI in Economic Social and Environmental Research, and the Associate Director of the GREAT Smart Cities Institute. Prof. Zhu’s recent research focus includes: 1) AI and data science in urban and regional systems; 2) Blockchain and RWA (e.g. real estate RWA); 3) Low-altitude economic development strategies; 4) Travel behavior dynamics (encompassing automobile, transit, non-motorized modes, and telecommuting), location choice, and their corresponding economic and environmental implications; and 5) The interplay between transportation infrastructure, housing markets, and regional economic development.

To date, his his work has been published in major academic journals such as Nature Cities, Landscape and Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Regional Studies, Annals of American Association of Geographers, Transportation Research Part A/D, Urban Geography, Cities, Regional Science and Urban Economics, and Journal of Comparative Economics. Reflecting his continuous academic excellence and latest performance metrics, he was ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists in 2023 and elevated to the top 1% in 2024 and 2025, according to the TopResearchersList rankings by Elsevier and Stanford University. In recognition of his stellar achievements over the years, Prof. Zhu was awarded 5.2 million HKD and conferred the esteemed title of ‘RGC Research Fellow’ in 2024. This is a prestigious recognition from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) under their Research Fellow Scheme (RFS), designed to support only the most outstanding scholars in Hong Kong. Notably, Prof. Zhu was the sole awardee under the Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Business Studies Panel (H-Panel) in 2024, while all other awardees were recognized under the Sciences, Medicine, Engineering and Technology Panel (S-Panel). In 2026, Prof. Zhu was named the Star Faculty of HKUST, recognized by the university for global impact in research and teaching.

He has has led or participated in numerous high-impact collaborative research projects, securing well over HK$10 million in total grant funding within the past five years. Key projects include “Strategic Planning for Transforming Hong Kong into a Leading Global Aviation and Innovation Hub” (Innovation and Technology Commission, ~HK$2.15 million), “Regional Science and Complex Systems: A Five-year Research Plan on Transportation, Land Use, Labor, and Innovation Systems” (RGC, ~HK$5.2 million), “The Persistence of Behavioral Changes in Post-Pandemic Hong Kong: Implications for Transportation, Housing and Economic Development Policies” (Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, ~HK$658,000), as well as broad, multi-disciplinary collaborations like the RGC Strategic Topics Grant on “Decarbonization Solutions for Buildings in Hong Kong”, the Hong Kong Chief Executive Policy Unit’s Strategic Public Policy Research (SPPR) initiatives on “Development Strategies for an Advanced Air Mobility Network in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area”, and the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission’s collaborative program on “Monitoring Greenhouse Gas Emission Point Sources from China Space Station”. In his capacity as lead investigator for institutional partnerships, Prof. Zhu actively facilitates international academic exchange, shapes theoretical frameworks around smart cities and urban sustainability, and mentors HKUST students to expand their global networks.