Xiaoou Tang Postgraduate Scholarship

On the Donor

In December 2025, Sophie and Sean Foundation Limited (“the Donor”) pledged to establish the Xiaoou Tang Postgraduate Scholarship (“the Scholarship”) in memory of the late Professor Tang Xiaoou Sean, a pioneering AI researcher at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Scholarship honours Professor Tang’s lifelong dedication to fostering a creative research environment and mentoring over 100 students. He founded MMLAB in 2001, which has since become a globally recognised deep learning institute, named among the top ten AI innovators at the 2016 GPU Technology Conference. 

Reflecting Professor Tang’s innovative spirit and the Donor’s commitment to giving back to Hong Kong, the Scholarship aims to support postgraduate students pursuing PhD research in AI-related fields. It also promotes academic-industry collaboration and encourages youth to explore opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Purpose and Scope

Up to four scholarships shall be awarded annually to year one PhD students whose research is related to Artificial Intelligence, based on academic merit, research output, and contribution to the research community.

The Scholarship shall be of the value of HK$312,500 each, to be disbursed over three years subject to satisfactory academic performance being maintained and the availability of funding. Disbursement details are as follows: