Top Japanese Physicist Joins HKUST with Triple Salary, 10x Research Funding
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Japanese physicist Watanabe Yuki has joined Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) as a professor, attracted by compensation three times his University of Tokyo salary and research funding ten times higher. The renowned scientist, who won the 2022 Breakthrough Prize New Horizons Award, cited Tokyo University's lack of professor vacancies and Japan's stagnant research investment over 30 years as key reasons for his move. He described relocating to Hong Kong as one of the best decisions of his life, with his research team now based at HKUST where new buildings are under construction.
Key Points
- Watanabe Yuki, a condensed matter theory physicist, joined HKUST in March 2026 as a full professor, receiving three times his University of Tokyo salary plus allowances
- His initial five-year research funding totals approximately 100 million yen (HK$4.79 million), representing ten times his annual funding at University of Tokyo
- He won the 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Physics New Horizons Award—dubbed the "Science Oscars"—and the 2025 Particle Physics Medal
- University of Tokyo's QS ranking has declined for four consecutive years to 39th globally, while HKUST has risen to 33rd globally and 6th in Asia
- University of Tokyo professors earn an average monthly salary of approximately HK$54,000, with some earning as low as HK$38,900 per month
- Watanabe's research group has moved from University of Tokyo to HKUST, comprising three postdoctoral researchers (one already in Hong Kong) and four PhD students
Why It Matters
The high-profile recruitment of a top Japanese scientist underscores Hong Kong's growing competitiveness in attracting international academic talent amid Japan's research funding decline, potentially accelerating HKUST's ascent in global rankings while raising questions about Japan's ability to retain its best minds .
The high-profile recruitment of a top Japanese scientist underscores Hong Kong's growing competitiveness in attracting international academic talent amid Japan's research funding decline, potentially accelerating HKUST's ascent in global rankings while raising questions about Japan's ability to retain its best minds .