Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang receives honorary doctorate in engineering

Jensen Huang, CEO of AI chip powerhouse Nvidia, received an honorary doctorate in engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) during a ceremony held on Saturday.

The event also honoured Nobel Prize-winning chemist Prof. Michael Levitt, Fields Medal-winning mathematician Prof. David Mumford, and actor Tony Leung.

In his acceptance speech, Huang emphasised the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, declaring, "The age of AI has started. A new computing era that will impact every industry and every field of science."

Huang attributed this shift to advancements in AI technology, which he said Nvidia helped pioneer with the invention of the graphics processing unit 25 years ago. He characterised AI as "the most important technology of our time, and potentially of all times."

Speaking directly to graduates, Huang expressed enthusiasm for the current era, noting the opportunities it presents: "The whole world is reset. You're at the starting lines with everybody else. An industry is being reinvented." He encouraged students to leverage AI as a tool to address the world's most pressing challenges.

During a fireside chat with HKUST Council Chairman Harry Shum, Huang touched on Nvidia's global presence, particularly its operations in China, where the company has design centres in Pudong, Shenzhen, Beijing, and Hong Kong. He commended HKUST for its role in cultivating tech talent, referring to the university as the "Asian version of MIT".

Huang also commented on the geopolitical implications of AI development, stating that changes in the political landscape would not hinder global scientific collaboration.

"It will not be possible to impede the development of open science and AI," he said, adding that Nvidia would continue to balance regulatory compliance with technological innovation, especially under the upcoming Trump administration.