10% OFF Early Bird Discount before July 17, 2026!
Workshop Description
HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science (HKU IDS) proudly hosts IDS Summer Workshop 2026 – Build the Brains Behind the Bots – AI Agents: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions, which will be held from 19–21 August 2026.
This three-day workshop introduces students to the rapidly evolving fields of Large Language Models and AI agents. Participants will first build a foundation in how LLMs are designed, trained, and evaluated, and what they can and cannot do. The workshop will then explore AI agent architectures, including planning, reasoning, memory, and multi-agent collaboration. Through lectures, discussions, and capstone project activities, students will learn to understand, design, and critically assess AI agent systems for research, industry, and real-world problem solving.
What’s Included:
Image for reference only.
Key Information
🗓️ Dates
19–21 August 2026
🏫 Venue
IDS Seminar Room
P603, Graduate House, HKU
🧑 Target participants
- Undergraduate / postgraduate students
- All AI-curious learners
📋 Prerequisites
Basic Computer Science or AI knowledge will be a plus
💬 Language
English
🎖️ Certificate
Certificate of attendance will be issued to participants who complete the workshop
🎭 Areas of Interest
#LLMs | #AIAgents | #PlanningandReasoning |
#ToolUseandMemory | #MultiAgentSystems | #RealWorldApplications |
#LLMs
#AIAgents
#PlanningandReasoning
#ToolUseandMemory
#MultiAgentSystems
#RealWorldApplications
Workshop Objectives
-
Learn the Foundations
Understand the fundamentals of Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI agent architectures. -
Explore How AI Agents Think
Gain insight into how AI agents are built with planning, reasoning, memory, and coordination capabilities. -
See Real-World Impact
Discover practical applications of AI agents and the latest breakthroughs shaping the field. -
Understand Multi-Agent Systems
Learn how multiple AI agents can work together to solve complex real-world problems. -
Know What AI Agents Can and Cannot Do
Explore what AI agents can do, cannot do, and where key challenges remain. -
Think Critically About the Future of AI Agent Technologies
Assess the opportunities, limitations, and future directions of AI agent technologies.
Workshop Instructor
Prof Chao HUANG
Assistant Professor
HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science and
Department of Computer Science, School of Computing and Data Science, HKU
Professor Chao Huang is an Assistant Professor and PhD supervisor at the Institute of Data Science and School of Computing and Data Science, HKU. His research focuses on Large Language Models (LLMs), AI agents, and Graph Machine Learning, with over 14,000 citations on Google Scholar. Professor Huang leads the Data Intelligence Lab at HKU, specializing in AI open-source technology research. The team has launched projects including LightRAG, RAG-Anything, DeepCode, AutoAgent, AI-Researcher, AI-Trader, MiniRAG, and VideoRAG, accumulating over 77,000 GitHub stars and ranking in the global Top-200, making it to GitHub Trending 59 times. Due to his open-source contributions, Professor Huang received the “Bright Star” award at WAIC 2024, the “2024 Frontier Science Award in Theoretical Computer Science and Information Science (ICBS)” and was selected for “2025 AI100 Young Pioneers” and “2025 Global AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars.” His research has been recognized among the most influential works at KDD, WWW, and SIGIR conferences, with best paper nomination awards at ACM MM 2024, WSDM 2022, and WWW 2019.
More information about Prof Huang can be found at https://datascience.hku.hk/people/chao-huang/
Workshop Fee
Workshop fee: HK$9,800
10% discount will be available for:
- Early Birds enrolments on or before 17 July 2026
- Previous IDS Summer Institute participants (limited quota)
A handling charge of HK$150 applies to all successful applicants.
Workshop fee also covers:
- Tram Party Networking
- 3-day lunch
- Exclusive HKU IDS Souvenirs
Day-by-Day Breakdown
| Day 1 | Foundations of Large Language Models (LLMs) |
|---|---|
|
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Core architecture and training principles |
|
|
Capabilities and limitations of current LLMs |
|
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Emerging trends and developments in language modeling |
|
|
Social event |
| Day 2 | Foundations of AI Agents |
|---|---|
|
|
Agent design principles and architectural frameworks |
|
|
Planning and reasoning capabilities |
|
|
Memory systems and context management |
|
|
Multi-agent coordination and collaboration |
| Day 3 | Applications and Capstone |
|---|---|
|
|
Real-world applications |
|
|
Future research directions and open challenges |
|
|
Capstone project presentations and discussions |
Application deadline has passed
Application deadline has passed
Thanks for the support. Confirmed participants will receive further Workshop details soon.
Please complete the application form. Payment instructions will be issued via email to eligible applicants within five working days after IDS has reviewed the submitted applications.
Deadlines
Early-bird discount deadline: 17 July 2026, 23:59 HKT
Application deadline: 10 August 2026, 23:59 HKT
Disclaimer
Programme contents and formats are subject to change. The programme is subject to cancellation if there are insufficient applications.
Remarks
Discount Verification
Refund Policy
Attendance Requirement
Self-arranged Accommodation
Travel and Medical Insurance
Discount Verification
The 10% discount applies to the workshop fee only and cannot be combined with other discounts.
The early bird discount is only available to applications made on or before 17 July 2026.
The discount for previous HKU IDS Summer Institute participants is subject to verification and quota.
Refund Policy
Both the tuition fee and handling charge are non-refundable in any case.
Attendance Requirement
A certificate of attendance may be issued to participants who attend at least 80% of the workshop, subject to final confirmation by HKU IDS.
Participants should inform HKU IDS in advance if they expect to be absent from any session. Unapproved absence or repeated lateness may affect certificate eligibility.
HKU IDS reserves the right to make the final decision on certificate issuance.
Self-arranged Accommodation
Accommodation will not be provided by HKU IDS. Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation during the workshop period.
For reference, participants may refer to the accommodation reference provided by IDS. The information is for reference only. Participants should make their own enquiries and booking arrangements directly with the accommodation providers.
Travel and Medical Insurance
All students need to have valid travel and medical insurance as a mandatory condition for participation in our programmes. We strongly recommend that students secure their insurance policies well in advance of their departure to ensure continuous coverage.
Enquiry
- idatasci@hku.hk
- 39102324
IDS Summer Workshop 2026
From Learning to Ideas: Exploring AI Agents Across Disciplines
What happens when students, researchers, academics and industry professionals from very different fields come together to explore the fast-evolving world of AI Agents?
A different kind of summer classroom
At the IDS Summer Workshop 2026 – Build the Brains Behind the Bots – AI Agents: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions organised by the HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science (HKU IDS), participants spent three intensive days learning, discussing and experimenting together.
The cohort brought together students, researchers, academics and industry professionals from fields including computing, finance, medicine, social sciences, mathematics and engineering.
Continuing the Learning Journey
Supporting Promising Members of the HKU Learning Community
As part of HKU IDS’s commitment to nurturing continued learning and interdisciplinary engagement, a number of complimentary places were offered to selected HKU members who had demonstrated strong performance in previous IDS courses. We hope such opportunities can encourage promising learners to continue developing their interests, deepen their engagement with emerging areas of data science and AI, and remain connected with the wider IDS community.
Key Workshop Information
Dates
19–21 August 2026
Main Venue
IDS Seminar Room P603
Graduate House, HKU
Graduate House, HKU
Programme Focus
LLMs · AI Agents · Applications · Capstone Project
The Academic Core
From LLM Foundations to Designing AI Agent Workflows
Across three days, the workshop progressed from the foundations of Large Language Models to AI Agents and their applications, before participants put the ideas into practice through tutorials, demonstrations, discussion and Capstone projects.
Led by Prof Chao HUANG, participants were encouraged not only to understand how the technologies work, but also to consider how they might be applied in their own research and professional fields.
Workshop Instructor
Prof Chao HUANG
Member, HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science
Assistant Professor, School of Computing and Data Science, HKU
Assistant Professor, School of Computing and Data Science, HKU
Prof Chao Huang’s research focuses on Large Language Models (LLMs), AI agents and Graph Machine Learning, with over 14,000 citations on Google Scholar.
View full bio
Prof Huang leads the Data Intelligence Lab at HKU, specialising in AI open-source technology research. His team has launched projects including LightRAG, RAG-Anything, DeepCode, AutoAgent, AI-Researcher, AI-Trader, MiniRAG and VideoRAG, accumulating over 77,000 GitHub stars and ranking within the global Top 200, with projects making GitHub Trending 59 times.
His open-source and research contributions have been recognised through the “Bright Star” Award at WAIC 2024, the 2024 Frontier Science Award in Theoretical Computer Science and Information Science (ICBS), selection as a 2025 AI100 Young Pioneer, and inclusion among the 2025 Global AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars.
His work has also been recognised among influential research at KDD, WWW and SIGIR, with best paper nominations at ACM MM 2024, WSDM 2022 and WWW 2019.
Our Participants
Different Starting Points, Shared Curiosity
54%
Undergraduate, postgraduate
& research students
& research students
46%
Academics, researchers
& working professionals
& working professionals
The workshop brought together participants across different stages of study and professional life, connecting academic research, industry and professional practice within the same learning environment.
Their backgrounds ranged from computing and engineering to medicine, finance, mathematics, social sciences, education and linguistics. Technical starting points also varied, from participants exploring programming for the first time to those already working with AI and data.
Computing & AI
Engineering
Medicine
Finance
Mathematics
Social Sciences
Education
Linguistics
Beyond the Classroom
Learning Happened in More Than One Setting
The workshop also created space for conversations beyond the formal teaching sessions. Participants explored the HKU campus, met one another through opening activities, continued discussions over lunch, and ended the first day with an academic exchange aboard a Hong Kong antique tram.
From Learning to Ideas
Days of Exploration, Brought Together in the Capstone
The Capstone Project developed alongside the workshop. Participants formed five teams and began shaping their ideas from the first day, refining them as the programme moved from LLMs to AI Agents and applications.
Capstone Project Presentation & Closing Ceremony
Date& time
21 August 2026
Afternoon
Afternoon
Venue
Digital Interactive Lab
Main Library, HKU
Main Library, HKU
On the final afternoon, the groups presented their projects and discussed their ideas with Prof Yi MA, Director of HKU IDS, and Prof Chao HUANG, who joined as judges. Participants also took part by voting for their favourite presenter.
The five teams explored applications ranging from fake-news detection and personal transportation to finance, education, biotechnology, healthcare and business intelligence.
Reflecting on the cohort, Prof Ma noted how widely AI is beginning to reach across disciplines and industries. He encouraged participants to keep learning, stay connected and continue exploring the possibilities opened up during the workshop.
Message from Our Director
“Hopefully this Summer Workshop is a starting point for many of you.”
Prof Yi MA
Director, HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science
Director, HKU School of Computing and Data Science
Professor, Chair of Artificial Intelligence
Participant Voices
Different Perspectives, Different Possibilities
Making AI Approachable
“
What I liked most was how Prof Huang breaks down complicated concepts into detailed, straightforward examples and explanations. He explains the development of AI in a very approachable way.
Mr Tim ZHANG
PhD Student, Department of Mathematics
The University of Hong Kong
AI + Social Work
“
Prof Huang’s team significantly enhanced my AI literacy and guided me on the proper route to explore the use of AI in social work.
Dr Esther MUI
Registered Social Worker & Applied Researcher
The University of Hong Kong / City University
Across Disciplines
“
In our group, one participant was from finance and another from linguistics. It made me feel AI is already in so many aspects, and AI can do much more than I expected.
Ms Bingqing YANG
PhD Student, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care
The University of Hong Kong
From Frontier Research to Practice
“
I learned a lot from Prof Huang’s insightful overview of LLM-Agent frontiers and the hands-on experience shared by his team.
Mr Qingqing SUN
Staff Algorithm Engineer
Ant International
Course Evaluation
What Participants Told Us
91%
agreed that the course materials increased their knowledge and skills
4.5 / 5
average across five core teaching-quality measures
95%
responded positively to the HKU campus tour
Source: IDS Summer Workshop 2026 Course Evaluation. Response base varies by item.
Programme Highlights
Three Days, One Learning Journey
| Day | Focus | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 19 Aug 2026 | Foundations of LLMs |
HKU Campus Tour
Opening & Icebreaking
Foundations of LLMs
Capstone Briefing
Academic Exchange Tram Party
|
| Day 2 20 Aug 2026 | AI Agents & Applications |
Foundations of AI Agents
Applications
Discussion & Exchange
Capstone Development
|
| Day 3 21 Aug 2026 | From Learning to Ideas |
Student Sharing
AI Agent Workflow Tutorial
Capstone Presentations
Closing Remarks
Awards & Certificates
|
Precious Moments
Photo Gallery
