Andre Geim

Sir Andre Geim (born October 21, 1958) is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and the pioneering scientist behind graphene — the world's thinnest and strongest material — who joined the University of Hong Kong (HKU) as a Chair Professor in April 2026, leaving the University of Manchester after more than two decades. He is the Regius Professor of Physics and Royal Society Research Professor at the National Graphene Institute.

Geim is best known for co-discovering graphene in 2004 alongside Konstantin Novoselov, using adhesive tape to isolate single atomic layers of carbon. The pair were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for this achievement. He holds the unique distinction of being the only person to have received both a Nobel Prize and an Ig Nobel Prize (for levitating a frog using magnetism in 2000).

Geim was drawn to Hong Kong by its East-West academic environment and world-class research infrastructure, saying the university's "forward-looking approach to interdisciplinary research" creates ideal conditions for breakthrough science. He has long maintained close ties with Chinese researchers and supervised dozens of Chinese doctoral students throughout his career.