Over the past two decades, the university had been involved in many space missions, including the exploration of the moon and Mars.

After listening to Hu's lecture, Quentin Parker, director of HKU's Laboratory for Space Research, said China's achievements in space, including being the first to land on the far side of the moon, are exciting and have drawn much public interest in recent years.

He added that technology developed in recent years has created abundant opportunities in China in space exploration. He said he hopes HKU will be become even more involved in the nation's space projects.

Li Zhaojin, a 24-year-old PhD student and researcher at PolyU who has participated in China's Mars exploration efforts along with about 20 other team members, said the lecture at PolyU recognized the school's efforts in space exploration.

During the lecture, Qi shed light on the difficulties that scientists encounter during experiments and the need for perseverance, and Li said his words renewed her enthusiasm to pursue aerospace research.

"As a researcher, it is not an easy path," Li said. "But I felt honored and satisfied to contribute what I have learned to the country's development."

Chen Shuman contributed to this story.