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Prof Benjamin Horton

Dean, School of Energy and Environment

City University of Hong Kong

Professor Benjamin Horton is Dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and President’s Chair of Earth Science. An internationally recognised sea-level scientist, he has pioneered research on past and future sea-level change, coastal flood risk, ice-sheet dynamics, vertical land motion, and nature-based adaptation. His work integrates field evidence, geochronology, and quantitative modelling to reconstruct the timing, magnitude, and rates of sea-level rise and fall across all seven continents, helping to improve projections of future coastal hazards.

Before joining CityUHK, Professor Horton was Director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore and Chair of the Asian School of the Environment at Nanyang Technological University, where he held the AXA Chair in Natural Hazards. He previously served at Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Horton earned degrees from the University of Liverpool and Durham University.

Professor Horton has contributed to major international climate and policy processes, including the IPCC and COP, and has advised governments, agencies, industry, the World Bank, and high-level judicial audiences. He has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and 12 books or edited volumes, supervised 28 PhD students and 27 postdoctoral researchers. Professor Horton is a Fellow of AGU and GSA and is the 2026 recipient of the Axford Medal from AOGS.

Session:

30 October, Friday
10:30 - 12:00
Unity in Disaster Management – cultivating shared responsibility

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