The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has started a new chapter as The State Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved its application for proceeding to establish The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST (GZ)).
The new campus will synergize with and maintain the same academic standard as that of it’s Clear Water Bay (CWB) counterpart.
HKUST (GZ) will nurture talent and facilitate collaboration amongst Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and beyond on education, research and commercialization while strengthening knowledge transfer to bridge Hong Kong’s gap in high-tech manufacturing.
The ground-breaking ceremony was held recently at the proposed site in Nansha, Guangzhou. Officiating guests included the Chief Executive of HKSAR Government, the Party Secretary of Guangdong Provincial Committee and several other high-ranking government officials from Hong Kong and Guangzhou as well as senior professors and executives of the university.
Speaking at the ceremony, Hong Kong’s CE stated that the HKSAR Government has allocated more than HK$100 billion and implemented relevant policies over the past two years to enhance the city’s innovation and technology capabilities, hoping that Hong Kong can contribute to GBA.
It is believed that HKUST (GZ) will open a new page for the exchange and collaboration of Guangzhou and Hong Kong’s higher education sectors, as well as nurturing internationalized talent who has the ability to innovate.
The new campus is expected to provide quality support to deepening collaboration on different areas including teaching and research, the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, as well as student exchanges between Hong Kong and Mainland China.
The staunch support from the Mainland and the HKSAR governments on this project is welcomed and appreciated. Apart from nurturing innovative talent with a global vision in GBA, it is hoped that HKUST (GZ) will also bring far-reaching impact on technology innovation and industrial upgrading in the Mainland and Asia.
The HKUST President Professor stated that with their complementary degree programs and academic structures in GZ and CWB campuses, and mutual access to laboratories, classes and facilities, the entire HKUST will become even more effective in nurturing talent and advancing societal contributions, in particular, innovation and global cooperation.
The proposed HKUST (GZ) will not duplicate existing programs offered by the CWB campus but will focus on cross-disciplinary thematic programs to complement those in CWB.
Academic curriculum will be designed around four transdisciplinary hubs – information, function, system and society, covering research areas including data science, robotics and automation systems, artificial intelligence, advanced materials and other emerging and frontier fields.
HKUST has launched a pilot scheme on the CWB campus this year. 106 postgraduate students have been enrolled to take part in programs and related research areas proposed by HKUST (GZ).
HKUST (GZ) will shortly set up different management and governance structures to establish institutional charters, rules and policies, so as to kick off works on academic and organizational planning as well as campus development.
The new campus will admit postgraduate students in the initial phase, and undergraduates later when conditions allowed.
The architectural style of the campus will be in line with that of CWB’s, with clusters of academic and research activities developed around the four transdisciplinary hubs, supplemented by living and accommodation facilities and connected by accessible academic concourses.
Making reference to international standards as well as HKUST’s sustainable smart campus concept, HKUST(GZ) aims to become a smart green campus that incorporates the buildings into its natural surroundings – in particular, the water channels that spawn across the site.
The new campus will also have a sundial sculpture like the one featured on the CWB campus. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
