Background
Innovation, adaptation, inclusivity, and originality – this set of beliefs has led the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to make great strides progressively in education, research, and knowledge transfer since its establishment in 1991. In just three decades, HKUST has risen through the ranks in the global educational arena and is recognized as one of the top young universities in the world.
Deeply rooted in Hong Kong, HKUST has a role to play in advancing the sustainable development of the city in the fast-changing digital era. While Hong Kong enjoys international status as one of the world’s most open and dynamic economies and has built close ties with Chinese mainland, it needs to forge stronger partnerships between academic and industry to help the city keep pace with the latest innovation and technology trends and facilitate innovators to put new ideas into action.
Seeing the unprecedented demand for high-end talent in support of the development of Hong Kong and the world, HKUST is looking to push the boundary and forge bridges across disciplines to develop leaders who aspire to make a difference. Like its fellow institutions around the globe, HKUST strives to think forward and reinvent education that defies the boundaries of traditional fields and opens up new frontiers of knowledge and research to address unfolding needs of the wider society.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) indeed is the realization of this ambition to transform education for the future, with its cross-disciplinary academic structure designed to complement the well-established disciplinary foundation at the Clear Water Bay campus.
This vision of transforming the future fits well to the master plan of the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) which will serve as a strategic hub to catalyze the combined talents of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and nine cities in Guangdong Province. The initiative will also strengthen knowledge transfer to bridge Hong Kong’s gap in high-tech manufacturing through the strong mainland supply chain network.
To conceive this new vision of HKUST, the University signed a tripartite agreement with the Guangzhou Municipal Government and Guangzhou University in 2018. Under the agreement, the University will jointly establish HKUST(GZ) in the Nansha district of Guangzhou with full support of the local authority and partner. With the preparatory approval already obtained in 2019, HKUST is vigorously progressing to the next phase of this important milestone.
Greater Bay Area
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and the nine municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province. The total area is around 56,000 sq. km. At end 2019, the total population is over 72 million, the GDP is USD 1,679.5 billion and GDP per capita is USD 23,371.
The development of the Greater Bay Area is accorded the status of key strategic planning in the country's development blueprint, having great significance in the country's implementation of innovation-driven development and commitment to reform and opening-up. The objectives are to further deepen cooperation amongst Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, fully leverage the composite advantages of the three places, facilitate in-depth integration within the region, and promote coordinated regional economic development, with a view to developing an international first-class bay area ideal for living, working and travelling.
HKUST Strategic Plan
Established in 1991, HKUST is now a globally respected university and contributes both locally and internationally to talent development, new knowledge and societal interests. Being international is an intrinsic element of the HKUST spirit. The University was founded on the principle that education, original scholarship, and the development of society are integrally linked and best pursued together. We believe that humanity’s advancement is generated through the fostering of an international community and the nurturing of individuals through holistic education, original research, and knowledge transfer into the wider society.
HKUST Strategic Plan
2021-2028
Governance
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST (GZ)) is a Mainland-Hong Kong cooperatively run university that implements academic education and has an independent legal status. It is jointly organized by Guangzhou University (GZU) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), under the support from Guangzhou Municipal Government, with reference to the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools and the Implementation Measures of the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools , and other relevant laws, regulations and administrative rules, with the additional premise of not violating Chapter 1141 of the Hong Kong Laws on The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance and its relevant laws, regulations, and within the scope of the parties. HKUST(GZ) implements the principal responsibility system under the leadership of the Governing Board.
UNIFIED HKUST - COMPLEMENTARY CAMPUSES
HKUST is well-positioned and will continue to enthusiastically support members to pursue curiosity-driven investigations in any disciplines within our established academic scope. Such activities may be fundamental with no immediate prospect for practical adoption. In parallel, the University is motivated to facilitate mission-encouraged research and learning in response to numerous challenges and opportunities of great societal implications. We recognize that the success of such pursuits requires expertise across disciplines along with necessary institution-wide structures and resources.
The establishment of HKUST(Guangzhou) creates an exceptional opportunity for new resources, organizational structure and physical settings needed for the systematic development of cross-disciplinary programs in concert with the disciplinary-oriented efforts. We envision a unified university system that capitalizes on the aforementioned duality in support of both curiosity-driven and mission-encouraged pursuits while promoting two complementary campuses without duplicating academic programs, which at the same time retain two separate legal entities of independent finances with no cross-same time retain two separate legal entities of independent finances with no cross-subsidization.
Under the Unified HKUST-Complementary Campuses umbrella, academic structures and degree programs are differentiated, the overall infrastructures substantially enlarged and updated, and courses and central research facilities open to students and researchers both ways. Even though the two campuses are of separate legal entities and financial frameworks, faculty are encouraged and supported to collaborate and co-supervise students, and students will have opportunities to pursue degrees offered by both campuses. This way, members of both campuses will freely choose their research topics and related studies with University’s overall enlarged scope, with more flexibility and better support. Accordingly, HKUST will further strengthen its role as a globally leading institution, and our faculty and students will find an encouraging atmosphere for their passions and interests to better develop their potential.
Diversity and Equal Opportunities
At HKUST(GZ), we are dedicated to promoting equal opportunities and embracing diversity to create a truly inclusive community. We believe that a diverse community fosters creativity, innovation, and a shared sense of purpose and belonging.
By valuing and celebrating the unique experiences and perspectives of our community members, we aim to cultivate an academic environment that all individuals can thrive and reach their full potential.
Leadership
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President
Senior
Administration
Location
In order to foster true and meaningful collaboration between the two campuses, the 1.1-sq-km Guangzhou campus is conveniently located in Nansha, south of Guangzhou and adjacent to the Qingsheng station on the high-speed Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. It takes just 30 minutes to travel there from the Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station.
Milestones
-->Official Opening of HKUST(GZ) on 1 Sep 2022State Ministry of Education approved Establishment of HKUST(GZ) in Jun 2022
-->HKUST(GZ) laid the first stake in Nov 2020
-->HKUST(GZ) groundbreaking ceremony held in Sep 2019.HKUST(GZ)'s Preparatory Status Approved by State Ministry of Education in Sep 2019
-->HKUST signed Collaboration Agreements with Guangzhou Government and Guangzhou University to establish HKUST(GZ) in Dec 2018