The Next Step
11
President's
Report
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In 2004-05, we have been proud of our
accomplishments and greatly encour-
aged by the international endorsement
of our work. The release of a number of
different university rankings based on sur-
veys of institutions worldwide shows
HKUST's strength in a global context,
both as a whole and on an individual
School level.
These results, which place HKUST among
the world's top 50 universities, demon-
strate the value of continuously bench-
marking our achievements against other
leading institutions and testify to the
University's growing influence in the
global arena.
There are manifest benefits to Hong
Kong deriving from our world-class schol-
arship. Our partnerships with leading
companies have spurred new hi-tech
opportunities. Such initiatives in 2004-05
include a collaborative partnership with
Geron Corporation, a leading interna-
tional biopharmaceutical company, to
establish a biotech company here that
will help develop drugs to counter age-
related and neurodegenerative dis-
eases; and the establishment of the first
national information technology key lab-
oratory outside Mainland China.
In addition, the University has further
strengthened its ties with industry to bring
about changes that improve the way
we live, and I am delighted to report
that we have signed over 100 research
and development contracts with indus-
trial clients during the year. Our work has
also continued to receive major support
from the Innovation and Technology
Fund (ITF), with the University chosen by
the ITF to spearhead a HK$400 million
R&D center for nanotechnology and
advancedmaterials, among other projects.
None of these achievements would
have been possible without the talented
people to make them happen and, in
the past 12 months, I have been heart-
ened to see many of the University's fac-
ulty, students and staff receive well-
deserved accolades for their work. These
honors not only show HKUST's high stand-
ing in both local and global contexts;
they will also spur all members of the
University to scale greater heights in the
future.
The dramatic changes that will occur
within Hong Kong higher education
were highlighted by the Government's
proposed 3-3-4 system, which will see
students attend secondary school for six
years, followed by four years in higher
education. The effort will make Hong
Kong and the tertiary education sector
more competitive in the global arena.
We have always supported the idea of a
four-year undergraduate curriculum. The
move will allow us greater flexibility to
offer students a broader range of pro-
gram opportunities, more independ-
ence in their choice of studies, and more
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
options. Students will enjoy more oppor-
tunities for intellectual explorations,
social interaction and cultural exposure.
We also intend to provide our under-
graduates with early research experi-
ence, a move set in motion with this
year's launch of the Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Program, which
will further enhance the research culture
at HKUST.
Another benefit of a four-year degree
program is to bring the University in line
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