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HKUST 2011-2012 Annual Report
universities where our collaborations are deeper, in research, in student and faculty exchanges,
in internship arrangements and in other areas of common interest.
We have made a parallel push on ties with the Mainland, the center of the world’s attention.
The University has received a multitude of visitors from the Mainland, receiving over 90
delegations with 1,300 delegates from senior government officials and universities in the past
12 months, a hefty increase of 55% over the previous year, thus further enlarging our visibility
and our reach. Partnerships flourish, and bases are consolidated. During the past year, our
beachheads on the Mainland are gaining in dimensionality: our new Shenzhen IER Building
was opened for business; the topping-out ceremony for the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate
School Building in Nansha also took place; and the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center was
officially opened on 30 March 2012, thanks to the generous support of the Nanhai government
which has donated land and money for its establishment. On the education front, memoranda
of agreements have been signed with leading Mainland universities and bodies covering joint
training and research in humanities, social science and engineering, as well as the training for
middle-management officials in government. These included an umbrella agreement signed
with the municipal government of Guangzhou on education and research. The Mainland media
have also paid us much flattering attention, covering our success story in depth and with zest.
Reaching out to red-chip companies has also opened up more opportunities for internship,
service learning and training for our students.
