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HKUST 2012-13 Annual Report
17
JOINT SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENTWITH XI’AN
JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY
In June 2012, the University Council endorsed a
plan to establish the Xi’an Jiaotong University-
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Joint School of Sustainable Development (JSSD).
Xi’an Jiaotong is a major research university and,
as the regional academic leader in western China,
has become an engine for scholarship, education
and knowledge transfer. The initiative was
welcomed by both universities, recognizing that
sustainable development is one of the world’s
greatest challenges and a strategic national goal
for China.
Major steps have been taken during the year
to realize the vision for the Joint School. A
Cooperation Agreement setting out the
parameters for the partnership has been signed
and the University Senate has endorsed a
provisional curriculum for both undergraduate
and postgraduate studies. The proposal for
the official establishment of the JSSD is being
submitted to the Ministry of Education under
Xi’an Jiaotong’s lead. In the meantime, HKUST is
driving global recruitment of faculty members,
who are expected to lead academic and
administrative matters for the Joint School. The
emphasis will be on interdisciplinary collaboration
across three core departments: Sustainable
Energy; Sustainable Materials; and Sustainable
Systems.