SPECIAL TRIBUTE
During the compiling of this annual report,
the sad news of the passing of our Council
Chairman Dr Marvin Kin Tung Cheung
(1947-2014) was announced. As President
of HKUST, I would like to pay tribute to the
contribution made by Dr Cheung to the
University’s advancement and remarkable
achievements. I and other members of
senior management were continually
supported by Dr Cheung’s wise guidance
and advice as leader of our Council since
2008 and as Vice - Chairman prior to
tha t . He sha red hi s expe r i ence and
time generously and HKUST has moved
progressively ahead in numerous areas of
governance as a result.
September 2013 and to personally attend for the second
time the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,
in January 2014. The latter included participation in the
Global University Leaders Forum, together with more
than 20 other presidents of top universities worldwide.
ADVANCING AND CONTRIBUTING
Another far-reaching and exciting development over
the year was our increased activities in relation to
the University’s enterprise culture. During 2013-14,
HKUST’s entrepreneurial ecosystem had fostered a
total of 35 financially active companies associated with
our faculty, students and alumni. A growing range of
strategic industrial partnerships with major companies,
including Huawei, Thales, UC RUSAL, and Lenovo, have
thrived. Over the year, the creation of the new senior
post of Associate Provost for Knowledge Transfer
and growing s tudent ac ti v iti es in re lati on to
entrepreneurship demonstrated our commitment to
practical innovation and business initiation, alongside
education and research.
At the same time, we moved steadily forward in
our students’ social contribution to the community.
Awareness of the needs of others, leadership skills,
and service learning have been highlighted through
programs such as the REDbird Award scheme, HKUST
Connect, which now works together with 80 partners
in the community on service projects, and a newly
piloted Student Leadership Program, which has
attracted over 200 students already.
The advancement of campus facilities added further
momentum to the University’s endeavors. Following
the relocation of the School of Busines s and
Management to the Lee Shau Kee Campus, the eight-
story Cheng Yu Tung Research and Academic Building
will soon be ready, marking another major milestone
for our campus development. Some other facilities are
undergoing construction and refurbishment, such as
The Hub, a student center and coffee shop located in
the Piazza, and the Conference Tower right next to the
HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study.
LOOKING AHEAD
Such directions point the way for further expansion
of amenities and programs to give our students
the truly life-changing higher education experience
that can enable them to fully understand and utilize
their potential. Nurtured and bound by the 1-HKUST
concept of communal endeavor, they also serve as the
foundation for the development of HKUST core values
that can serve as a guide and direction finder when
faced with challenging times and as a distinctive mark
of excellence for the University as a whole.
These are not small ambitions but I believe they
are achievable ones, thanks to the dedication and
commitment that has already been shown by Council
and Court members, faculty, staff, students and alumni.
I would also like to thank our community supporters
whose strong and heartening belief in our capabilities
has kept the University advancing on all fronts. Over
the past year, we have taken numerous steps toward
a future that will see HKUST become an institution
which merely by name stirs up images of achievement,
character, endeavor and contributive spirit among
people worldwide. In the year ahead, I look forward to
working with you all to turn those steps into pathways.
President
Prof Tony F Chan,
JP
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HKUST 2013-2014 Annual Report
