19
million for 40 research projects funded by the National
Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Ministry of
Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Department
of Science and Technology, Nansha Science and Information
Technology Bureau, and several others.
The research platforms received three National 973 sub-
projects and one National 863 sub-project totaling RMB6.71
million, and 11 NSFC projects totaling RMB13.68 million.
One Shenzhen Research Institute NSFC study, focusing on
polymers synthesized from triple-bond building blocks, is
a Major Fund project, with an overall approved funding of
RMB20 million.
Five out of seven proposals in the inaugural invitation by the
Ministry of Science and Technology to establish Hong Kong
branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Centers
were shortlisted in 2014-15. The Ministry and Innovation
and Technology Commission members visited the University
in March 2015 to meet senior management, principal
investigators and team members of the shortlisted proposals
covering innovative wastewater treatment, big data, visual
computing, Chinese medicine, and aggregation-induced
emission-based materials.
International companies and institutions continued to
support HKUST laboratories and institutes. Qualcomm Inc.
donated another US$200,000 to the HKUST-Qualcomm Joint
Innovation and Research Laboratory in addition to the previous
year’s initial funding, while the World Bank granted another
US$210,000 to the HKUST Institute for Emerging Marketing
Studies for its Network Jobs and Development project.
During the reporting year, HKUST launched 157 research
projects funded by non-Hong Kong sources, worth over
$109.6 million.
ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
The Energy Institute fostered partnerships with national
and international institutions, and the HKSAR government,
including joint workshop and research collaboration with
the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, collaboration with the Drainage
Services Department for biogas fuel cell research for power
generation from sewage treatment plants, and collaboration
with Tsinghua University on Bio-fuels. The Institute for
Emerging Market Studies (IEMS), which provides research and
builds dialogue on issues facing policy-makers and business,
produced nine Thought Leadership Briefs and launched
a new working paper series, along with conferences and
workshops, IEMS seminars, policy and business talks, and
forums addressing different issues on emerging markets. The
Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau supported a
$2 million project with the Institute for Environment (IENV)
while the University of Macau awarded MOP647,000 to a
HKUST research team. IENV was also awarded $8 million for
a feasibility study on PM
2.5
for air quality improvement in the
Pearl River Delta.
HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY
Along with the pursuit for excellence and quest for new
knowledge, HKUST knows that a critical factor of our success
70%
research projects were
rated ”WORLD LEADING”
and ”INTERNATIONALLY
EXCELLENT”
