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HKUST 2015-2016 Annual Report
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establishment of two out of five Hong Kong branches
of Chinese National Engineering Research Centers
at the University. The areas they will cover are Tissue
Restoration and Reconstruction and Control and
Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution.
Overall, HKUST secured over HK$484 million in
total research funding in 2015-16, with 207 new
projects awarded by Hong Kong’s Research Grants
Council. Showing the University’s commitment
to sustainability, two proposals led by HKUST
researchers were allocated HK$33 million each in
the Theme-based Research Scheme’s Developing a
Sustainable Environment category. The University’s
Mainland platforms were reorganized to emphasize
complementary aspects of innovation under the
overall guidance of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research
Institute. The platforms were awarded more
than RMB33 million for over 40 research projects
from prestigious funding bodies, including the
National Natural Science Foundation, Ministry
of Science and Technology and Guangdong Provincial
Department of Science and Technology.
Demonstrating the original minds at work at HKUST,
a total of 100 inventions were disclosed, and 157
new patent applications filed. This brings HKUST’s
current intellectual property portfolio to 1,026 active
patents and patent applications. The University
submitted a record 87 applications to the Hong Kong
government’s Innovation and Technology Fund and
received HK$112 million for the 28 projects funded.
GLOBAL FOOTPRINT, COMMUNITY TIES
A global outlook and role are integral to HKUST’s
strategic vision. I was therefore delighted to be
invited for my fourth visit to the World Economic
Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and
to participate in the elite Global University Leaders
Forum to discuss the role of universities in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution with presidents of top
international research institutions. In addition, HKUST
faculty took part in World Economic Forum Annual
Meeting of the New Champions conferences in Dalian
and Tianjin, including organizing a HKUST IdeasLab
on advanced materials. Over the year, I traveled with
faculty members to visit major institutions in the UK,
Canada, the US and other parts of the world to build
and strengthen relationships. During my October
2015 trip to North America, I was pleased to speak
on science and technology, and university
development issues in Hong Kong and Mainland
China at the US National Science Foundation.
At home, HKUST fostered national, regional and
international education links by bringing several high-
profile science and technology-related competitions
to the city. HKUST became the first local university
to serve as a host for the National Challenge Cup, the
main innovation and technology contest for university
students in China. Inspiring school-aged students
to explore the joys of science, the University hosted
the Asian Physics Olympiad for the first time in Hong
Kong as part of our 25th Anniversary celebrations
and signed an agreement to host the International
Mathematical Olympiad in July 2016.
Another prestigious gathering, jointly presented
by HKUST and Times Higher Education, was the
inaugural Asia Universities Summit, hosted on our
campus anddrawingsome30 leadersof risingand top
universities in 14 Asian nations and cities, and other
countries. Under discussion was the topical issue
of how universities can nurture creativity and
innovation. Sessions were thought-provoking and
enlightening.
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The Asia Universities Summit formed part of our
wide-reaching 25th Anniversary program of activities,
alongside our Distinguished Speaker Series, fund-
raising campaigns, local and overseas gatherings, and
other initiatives. Globally, School-sponsored alumni
events were scheduled to be held in four major cities,
namely London, San Francisco, Beijing, and Singapore,
to outreach to our global counterparts and our alumni
network. We organized these events with great
enthusiasm and they were met by equal enthusiasm
by the different members of the University family and
the wider community in Hong Kong and beyond.
The response of donors to the University’s anniversary
Global Vision campaign was enormously heartening,
demonstrating community trust and commitment
to our current and future endeavors. The Campus
Master Plan for infrastructure development was
able to advance in numerous ways, including major
support for an Innovation Building, a 1,000-seat multi-
purpose auditorium and a graduate student hostel.
In recognition of our renowned faculty, a further eight
Named Professorships were inaugurated in 2015-16,
thanks to the on-going generosity of stalwart University
supporters. The total number of such professorships,
both appointed and pending, now totals more than 30.
STRATEGIC WAY FORWARD
Our 25th Anniversary year has also entailed a great
deal of discussion among senior management as
well as HKUST stakeholders as to pathways forward
and the formation of our five-year Strategic Plan 2016-
20. This has called for HKUST to look closely at its
mission and vision as an elite research-focused higher
education institution that contributes to social and
economic development of this city and beyond, our
core values that guide the attributes we seek for our
graduates, and our on-going drive to move into the
highest global university spheres.
Five overall strategic objectives resulted and were
endorsed by the University Council in June 2016: to see
HKUST recognized as a University of choice for talents;
a leader in education and research; a powerhouse for
innovation and entrepreneurship; an exemplar of best-
in-class standards, practices and operations; and a
champion of diversity. It will be these goals that shape
our planning and major initiatives in the coming years.
ONWARD AND UPWARD
During 2015-16, there has been much to do and much
that has been achieved. For this, I want to thank the
commitment, as well as the “Can Do” and 1-HKUST
spirit, of our students, faculty, alumni, staff, Council and
Court members as well as senior management. All have
given their input in a variety of ways to ensure that HKUST
continues to serve as a leading example of education and
research excellence, significant innovation and thought
leadership, and impactful graduates. With our solid
foundation of 25 years of remarkable achievement, our
new Strategic Plan in place, and our much-admired zest
and willingness to strive for fresh peaks, I look forward to
HKUSTmovingonward and upward in the contributionwe
make locally, nationally, and globally in the years ahead.
SPECIAL TRIBUTE
It is with great sadness that I record the passing of Mr Ian Macpherson during the year under review. Mr
Macpherson, CBE, OBE, OStJ, was one of the key founders of HKUST, forever intertwined with the miraculous
history of this institution. He was appointed Secretary-General of the University Planning Committee in the
mid-1980s. When the Planning Committee completed its work, Mr Macpherson served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor
for Administration and Business from 1988-95, a vital span of years encompassing HKUST’s pre- and post-
1991 establishment as Hong Kong’s first research-oriented university. He also contributed as a member of the
University Council during that time. A true champion and friend of HKUST, Mr Macpherson will be remembered
with profound gratitude and deep respect.
President
PROF TONY F CHAN,
JP
