HKUST Annual Report 2016-17

36 HKUST 2016-2017 Annual Report INTERNATIONAL AND MAINLAND STRATEGY Impactful collaborations with overseas and Mainland academia and industry raised the University’s national and global profile GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT Seizing Opportunities The One Belt, One Road initiative led to concerted efforts across the University to explore research openings and build relevant overseas relationships. In November 2016, President Tony F Chan joined a delegation led by the then Financial Secretary, Mr John Tsang, and more than 30 leaders from finance, information and communication technology, to Dubai and Tehran to explore new opportunities arising from One Belt One Road. The delegation met government officials and business leaders. In Iran, President Chan also met the presidents of Sharif University of Technology and Amirkabir University of Technology to explore academic and research collaborative opportunities. In addition, HKUST welcomed university leaders from One Belt One Road countries such as Kazakhstan and Russia to its Clear Water Bay campus. These delegations expressed keen interest to work with the University to identify potential synergies arising from One Belt One Road. Strengthening Ties During the year, University delegations conducted strategic visits to Australia, Singapore and Japan to further strengthen existing relationships with leading institutions and initiate new partnerships with universities and industry. The visits also led to meetings with alumni and media representatives. As part of the Japan visit, the University jointly organized a formal luncheon with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo, Hong Kong Trade Development Council Tokyo Office and Invest Hong Kong, including a talk on “Innovation and Technology: Another Pillar of the Hong Kong Economy”. The event attracted more than 100 representatives from government, academic and industry, and the University’s MBA students and alumni, as well as extensive media coverage. In Singapore, the visit coincided with HKUST’s 25th Anniversary celebration event, with the delegation celebrating along with students, alumni and university partners. In Hong Kong, the University organized the annual Consuls General Reception in October 2016 to introduce HKUST’s latest developments and achievements, and exchange ideas on potential collaborations with institutions and companies in their respective countries. Representatives from over 30 countries attended. Advancing Strategic Collaboration The University works selectively with leading institutions that complement its strengths and research and academic priorities. During the year, HKUST entered into new university-level agreements with the University of St Andrews and University of Tokyo to deepen academic and research collaborations, and facilitate student exchange. HKUST and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Visiting Associates Program continued to assist selected HKUST faculty members to undertake research with Caltech faculty to foster long-term academic collaborations and to build relationships. Discussions are