HKUST Annual Report 2018-19

37 HKUST MAINLAND PRESENCE HKUST (Guangzhou) Announced HKUST is set to extend its capabilities to contribute to the development of China’s innovation-driven Greater Bay Area (GBA), following the signing of a tripartite agreement inDecember 2018between theUniversity, theGuangzhou Municipal Government and Guangzhou University to establish the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (also known as HKUST (GZ)) which will nurture talent and facilitate collaboration amongst Hong Kong, the GBA and beyond on education, research and commercialization, while strengthening knowledge transfer to bridge Hong Kong’s gap in high- tech manufacturing. The campuses in Hong Kong and Guangzhou will be fully synergistic and complementary. HKUST (GZ) will focus initially on postgraduate programs to nurture research talents to tackle the transdisciplinary challenges of sustainability and the environment, energy, urbanization, aging, and more. HKUST’s expertise in science, technology, business management, social science, and interdisciplinary education puts it in a position to play a significant role in the GBA development. Preparatory academic planning and work on the institutional structure and campus design have already commenced. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022. Located in Qingsheng, Nansha in Guangzhou, HKUST (GZ) covers 1.13 sq km and is close to the Qingsheng Station. It will take just 30 minutes to reach by high speed rail from Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station, facilitating academic and scientific exchanges and expanding the links between Hong Kong’s hi-tech innovation and GBA’s R&D and manufacturing capabilities. Leveraging its close proximity to the University’s well-established mainland research institutes in Nansha and Shenzhen and R&D Center in Foshan, HKUST (GZ) will strengthen knowledge transfer of research findings and applications, and facilitate commercialization. District Government Research Cooperation To foster further partnerships and innovation, the University’s mainland platforms in Foshan, Nansha, and Shenzhen continued to expand their collaborative networks with district governments and related organizations in Guangdong province, leading to a series of research facilities and agreements over the year. These included: The HKUST-Zhongshan Joint Innovation Center with the Zhongshan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology; International Smart Manufacturing Platform, supported by the Nansha district government and Guangzhou municipal government; a Memorandum of Understanding between the University, Foshan municipal government and Nanhai district government to extend cooperation between industry, academia, and the research sector; and an agreement between the University’s Shenzhen Research Institute and Futian district government to set up the HKUST Futian Base for research, development, and entrepreneurship. Industry Partnerships and Talent Development It was also a fruitful year for deepening connections with Mainland businesses and institutions as HKUST stepped up its emphasis on applied research and knowledge transfer, resulting in the establishment of eight joint labs/ institutes: five with industry and three with institutions. In other industry-related developments, the University formed a strategic partnership with information and communications technology leader Huawei Technologies, which will provide funding support to foster high-impact research and nurture research talent. The move marks the first time that Huawei has entered into an accord with such a focus. The School of Science’s Department of Mathematics established a long-term collaboration with Shenzhen-based DNA testing and analysis company WeGene, and the School of Business and Management increased its fintech and insurtech ties following the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation with ZhongAn Technologies International Group Ltd, a subsidiary of ZhongAn Online, which is China’s largest online-only insurance firm. The School also entered into a strategic collaboration with China Construction Bank to provide training for the bank’s employees and actively support the formation of China Construction Bank University, in addition to a Memorandum of Cooperation with the China Banking Association, Shenzhen University, and China Construction Bank University to co-develop a professional qualification for fintech practitioners in China. This represents a pioneering effort between Mainland China and Hong Kong to establish a nationwide qualification framework and enhance professionalism in the fast- moving fintech industry. Looking outward from Hong Kong, 2018-19 proved productive for expanding Mainland and international ties with academic institutions, industry, and decision-makers