HKUST Annual Report 2019-2020

MAINLAND PRESENCE HKUST(GZ) Moves Forward The University’s state-of-the-art campus in Qingsheng, Nansha in Guangzhou, moved ahead in numerous ways over the year. Construction of the 1.1 square- kilometer campus, which will enable further contribution to innovation in the Greater Bay Area, got underway following a groundbreaking ceremony in September 2019 on site. HKUST(GZ) will operate under four interconnected, cross-disciplinary hubs (Function, Information, Systems, Society), each with its own research thrust areas, such as internet of things and robotics and autonomous systems, and an academic structure centered around enquiry- based active learning. In this way, the new campus will complement both the academic fields and departments at the Clear Water Bay campus and strengthen cross-border knowledge transfer, facilitating application of research findings and commercialization. In 2019-20, the first cohort of 109 postgraduate students commenced their studies in Clear Water Bay under a pilot scheme. A worldwide recruitment drive was launched for some 400 faculty to take forward phase one of the campus, due to open in mid-2022, and long-serving faculty members highly familiar with HKUST standards, operations and culture were appointed as acting deans of the four hubs. The campus masterplan has been designed by international architects Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and is aligned with the style of the Clear Water Bay campus. To share the latest developments of HKUST(GZ) amid COVID-19 travel and meeting restrictions, a webinar was held in April 2020 attracting over 300 scholars from around the world representing more than 20 universities. The online gathering covered the campus’ academic structure, research facilities, campus development and concept. It was led by President Prof. Wei SHYY and Provost Prof. Lionel NI, together with other members of senior management, deans, and HKUST(GZ) hub leaders. Academic Alliances To foster academic ties beyond the Greater Bay Area, HKUST actively participates in the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance, established in 2018 to nurture education and research exchange among the group’s 20 members. As executive chair starting from April 2020, HKUST hosted the Alliance’s annual meeting online in May 2020, together with Peking University. More than 70 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Education, Beijing Education Commission, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, HKSAR Education Bureau, and member universities attended. Discussions ranged from the need for novel ways to cooperate under the pandemic to future strategies to optimize joint endeavors between members. The meeting also saw the unveiling of the Alliance’s logo – a rose and a bauhinia symbolizing the close tie between the two cities. LOCAL TO GLOBAL Creating connections in the Mainland and internationally brought fresh academic and research opportunities while widening recognition of HKUST’s achievements and impact Scan the QR code to visit HKUST(GZ)’s website Joint Innovation Center introduced Zhongshan City’s 2020 funding scheme, with 10 applications subsequently submitted to the Zhongshan Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology. Industry Partnerships and Talent Development As interest from industry in collaborative partnerships with HKUST continues to rise, the University formalized a framework providing clear policy and guidelines on establishing joint research units over the year, and established several strategic partnerships with major companies in the Mainland to extend applied research and knowledge transfer opportunities for students and faculty. Among these partnerships is an agreement to form the HKUST-Bright Dream Robotics Joint Research Institute with Guangdong Bright Dream Robotics Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of Fortune Global 500 company Country Garden. The joint institute will carry out “smart living” research in construction and restaurant robotics, artificial intelligence, and big data, thus supporting the transition of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area into a knowledge- based economy. Another company collaboration will see the University and Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd., a leader in urbanization, establish the HKUST-Kaisa Joint Research Institute, which will undertake projects involving advanced materials, internet of things, big data, and healthcare. Regarding fintech endeavors, HKUST-WeBank Joint Laboratory, a partnership with WeBank, China’s first private digital bank, will carry out research into blockchain, risk management, and artificial intelligence for the financial sector. The year also brought the graduation of the inaugural cohort of Fintech Specialists, who completed the nationally recognized certificate program, co-developed by the School of Business and Management, China Banking Association, Shenzhen University and China Construction Bank University. The certificate is the first industry- accepted qualification for practitioners in China. Extending Technology Transfer with Key Mainland Cities 2019-20 proved a fruitful year for initiating and expanding city partnerships to assist the University in transferring its leading knowledge and technologies to industry and the community. In December 2019, the proposal to establish the HKUST Shenzhen-Hong Kong Collaborative Innovation Research Institute (SHCIRI) was approved by the University Council, and the Institute officially registered in Shenzhen in May 2020. The platform enables faculty to apply resources from Futian Government, participate in R&D mega projects and strengthen knowledge transfer, with a preliminary plan to set up “3T” research hubs in biotech, infotech, and fintech. A further initiative saw the HKUST Center for Collaborative Innovation jointly established with Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation in June 2020. The Center will provide proof-of-concept funding for projects with potential to translate into commercialized products, focusing on advanced materials and devices, electronics and devices, energy, and the environment, among others. This arrangement led to an agreement for project funding between HKUST and the Greater Bay Area Institute of Collaborative Innovation, established by the Beijing Institute, Guangdong Government, and leading universities in the Greater Bay Area. HKUST also expanded its collaboration with Foshan beyond Nanhai District Government to include Foshan Municipal Government, and signed a tripartite collaboration agreement that included the establishment of the HKUST Foshan Research Institute for Smart Manufacturing (FRISM) at the Clear Water Bay campus. The new institute will enhance transfer endeavors and commercialization of smart manufacturing technologies. HKUST Foshan Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization was set up under the long-established HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center in Foshan (FSC) in April 2020 to foster entrepreneurship and incubation. The Foshan Government has offered the Center over 4,000-square-meters of office space in Nanhai district, which is expected to be available by November 2020. In addition, the HKUST-Zhongshan HKUST ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 35 34 Local to Global