HKUST Annual Report 2019-2020

CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD As a forward-looking University, we are fully conscious of the paramount importance of continuing to seek growth by seizing every opportunity to explore and network with the outside world. The signing of a framework agreement between the National Development and Reform Commission and the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao on deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation has provided an opportune time for HKUST to establish a new campus in Guangzhou. The great opportunities and tremendous potential of the Greater Bay Area will open the way for the University’s further advancement. With a state-of-the-art campus and a unique cross-disciplinary approach to education and research in place, HKUST(GZ) will embrace a diversity of talents, bringing remarkable vitality to the development of the University, and boosting academic exchange and communication between Hong Kong and other cities in the region. By adopting synergistic academic and organizational frameworks across HKUST and HKUST(GZ), the disciplinary and cross-disciplinary activities of our Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses can both be capitalized upon and resources would be more effectively used to promote synergy and collaborations in education and research activities. While ready to venture out to explore all the new opportunities resulting from the new campus, the University will continue to fully pursue endeavors in Clear Water Bay, where our foundation lies and our core values are embedded, with every effort made to fulfill our mission. As an indication of this, and despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, HKUST has maintained its leading position in a range of areas. Our frontier research and innovation work, such as those developed to fight against coronavirus and transform the world through science and technology, are having great local and international impact in their contribution to improving the wellbeing of mankind. In addition, the joint ExecutiveMBA (EMBA) programdelivered by Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and HKUST Business School remained among the top in the global Financial Times EMBA Ranking for the tenth time. All these achievements are testimony to the dedication hard work of the University’s faculty, staff, and students. Amid the fast-changing world that we live in and HKUST is helping to transform, the Council, as the supreme governing body of the University, remains committed to steering HKUST’s overall strategic direction. Through the strategic planning and risk assessment processes, the University’s performance has been reviewed, taking into consideration the external environment as well as our stakeholders’ aspirations and expectations. To further enhance university governance and accountability, the Council took the initiative to revise the Guidelines and Code of Practice for Council Members which outline the code of conduct and responsibilities of Council Members in our conduct of Council businesses. In addition, considering the importance to ensure proper governance of the Guangzhou campus, the Council has formulated a governance framework that outlines the duties and responsibilities of respective parties in managing HKUST(GZ). A designated Committee has also been set up for the Council to oversee matters related to the establishment and operation of the new campus. With our 30th anniversary approaching in 2021, HKUST can take pride in the University’s remarkable achievements over the past three decades. In line with our mission, HKUST has been successful in attracting, recruiting, and nurturing top talents from around the world while creating opportunities for education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer, resulting in significant impact on the economic and social development of Hong Kong and beyond. In closing, I would like to thank my fellow Members of the Council and Court, the University Administration, faculty, students, and alumni for their ardent support over the years, and their commitment to move HKUST further forward. I would also like to express my gratitude to our donors for their generosity in reinforcing our efforts to advance the University’s development to our next stage. With your support, we will strive with our utmost steadfastness to sharpen our vision, to attract more and more leading academics from around the world, and to educate the next generation of creative thinkers and innovators, and continue to move energetically toward our mission. Chairman, University Council MR. ANDREW LIAO CHEUNG-SING GBS, SC, JP HKUST ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020 5 Chairman's Foreword 4