HKUST(GZ) Launches Significant Research Partnership
On June 1, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with International Digital Economy Academy (IDEA) at a signing ceremony conducted via video conferencing in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.
Witnessed by Mr. OUYANG Huiyu, Deputy District Mayor of Futian District People's Government and other notable guests, HKUST(GZ) President Prof. Lionel NI and IDEA Founder and Chairman Dr. Harry SHUM signed the agreement.
Prof. Ni said in his speech, “Seeing eye to eye with IDEA about the vision for the growth of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and China’s rapid technological advances, HKUST(GZ) puts great emphasis on adopting cross-disciplinary education, an active learning pedagogy, and a robust knowledge transfer platform to nurture cross-disciplinary high-end talent in support of country development.”
Prof. Ni also expressed appreciation to Dr. Shum for establishing IDEA, a Shenzhen-based research institute founded in 2020 to blend artificial intelligence, digital economy, and frontier innovative technologies with the vision for rapid technological advances and accelerating speed to market. “We are delighted to welcome IDEA as one of the first strategic partners of HKUST(GZ),” said Prof. Ni.
Dr. Shum said, “The partnership sets a great example of collaboration between Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. IDEA is looking forward to working closely with HKUST(GZ) in the future. We will collaborate with the University across education, research, industry, investment, and manufacturing and contribute to the partnership through our research strengths and talents in artificial intelligence, digital economy, fintech and other areas. By sharing research resources, nurturing high-end talents, and generating technological innovations, the partnership will scale up the output of talent, technology, and commercialization, ultimately helping to drive forward technological innovation and industry upgrading in GBA, and creating a synergistic and innovative ecosystem in the region.”
The agreement sets forth a framework for HKUST(GZ) and IDEA to forge collaborative relationships in the emerging fields including artificial intelligent, digital economy, and fintech. The parties have also entered into a strategic alliance to mutually recruit talent, nurture students, launch projects, and build and share technological resources. Leveraging their individual strengths, HKUST(GZ) and IDEA will attract talents from around the globe to contribute to the fast growth of GBA; the parties will also explore a more open and extensive partnership in terms of faculty recruitment, leveraging the advantages of GBA as an international hub and Shenzhen as a pioneering demonstration zone, in addition to investigating the potential of sharing research platforms and infrastructure among the two.
Looking to the future, Prof. Ni said, “With support from the Central Government and other municipal governments, HKUST(GZ) and IDEA will join hands to write a new chapter of GBA’s digital economy development!”
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019. Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.
