13 12 HKUST Annual Report 2020-2021 LEARNING FOR LIFE extends to over 240 quality partners worldwide. Despite COVID-19 affecting regular student exchanges over the year, HKUST moved forward to build more partnerships and provide increased opportunities for students once exchanges resume. Demonstrating the global reach of the program, the University signed new agreements with University of St. Andrews (UK) and Kyushu University (Japan), and entered into strategic partnerships with Ewha Womans University (South Korea) and Koc University (Turkey). Exchange arrangements expanded from School-level to University-wide with Osaka University (Japan), Monash University (Australia), and Ewha Womans University (South Korea). In addition, virtual study abroad options created opportunities for over 300 students to engage in cultural exchange and learning. Partners helping to initiate these programs included Fudan University (Mainland), Massey University (New Zealand), University of New South Wales (Australia), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Rice University (US), as well as member universities of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities and the Association of East Asian Research Universities. H K G Z $84.5 million Undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships totaling ADVANCING CREATIVE TEACHING AND STUDENT WELLBEING Along with dynamic program innovation, University faculty effectively adapted their teaching to ensure students kept on top of their learning during the different waves of COVID-19. This resulted in some classes being delivered in “mixed-mode” (i .e. , simultaneous on-campus and online interactions between instructor and students), with others conducted purely online. More than 10 new projects related to experiential learning courses, gamebased learning, and augmented reality/virtual reality courses also gained support from the University Grants Committee’s Teaching Development Grants. Hong Kong’s first mixed-reality teaching and learning classroom was established to incorporate virtual reality-based components and immersive online learning, among other options, into engineering courses. Such determination to advance student learning despite the pandemic was echoed in the University’s practical assistance for those facing difficulty in continuing their studies due to financial hardship brought by COVID-19 and other challenges. HKUST’s robust response led to a 54% increase in bursaries and loans in 2020-21 totaling $10.3 million. In addition, the University awarded undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships totaling $84.5 million over the year in recognition of academic and non-academic achievements in numerous areas. Over 2020-21, 86 wellbeing sessions/workshops involving more than 5,200 students and staff members took place as part of the University’s wellness drive, with new topics including sexual health, how to work less and achieve more, and effective communication with supervisors for research postgraduates. Senior peer counselors and postgraduate students pi loted the #SpeakUp Peer Chat Service, harnessing online and face-to-face platforms to reach out to students with counseling needs around the clock. The University also recruited two new in-house therapy dog trainees, with the aim of having the full team of five dogs in service for Fall 2021. Earlier in the year, the emotional wellbeing of more than 400 participants benefited from interaction with the current therapy dogs, meeting in small groups to adhere to social distancing. EXPANDING GLOBAL HORIZONS As well as raising self-awareness, HKUST is committed to broadening students’ interest in others and widening perspectives through provision of academic and cultural learning experiences beyond the University. The flagship student exchange program is a particular focus and now HKUST also co-organized the first Summer Institute in Computational Social Science to be held in Hong Kong. The world-renowned summer school was originated by Princeton and Duke Universities in the US. The Hong Kong event admitted students from HKUST and other local universities, assisting in building a research community in the field within the city. The Flagship Student Exchange Program quality worldwide partners extends to over 240 H K G Z
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