31 30 HKUST Annual Report 2020-2021 LOCAL TO GLOBAL MAINLAND FOOTPRINT HKUST(GZ) Campus President Appointed In Apr i l 2021, Prof . L ione l NI was appointed the Founding President of HKUST(GZ). Prof. Ni is a highly accomplished computer science and engineering scholar. He served as Provost of HKUST at Clear Water Bay prior to the appointment and has been playing a key role in the development of the pioneering Unified HKUSTComplementary Campuses（港科大一體，雙校互補） framework that underpins the integration of the two campuses academically, administratively, and in knowledge transfer. Under Prof. Ni's leadership, HKUST(GZ) will continue to promote innovation at the University, deepen the connection between research and industry, as well as to nurture global talents in the Greater Bay Area for future technological development and positive societal impact in the region and beyond. The appointment will become effective following official approval from the Ministry of Education for the formal establishment of HKUST(GZ). becoming the first Mainland-Hong Kong cooperative education institution approved as a legal entity following the release of the Outl ine Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Designed to be low-carbon, smart, and sustainable, the completed site is expected to be handed over in May 2022, with the University opening in September the same year. Alliances Deepen Academic Ties HKUST became executive chair of the Beijing-Hong Kong Universities Alliance for 2021-22, hosting two online meetings together with Peking University in Spring and Summer respectively. These were attended by more than 130 representatives from the Ministry of Education, Beijing Education Commission, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau, and member universities of the Alliance. In a further bond-strengthening encounter with top national higher education institutions, the Vice-President for Institutional Advancement attended the annual meeting of the Mainland’s C9 group of renowned research universities, presenting on building a first-class university and advancing first-rate innovation. Partnerships Foster Innovation Leaders A bevy of partnerships signed over the year with Mainland business enterprises and institutions created impetus for innovation in high-impact fields that are set to drive development. HKUST entered a cooperation agreement with Guangzhou Metro Group Co. Ltd. in July 2020 for joint supervision of selected University postgraduates for training in intelligent transportation, an emerging cross-disciplinary area that combines transport management, AI, and data science. The partnership seeks to foster professional skills, build new systems, and enhance mobility of people and goods in the Greater Bay Area. Intelligent transportation is a key HKUST(GZ) research thrust area. In a milestone year, the Founding President of the University’s Guangzhou campus was appointed, while the new institution’s academic and physical infrastructure rapidly took shape. HKUST also advanced Mainland and global collaborative activities and networks, fueling synergy and productive virtual interaction LOCAL TO GLOBAL Campus Construction Fast-Tracked Construction of the University’s Guangzhou campus proceeded at a fast pace over 2020-21, with the topping out of the first academic and research building in June 2021. The bui lding wi l l house cutting-edge research laboratories, including the Nanosystem Fabrication Facility, Electromagnetic/Acoustic Wave Lab, and Polymer Lab, among others, and forms a core element of the state-ofthe-art campus. The Ministry of Education approved the preparatory status of HKUST(GZ) in September 2019,
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