41 40 HKUST Annual Report 2020-2021 APPLYING ECO-RESEARCH IDEAS ON OUR “LIVING LAB” CAMPUS The Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab initiative continued to inspire researchers, staff, and students to test a wide range of novel sustainability-related ideas, with the total number of projects funded under the scheme reaching around 30 since launch in 2019. Initiatives receiving funding in 2020-21 included an innovative way to turn waste into soil amendments; smart tracking lab trays that help automate inventory tracking and storage of chemicals to eliminate wastage of materials in wet laboratories; and food waste analytics and visual feedback to encourage changes in behavior. Over the year, a section of the Academic Concourse – a major thoroughfare – was renovated to provide a dedicated space with large interactive displays to further raise the profile of the Living Lab initiative. Set to be launched in 2021-22, the Living Lab area will serve as a showcase for its projects and real-time data generated by sustainability initiatives. GOVERNANCE In accordance with the HKUST Ordinance, the Council, Court, and Senate are the University’s supreme governing, advisory and academic bodies, respectively. EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE CURRICULUM Providing the conditions for students to graduate with sustainability skills and competencies is another key 2028 Challenge objective. A University study, updated over 2020-21, showed that 68% of recent graduates have now completed two or more sustainability-focused courses and 95% taken at least one course. One exemplary course is “Introduction to Sustainability”, which provides a foundational basis for sustainability learning, co-taught by a six-person Division of Environment and Sustainability teaching team. The course educators were recognized campus-wide for their contribution as the joint recipients of the HKUST Common Core Teaching Excellence Award 2020. A sustainability literacy survey was also developed over the year to assess students’ understanding of sustainability. Responses received in the first survey will form the baseline for progress in a longitudinal study. THE COUNCIL The Council is the supreme governing body of the University. With a pivotal role in steering the University’s strategic direction, the Council has also referred to the Report on “Governance in UGC-funded Higher Education Institutions in Hong Kong” (“the Newby Report”) of the University Grants Committee (UGC) and international best practice on University governance to further promote effective governance of the University over the years. The Council aspires to monitor the performance of the Administration “as to lead to ef fect ive per formance in achieving desired outcomes and the satisfaction of stakeholders” and supports that the presence of robust systems of governance shall be important “for sustaining public trust and stakeholder confidence” as highlighted in UGC’s Report. Despite the challenges brought by COVID-19, the Council met over eight to 10 times annually in the past two years, including meetings of the Standing Committee, an executive committee of the Council. Some of those are special meetings focused on topical and time-sensitive issues. The Council has been tracking the performance of the University with reference to the University Accountability Agreement (UAA) which was signed between the University and UGC. The Council has been proactively monitoring the performance of various operations of the University through the review of a list of sector-wide Performance Measures and institutional specific Key Performance Indicators as depicted in the UAA. For better management of potential risks and to ensure long-term development of the University, the Council has taken an active role in reviewing the Strategic Risk Assessment Report and advised the Administration on the appropriate mitigating measures to be adopted. To further enhance its functions and operation, the Counci l has reviewed and revamped its Guidel ines, based on international practice on University governance, recommendations in the Newby Report, and related guidel ines of publ ic institutions. The new document, with the title Guidelines and Code of Practice for Council Members, aims to spell out the roles and responsibilities of Council Members and the framework under which they are expected to carry out their responsibilities diligently as public servants. Over 2020-21, the Council has also reviewed the Strategic Plan of the University, which was extended from 20212025 to 2021-2028 as proposed by the Administration with an aim of aligning with UGC’s Planning Exercise. With reference to the Strategic Plan 2021-2028, the
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