HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024

23 HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024 Retaining and Attracting Leading Minds Ten faculty members at different stages of their career received Named Professorships for the significant impact of their research on society. Over the past decade, more than 70 HKUST academics have had the title of Named Professor bestowed on them through the generosity of numerous donors who have supported the commendations. Expertise of the latest Named Professors includes neuroscience, fluid mechanics, network economics, and social theories. To draw top doctoral students passionate about healthcare to HKUST, we launched the International Hub of AI for Medicine program, inviting PhD students from universities around the world to engage in medical technology research and applications, including the development and screening of new drugs and vaccines. Breakthrough Brings National Recognition A joint study led by HKUST, the University of Hong Kong, and other institutions was selected as one of the Top 10 Scientific Advances in China for 2023, becoming the only research project from Hong Kong to be included in the list. The study revealed a new mechanism in the regulation of DNA replication. Future-Ready Research Environment Along with top minds and funding, research units, facilities, and equipment aligned with our strategic goals serve as essential pillars of leading-edge discovery and applications. During the year, this brought the establishment of the Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center (HKGAI) as the fourth InnoHK center led by HKUST in the Hong Kong government’s flagship research cluster initiative to transform the city into an innovation and technology hub. The new center, steered by Provost Prof. GUO Yike, will strive to enhance the role of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology industry in promoting economic progress in the Greater Bay Area, cultivate AI talents and an ecosystem in Hong Kong, and increase Hong Kong’s global influence in AI research and applications. The three earlier HKUST-led Centers are the AI Chip Center for Emerging Smart Systems, Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics. Seven other research units were established in 2023-24, adding to our remarkable array of institutes, centers and joint laboratories: Space Science and Technology Institute, Institute for Financial Research, Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering, Center for Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics, HKUST Absolute Pure EnviroSci Ltd. (APEL) Joint Laboratory on Health and Environmental Innovations, HKUST MetaX Joint Laboratory for Advanced AI Computing, and HKUST Li & Fung Supply Chain Institute. Several major research-related campus development projects are also underway. The Martin Ka Shing Lee Innovation Building is on track for completion in Q2 2025, with its labs investigating fields from sustainable living and health science to robotics. A life and chemical sciences R&D building is expected to be completed in Q4 2026. Meanwhile, a state-of-the-art supercomputing Central Research Facility, HKUST SuperPOD, is set to add to endeavors seeking to trailblaze AI advancements. 158 of the World’s Top 2% Scientists are HKUST scholars