HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024

38 Connecting People and Communities On the artistic front, the Intimacy of Creativity—The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong returned in the summer of 2023. The innovative initiative, presented in partnership with Curtis Institute of Music in the US, explored the creative process of composition, leading to a world premiere at City Hall Theatre. The Shaw Auditorium was also the venue for the University’s Cosmopolis Festival, which highlights Hong Kong as a cultural hub for renowned international performers and local performing artists. Talks, workshops, masterclasses, and exhibitions generated further insights. During the year, online and in-person lectures on Chinese literature, poetry, and East Asian films also assisted both HKUST members and the public to deepen their knowledge of how the literary and cinematic arts in Asia contribute to people’s lives. Strengthening Diversity, Deepening Inclusivity With people at the heart of HKUST’s success story, a welcoming campus community for all is an important focus for future achievement. In line with this, 75 staff have now been nominated by their unit heads and trained as University Diversity and Equal Opportunities Resource Persons. Diversity and equal opportunities at HKUST were introduced in both staff and student orientations to raise awareness of the University’s culture, policies, and the support available. SENtastic Staff Week in April 2024 further promoted an inclusive campus, engaging over 150 staff in supporting students with special educational needs (SEN). The event featured a thought-provoking drama performance, discussions on diversity and inclusion, and workshops on neurodiversity. Technology-driven projects included SEN online training modules to widen understanding among students and staff, a virtual reality career path training program for SEN students, and the AI Ambassador to streamline campus information-searching and enhance communication. In a novel move, a “human library” campaign, JUSTalk, was launched. The human library concept, originally from Denmark, revolves around listening to others’ stories and experiences to overcome biases and prejudices. Catalyzing Framework for Future HKUST Team To attract, nurture, and retain the exceptional talents who will shape the future of HKUST, a strategic hiring drive was launched to attract and recruit senior faculty. Boosting faculty retention, a performance top-up scheme to reward high performers and an academic enrichment program offering networking opportunities were instituted. In addition, the research engineer/scientist track was put in place to support professional development of senior research and technical staff. For current team members, continuous learning opportunities included around 50 in-house workshops and talks attended by approximately 3,000 staff. Among these activities, a leadership program equipped middle managers with practical people management skills and mindset. Mentoring programs were organized, aimed at personal career growth through knowledge-sharing and