HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024

53 HKUST Annual Report 2023-2024 reviews of the “Governance Framework of HKUST(GZ)”, on the other front, has helped foster meaningful dialogue among relevant parties, and, in due course, helped enhance the governance of HKUST(GZ). To maintain HKUST’s leading position in research and teaching, the Council puts innovation and entrepreneurship high on its agenda. Amongst other initiatives, the Redbird Innovation Fund, through the efforts of the Council’s Knowledge Transfer Committee, was officially set up to promote innovation and start-ups within the HKUST community. To keep abreast of the latest trends in education, the Council has also given its full support to the advancement and blending of Artificial Intelligence and technology into education while promoting interdisciplinary research to address global challenges. Notwithstanding the consistently strong financial performance of the University, considering the need to support all these initiatives and commitments, and ensuring the University’s financial sustainability while fostering engagement and advancement opportunities, the HKUST Foundation was reactivated by the Council during the reporting period. Its launch marks a significant milestone to broaden the avenue and solidify the support from various stakeholders to promote the University’s future development. In addition to its regular membership reviews to identify, engage and retain the most appropriate professionals to further strengthen university governance, the Council will continue to steer HKUST to a successful, innovative and sustainable future. The Senate The Senate is the supreme academic body of HKUST, which plays a crucial role in shaping the academic framework of the University, by formulating and reviewing its policies and regulations, among others. A significant milestone of the University in terms of academic development has been the Senate’s approval of the setting up of the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity under the recently established Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies. By endorsing the setting up of this division, which aims to be a creative hub to foster innovation and talents, the Senate expects that the University, in addition to its strengths in science and technology, will take a more proactive role in leading creative arts education, through an array of innovative approaches, such as the integration of machine creativity with traditional art forms. Since HKUST degrees will be conferred on graduates of HKUST(GZ), the Senate has to ensure the program quality of HKUST(GZ) is consistent with HKUST and that the graduates there should be of comparable standard to that of HKUST. The close collaboration between the two campuses is manifested through the Cross-Campus Equivalence Course Framework, which was developed to ensure seamless collaboration between the two campuses. Eying on the rapidly growing field of Artificial Intelligence, the Senate has also granted its approval for several proposals on AI-related programs in HKUST(GZ). In light of the University’s plan to further strengthen its internationalisation efforts, the Senate has focused on the expansion of research collaborations with renowned overseas institutions on the one hand, while formulating ways to attract non-local students on the other. With an aim to reaffirm HKUST’s international status, the Senate seeks to enrich academic and cultural diversity of the University through the promotion of cross-cultural understanding on campus. While the Senate is focusing on exploring new avenues for academic programs, it also places a strong emphasis on maintaining academic integrity among students. In response to the constructive feedback of the panel in the recent UGC’s Quality Assurance Committee audit exercise, the Senate has reviewed and made some revisions to the Regulations for Student Conduct and Student Academic Integrity . This exercise reflects the University’s commitment to nurture a respectful learning environment with the highest standard of academic integrity.