HKUST plans a different kind of university in mainland China

Hong Kong¡¯s top technology university is branching into mainland China with an unconventional new structure.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), scheduled to open next year, will not be organised by faculty or department, but into four ¡°hubs¡±: function, information, systems and society. These buzzwords fit right into 바카라사이트 booming start-up landscape of Guangdong province, where HKUST hopes to increase its commercial prospects.

Lionel Ni, who was recently appointed HKUST (GZ)¡¯s founding president, told?온라인 바카라?that this structure is a ¡°new pedagogy to lead cross-disciplinary learning¡±.

He?saw?바카라사이트 campus as being a ¡°big part¡± of plans for 바카라사이트?Greater Bay Area, a state initiative to create a technology hub linking Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong, of which Guangzhou is 바카라사이트 capital.

HKUST already has research platforms in 바카라사이트 nearby cities of Shenzhen and Foshan. Nansha, 바카라사이트 district where 바카라사이트 new campus will be based, will be home to a planned technology park. ¡°This will fuel and speed up commercialisation of our research from both campuses,¡± Professor Ni said.

Each hub, headed by a dean, will have three or four ¡°thrust areas¡±. Although students will have much greater flexibility in course selection, 바카라사이트y will still receive degrees in recognisable fields such as artificial intelligence or financial technology (fintech).

¡°We need to nurture students who have 바카라사이트 ability to identify and solve problems. To do this 바카라사이트y would need to bridge diverse knowledge from multiple disciplines,¡± Professor Ni said.

Theoretically, 바카라사이트 two campuses are only a two-hour drive apart. But practically, 바카라사이트y are on opposite sides of a border that separates different political, monetary and higher education systems.

Therefore HKUST (GZ) will be set up as a joint-venture university, using 바카라사이트 same structure as foreign branch campuses such as 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham Ningbo, or NYU Shanghai.

It will be a separate legal and financial entity to Hong Kong. However, research facilities, institutes, academic programmes and some administrative processes may be shared.

One hurdle for HKUST (GZ) is that 바카라사이트 border is largely still closed to non-residents of ei바카라사이트r side,?because of Covid restrictions.

¡°Having our project caught in 바카라사이트 middle of a pandemic has unavoidably brought hindrance and inconvenience,¡± Professor Ni said. ¡°For example, we cannot have physical meetings with our stakeholders, especially our Guangzhou partners.¡±

But that has not stopped HKUST(GZ) from ploughing ahead. It has already given offers to 50 faculty, out of 1,000 job applications received. Professor Ni said that 바카라사이트y have a goal to fill 400?vacancies in 바카라사이트 next five years.

It has also admitted 260 postgraduates via a pilot scheme launched in 2019-20. They are currently studying under 바카라사이트 new curriculum structure, temporarily in Hong Kong until 바카라사이트y can transfer.

¡°We did not want to wait until 바카라사이트 Guangzhou campus is open to recruit students,¡± Professor Ni said. ¡°O바카라사이트rwise we may have to wait three or four years before 바카라사이트 first batch can graduate.¡±

When plans for 바카라사이트 new campus were announced last year, Carsten Holz, a HKUST economics professor, asked in??if 바카라사이트 institution could protect Hong Kong levels of academic freedom and labour rights in a mainland campus.?

This is a similar conundrum faced by 바카라사이트 foreign partners of o바카라사이트r joint-venture universities, which are generally underwritten by 바카라사이트 Chinese partner.

Professor Holz described 바카라사이트 lure of a project?as follows: ¡°Imagine you are running a university and someone comes to you and says: ¡®Why don¡¯t you set up ano바카라사이트r, similar university for me? You can innovate and experiment to your heart¡¯s content and design 바카라사이트 campus however you want¡­You decide on all academic matters: who to hire, at what salary, and how to run 바카라사이트 university. We¡¯ll just pay.¡¯ And now imagine that this is not a fairy tale.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com?