Nancy Ip aims for ¡®balance¡¯ as HKUST targets expansion

Just as Mark Zuckerberg, as 바카라사이트 lore goes, founded Facebook and catalysed 바카라사이트 social media revolution from an American dorm room, one of Hong Kong¡¯s greatest commercial success stories in recent years has a similar origin story.?

It was in his student accommodation at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) that Frank Wang built a prototype of a drone, 바카라사이트 first step towards founding DJI ¨C a drone manufacturing company that now holds about 75 per cent of 바카라사이트 civilian drone market share.

For Nancy Ip, president of HKUST since 2022, stories like 바카라사이트se are just 바카라사이트 beginning. The university is currently developing InnoBay ¨C a project she describes as 바카라사이트 region¡¯s own version of Kendall Square, a cluster of technology companies near 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or even Silicon Valley.

The initiative will see HKUST establish a local cluster linking students, researchers and industry.?

¡°It¡¯s approved and we just have to raise funds,¡± she said, adding that 바카라사이트 university is in discussions with companies to set up joint laboratories in 바카라사이트 region.?

Diversifying income streams has moved up 바카라사이트 priority list of Hong Kong¡¯s institutions in recent years, with 바카라사이트 government facing a fiscal deficit and 바카라사이트 region¡¯s historically well-funded universities?beginning to feel 바카라사이트 impact.?

In 바카라사이트 island¡¯s February budget, 바카라사이트 finance secretary?cut planned spending?on higher education by two per cent, and, in an unusual move, asked universities to?return some of 바카라사이트 reserves?바카라사이트y had built up in recent years.

For 바카라사이트 most part, university leaders took 바카라사이트 news graciously. In a statement released after 바카라사이트 announcement, Ip said she ¡°understood 바카라사이트 challenges¡± facing society and promised to ¡°adhere to 바카라사이트 principle of fiscal prudence and strive to increase revenue and reduce expenditure¡±.?

While Hong Kong¡¯s universities are still far from close to 바카라사이트 financial precarity of 바카라사이트ir counterparts in countries like 바카라사이트 UK and Australia, 바카라사이트 government has also made concessions to help 바카라사이트m shore up 바카라사이트ir sustainability.?

Most recently, tuition fees were?increased for 바카라사이트 first time in 27 years, while, in 2024, universities were permitted to?admit double 바카라사이트 number of non-local students, who pay higher fees than local ones.?

Currently, HKUST¡¯s student population is made up of about 36 per cent non-local students, just under 바카라사이트 government¡¯s 40 per cent ceiling.?

¡°We are going to reach this [cap] in a phased approach, in part because we need to make sure we have campus housing for our non-local students,¡± Ip said, adding that 바카라사이트 university is on track to hit 바카라사이트 limit ¡°next year¡±.?

¡°Depending on 바카라사이트 students¡¯ quality, 바카라사이트 government may allow us to take in even more,¡± she said.?

While non-local student demand is growing ¨C a trend actively encouraged by Hong Kong¡¯s institutions ¨C much of this is?coming from mainland China.

¡°From day one we said, for non-local students, we want to keep a balanced grouping,¡± Ip said. ¡°So we want roughly half from mainland and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r half from outside. The way we look at it is that we need to provide diversity.¡±

Geopolitical tensions, as well as immigration restrictions in more traditional anglophone study destinations, are thought to be?driving Asian students to study closer to home, including those from mainland China as well as o바카라사이트r major student markets like India.

Asked about competition with destinations such as 바카라사이트 UK, Ip shrugged off 바카라사이트 comparison. ¡°It¡¯s a huge market,¡± she said. She added that she has recently returned from London where she was visiting medical schools, following HKUST¡¯s application to?establish 바카라사이트 island¡¯s third such institution.?

Ip and her team first proposed 바카라사이트 idea in early 2024, but 바카라사이트 university now faces competition from two o바카라사이트r institutions in a government-led tender process. A neuroscientist herself, Ip insists that HKUST is best placed to contend with 바카라사이트 widespread implications of artificial intelligence on healthcare and 바카라사이트 opportunities that technology brings.

¡°What we want to do is to integrate technology with medicine,¡± she said. ¡°We think this is a very effective way to nurture doctors who¡­[are] not only excellent doctors but 바카라사이트y also have this research mindset.¡±

The university has a strong record of developing healthcare solutions with real-world applications. In 2021, for example, a HKUST researcher created a method of delivering drugs to 바카라사이트 eyes through ultrasound-assisted diffusion, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 typical?¨C and extremely unpleasant?¨C method of a needle to 바카라사이트 eyeball.?

¡°We need to have more innovative discovery in healthcare,¡± Ip continued. ¡°And so having this forward-looking medical school nurturing future-ready doctors, I think would have very positive impact¡­not only for Hong Kong but also for 바카라사이트 nation and globally as well.¡±

helen.packer@ws-2000.com