HKUST and Tsinghua University Launch Groundbreaking 3+1+X Joint Program for Computer Science Students

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua University (Tsinghua) announced the launch of a pioneering "3+1+X" Joint Undergraduate – Postgraduate Training Program, set to begin in the 2026/27 academic year.

This program establishes a seamless academic pathway, allowing undergraduate students from both institutions to spend their fourth-year courses at either Tsinghua or HKUST. Following graduation, participants will have the opportunity to pursue master's or doctoral degree programs at the host university, further enhancing their academic and professional trajectories.

The agreement was signed by Prof. ZHOU Xiaofang, Head and Chair Professor of HKUST CSE, and Prof. YIN Xia, Head of Tsinghua’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. The signing was witnessed by HKUST Provost Prof. GUO Yike and Tsinghua University Council Vice Chairperson Prof. YANG Bin.

Prof. Guo expressed his sincere appreciation for Tsinghua’s longstanding support and stated, “This collaboration marks a significant milestone as HKUST’s first seamless undergraduate-to-postgraduate training mechanism with a leading university in Chinese Mainland. It reflects our shared commitment to strengthening ties between the two universities in computer science and information technology and to nurturing talent through innovative education. Both universities boast world-class strengths in computer science, artificial intelligence, and data science. By leveraging the complementary advantages and pooling the resources of HKUST and Tsinghua, we can offer students broader academic horizons, a richer research environment, and opportunities to grow into future leaders who will contribute to technological advancement both nationally and globally.”

Prof. Yang stated, "Since the signing of strategic Memorandum of Understanding, the two universities have strived to strengthen collaboration across multiple fields, yielding fruitful results. This cooperation agreement between the two departments further deepens talent development and holds significant importance for the advancement of both institutions' computer science disciplines. Amid the current landscape of both opportunities and challenges in computer science, the joint program—through a seamless cooperation—effectively integrates the strengths and resources of the two universities. This collaboration creates a diverse and international educational environment, enabling students to engage deeply in cutting-edge research projects. It fosters innovative thinking, broadens international perspectives, and contributes to building our nation into an education and talent-rich powerhouse."

This program offers a structured pathway for top students. Each year, HKUST CSE will nominate up to five high-achieving undergraduates from the BEng in Computer Science, BSc in Computer Science, BEng in Computer Engineering, BEng in Artificial Intelligence, and BSc in Data Science and Technology programs for this scheme. These students will complete their first three years at HKUST and their final year ('+1') at Tsinghua, while Tsinghua will follow a reciprocal arrangement, sending up to five of its students to HKUST for their final year. They may then apply for postgraduate studies (“+X”) at the host institution.

By combining HKUST’s international research excellence with Tsinghua’s strong disciplinary foundation, the "3+1+X" program fosters interdisciplinary learning, innovation capabilities, and global perspectives among students. Through this innovative framework, HKUST and Tsinghua will integrate academic resources to offer students high-quality, diverse, and internationalized educational experiences, encouraging them to engage in cutting-edge research. It aims to cultivate exceptional talent capable of contributing to technological progress worldwide.