The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today (Thursday) officially named its Graduate School in Nansha as “HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School” in a ceremony that combined the official opening of the Graduate School and the ground breaking of its Nansha campus.
The naming is in recognition of the late Dr Fok Ying Tung’s great contribution to the motherland and Hong Kong and also his generous support of the HKUST. It was the enormous generosity of the Fok Ying Tung Foundation that made possible the establishment of the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School at the Nansha IT Park, with a specific mission to contribute to the Mainland’s development as a knowledge-based nation.
Dignitaries officiating at the opening and ground breaking ceremonies included Senior Chinese Officials as well as Chairman of Fok Ying Tung Foundation Mr Timothy Fok and Director Mr Benjamin Fok; Ms Elsie Leung; Chairman of Fok Ying Tung Ming Yuan Development Company Ltd Mr Ho Ming-see; Chairman of University Council of HKUST Dr John Chan; President of HKUST Prof Paul Chu; Acting Vice-President for Academic Affairs of HKUST Prof Roland Chin; Vice-President for Administration and Business of HKUST Prof Yuk-Shan Wong; Acting Vice-President for Research and Development of HKUST Prof Tony Eastham; Associate Vice-President for Research and Development (Nansha Development) of HKUST Prof Tongxi Yu and Vice Board Chairman of Nansha IT Park Prof Otto Lin.
The Graduate School and its eight research centers are now temporarily housed at the Software Building in Nansha IT Park. Of the eight research centers, the “Hong Kong-Beijing UST Joint Research Center” has been operational since August last year. The other seven research centers officially opened their doors today along with the Graduate School.
The seven research centers are:
Advanced Composite Materials Technology Research Center
Atmospheric Research Center
Center for Engineering Materials and Reliability
Center for Spatial and Social Demographics
Digital Life Research Center
South China Research Center
Wireless IC System Design Center
The Graduate School is well served by central research facilities which are fully accessible to all its the researchers and technical staff. Among these facilities are:
Embedded Systems Facility, and
Nano-electronics Fabrication Facility
Each research area has the potential of harnessing skill development and technology transfer for businesses in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region.
Speaking at the ceremony, HKUST President Prof Paul Chu paid tribute to Dr Fok and others who have turned the Nansha Dream into reality.
“The Nansha IT Park, the Graduate School, and the Research centers started from nothing. Today, we have come here to complete a dream started by the late Dr Fok who is defined by the boldness of his vision and his love for our country. We now have the architecture of a vision. We at HKUST are committed to making our Nansha campus the center of scientific and technological excellence. This is the best way for us to honor the memory of a man who gave so much to his community and country,” Prof Chu said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Timothy Fok said the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School will devote itself to nurturing talents with an international outlook but rooted in the motherland.
“It will play a pivotal role in supplying enterprises in Nansha with much-needed technological expertise and in promoting technology transfer, ushering in greater economic prosperity to the Pearl River Delta region and China as a whole.” said Mr Fok.
A ground breaking ceremony for the permanent campus of the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School also took place today. The campus covers an area 35,000 sq m in size. Construction is expected to be completed by 2008. The purpose-built campus for the Graduate School would be equipped with cutting-edge facilities to spur the development of advanced research programs.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Luk Kam Wing
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: kluk@ust.hk
