Viva Group Donates HK$20 Million to HKUST’s ‘30 for 30’ Talent Acquisition Campaign | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today received a donation of HK$20 million from Viva Group (Viva) in support of its recently launched ‘30 for 30’ Talent Acquisition Campaign (’30 for 30’). In addition to helping finance the recruitment of 30 senior faculty members across six strategic areas, HKUST will use the donation to fund various research initiatives and establish specialist research centers.

HKUST launched ’30 for 30’ last month as a core part of its drive to recruit and retain 30 top (Associate Professor level or above) talents in key research fields. Leveraging the idea that “excellence attracts excellence”, the initiative’s ultimate objective is the enriching of the talent pool so vital for sustaining Hong Kong’s long-term development of innovation and technology (I&T). In addition to Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine, disciplines that will benefit include Material Science and Future Energy; AI, Future Computing and Electronics; Innovation for Business Management and FinTech; Environmental Science, Sustainability and Green Tech; Art Tech and Humanities. 

HKUST will also use Viva’s donation to advance sports science-related research projects in tandem with supplementary funding from the HKSAR government’s "Research Matching Grant Scheme".

Officiating at the donation ceremony were Viva Group Chairman, Dr. LI Ning, and HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP. Other VIP guests in attendance included Li Ning Foundation Vice-Chairman, Mr. LI Chun, Viva Group Executive Director, Mr. LI Qilin, C. & J. International Executive Director, Mr. LI Xiaoning and Viva Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr. CHEUNG Chi, Bossini International Holdings’ Co-Chief Executive Officer, Mr. CHANG Min Huei, HKUST Provost Prof. GUO Yike, HKUST Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Prof. WANG Yang, and HKUST Senior Advisor to President Prof. Albert IP Yuk-Keung, plus various other senior management members of both HKUST and the companies concerned.

Dr. Li Ning said: “Our donation is intended to empower HKUST’s successful strategic development in vital scientific research areas. It is my great honor to support the University’s vision in its future development of such research by supporting its efforts to recruit first-class scholars and nurture emerging talents, who will retribute the nation and the society. I wish HKUST every success in creating unlimited possibilities by continuing to try, explore and innovate.” 

HKUST’s relationship with Dr. Li Ning dates back to 2010 when it conferred the multiple Olympic medal-winner with an Honorary fellowship that recognized his outstanding achievements in sports, business and philanthropy.

Prof. Nancy Ip expressed her deepest gratitude to Viva for the donation, saying: “Our ‘30 for 30’ Talent Acquisition Campaign is designed to attract the visionary talent we need to successfully establish frontier technologies and advance industries to address the complex challenges facing our world. With Viva’s support, we will be able to build vital strategic areas at HKUST and further enhance our world-class research environment, while also strengthening capabilities in sports science. HKUST will thus be better placed to assist the HK Government in implementing its I&T policy blueprint and help advance Hong Kong's I&T development. Our pooled efforts will also help both Hong Kong and the Mainland expand knowledge and implement scientific research results to further empower ongoing economic and social development.”

Following the ceremony, Dr. Li Ning and the various delegates visited HKUST’s Aerodynamics and Acoustics Facility (AAF). Equipped with state-of-the-art low-noise wind tunnel and world-class large acoustic testing laboratory facilities, AAF supports research in aerodynamic-related fields such as sports science, urban air mobility and green energy.

About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class research intensive university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. Over 80% of our research work were rated “Internationally excellent” or “world leading” in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. We were ranked 3rd in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2022, and our graduates were ranked 30th worldwide and among the best from universities from Asia in Global Employability University Ranking and Survey 2022. As of 2022, HKUST members have founded 1,645 active start-ups, including 9 Unicorns and 9 IPO companies, generating economic impact worth over HK$400billion. InvestHK cited QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 to demonstrate the performance of five world’s top 100 local universities in several innovation-centric areas, among which HKUST ranked top in four engineering and materials science subjects.

About Viva Group
Viva Group (8032. HK) (“the Group”) aims to bring a healthy, happy, leisurely life and a positive attitude to the public by creating experiences related to sports, health, and leisure for the public and bringing consumption opportunities to create synergies with the multi-brand apparel and footwear business. The Group operates international multi-brand apparel and footwear business, which includes the well-known British footwear brand Clarks, Italian luxury leatherware brand Amedeo Testoni, professional sports brand Li-Ning, well-known casual wear brands Bossini and bossini.X, affordable luxury brand LNG, and lingerie brand Neizhuang. In addition to the multi-brand apparel and footwear business, the Group also operates sports experience business, operating and managing 9 sports parks and 11 ice skating rinks nationwide, as well as the LNG e-sports Club.