Led by Peking University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Beijing – Hong Kong Universities Alliance (BHUA) – jointly initiated by multiple Hong Kong and Beijing universities, was officially launched today, forging strong ties among universities across Hong Kong and Beijing.
Representatives from Hong Kong and Chinese government departments, as well as university leaders from Hong Kong and Beijing, attended the launching ceremony held at HKUST today. Officiating guests included Mr Chen Baosheng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China; Prof Tan Tieniu, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR; Dr Liu Yuhui, Director-General of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and Mr Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Education of HKSAR.
In addressing the audience, Prof Tan said he is delighted to see the formal establishment of the alliance – a high-level collaboration among major universities from Hong Kong and Beijing, which he believed will contribute to the merging of Hong Kong into the nation’s development strategy - such as the One Belt One Road initiative.
Meanwhile, Mr Kevin Yeung said the Education Bureau of HKSAR has always been supportive of the strengthening of collaboration among Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas universities. He added that Hong Kong’s higher education sector has earned high acclaims in the global arena with its excellence in many areas and he hoped our local universities would scale new heights through collaboration with top-notch universities of the Mainland.
Prof Tian Gang, Vice President of Peking University – the lead university of the Beijing participants, thanks all relevant parties for their concerted efforts that made this happen. “BHUA serves as a great and high-level platform to deepen institutional cooperation in talents nurturing and scientific research, enhancing the quality of higher education in two cities and contributing to the national development and global growth.”
Prof Wei Shyy, Acting President of HKUST – the coordinating university of the Hong Kong participants said, “The alliance encourages and facilitates universities of Beijing and Hong Kong to learn from and collaborate with each other. It can substantially help us abreast of the development of Mainland China, while offering our Beijing partners more insight into Hong Kong universities’ well-established international standing. Together, we can capitalize on the new opportunities regionally and globally and further advance our performance in education, research and knowledge transfer.”
The launch came after a meeting in Beijing last June between a delegation led by the Education Bureau of HKSAR comprising leaders of Hong Kong universities, and officials of the Ministry of Education and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, as well as representatives from Beijing universities. Attendees believed the partnership will not only facilitate exchange of ideas, innovation and technology between the two cities, it will also fosters institutional and student cooperation, as well as synergy among the alliance members through sharing of resources. Participating institutions, for example, could have access to library resources and research facilities at other member universities.
Starting this year, the alliance will also have sessions including a President’s Forum in the Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium – a major event that promotes business cooperation between Hong Kong and Beijing since 1997, to extend such high-level exchange to the higher education sector of the two places.
The 12 Beijing institutions attending the ceremony today are: Peking University, Beihang University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing University of Technology, Capital Medical University, Capital Normal University, Capital University of Economics and Business, Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
From the Hong Kong side, the eight attending institutions are: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Lingnan University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and The University of Hong Kong.
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research 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. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is the world’s second in the latest QS’ Top 50 under 50 ranking. Its graduates were ranked 12th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global Employability University Survey 2017.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Anita Lam
Tel : 2358 6313
Email : anitalam@ust.hk
Lindy Wong
Tel : 2358 6306
Email : lindywong@ust.hk
