The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today jointly presents with Times Higher Education (THE) the inaugural Asia Universities Summit in its 25th Anniversary year, where global leaders in higher education and other sectors share their insights into nurturing creativity and innovation.
The two-day summit – which is held for the first time, and is hosted by HKUST on its Hong Kong campus – features as speakers some 30 presidents, chancellors and rectors from fast-rising and top universities in 15 Asian nations and cities, and other countries, including Mainland China, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, the United States, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Apart from the presidents of top universities, other luminaries who speak at the summit include Mr Nicholas W Yang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong SAR Government, who addressed the globally-assembled audience at the opening ceremony today, Prof Wei Yang, President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Dr France A Córdova, Director of National Science Foundation of the United States, and Mr Liu Chuanzhi, Chairman of the Board of Legend Holdings Corporation and Founder of Lenovo Group Limited.
The focus of the summit is how universities can nurture creativity and innovation, a vitally important issue facing both Eastern and Western economies as they fight to maintain economic and productivity growth and social progress.
HKUST President Prof Tony F Chan said, “HKUST is very pleased to partner with THE to host this prestigious summit for the global higher education sectors in the University’s 25th Anniversary year. Amid the rise of higher education institutions in East Asia over the past few decades, many Asian universities in Korea, Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong, among others, are fast-rising and are already in the world’s top 100.”
Prof Chan added, “Being a gateway to Mainland China and a melting pot of different cultures, Hong Kong, with its unique qualities including rule of law, low tax system, free flow of information, a skilled bilingual workforce and its world-class infrastructure, is the best breeding ground for knowledge, and Hong Kong will continue to play a significant role in advancing the region’s science and technology development.”
Mr Phil Baty, THE World University Rankings editor said, “This is surely the most prestigious gathering of university leaders in the world. In my 20 years of working in global higher education, I have never experienced an event that brings together so many of the presidents of so many of the world’s very best universities. Some 30 university presidents from 15 countries and cities, across Asia but also including key sector leaders from North America and Europe too, take part in the summit, and they are joined by key industry and government leaders, for two days of intensive discussion, inspiration and networking.”
He added, “This event is focused on one of the most pressing and important challenges facing higher education and research today – how universities nurture creativity and innovation. Taking place at the epicentre of university sector’s most exciting continent, hosted in partnership with one of the most dynamic institutions in the world, the Times Higher Education Asia Universities Summit will be one of the truly unmissable events for senior university leaders on the global academic calendar. We are very happy to have a university as vibrant and ambitious as HKUST as our partner to host such an incredibly important summit.”
The list of prestigious university leaders from around the world as speakers at the summit can be found on: http://www.theworldsummitseries.com/events/asia-universities-summit/speakers-481246369a74462eb48715d08407dcda.aspx
About Times Higher Education magazine
Times Higher Education is the world’s most authoritative source of information about higher education. Designed specifically for professional people working in higher education and research, THE was founded in 1971 and has been online since 1995. It is published by TES Global.
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 excelling in science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. Internationally renowned for its academic rigor and accomplishments, the University promotes interdisciplinary studies and provides holistic education, nurturing well-rounded graduates with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking and relevant skills to thrive in a knowledge economy. As an international university with strong ties to global thought leaders, HKUST has wide-ranging connections with Mainland China while aspiring to be a global premier knowledge hub and a center of research breakthroughs. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. HKUST was ranked 14th worldwide and top in Greater China in a global survey on employability of graduates in 2015, and was ranked third in Times Higher Education’s 150 World’s Best Young Universities in 2016.
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