President e-letter, 6 February 2013

Abstract

The Hong Kong University lf Science and Technology Office of the President e-letter Dear Colleagues, Students and Alumni, In this very first issue of 2013, I would like to take the opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to all students and faculty members back to the campus to kick-start the spring term. In the past year, our faculty and students have achieved quite a lot in terms of international and regional awards, grants, competition prizes, etc. They are doing us proud! This is indeed an opportune time for all of us to reflect on the past and plan ahead for another fruitful year. Since launching the University’s 5-year Strategic Plan in 2011, we have already come half way in the planning cycle pursuing the unifying theme of “1-HKUST” under the targeted development areas for education, research, faculty, community engagement, international and Mainland strategy, as well as organization and resources. Looking ahead, I plan to make better use of this e-letter as a communication channel to spell out my vision, perspectives and priorities as your President. However, this e-letter is not meant to duplicate items that are already covered in other existing communication interfaces. I’d also like to use the e-letter to explain the thinking of the collective leadership behind some of the new activities and initiatives launched by the University recently. Below, I give a few highlights, and I intend to dwell into some of these in more depth in future issues. 3-3-4 In this school year, the new era of the 3-3-4 system is no doubt the theme underpinning our collective efforts on different fronts. Hardware building stays high on everyone’s priority list. As an example, our Hall 8 and 9 were newly opened in January and can accommodate 700 more students on campus. Equally important, we are turning this extra year of university education under 3-3-4 to the best advantage of our students. This in fact stems from the HKUST’s belief in whole person education. New initiatives include School-based admission, core curriculum, enhanced student advising, expanded academic exchange, undergraduate research and community services. Student Life One strategic focus is on more integration among students and the quality of student life. As an international university in Asia, it is in our DNA to promote and cultivate vibrant cross-cultural integration on campus which will in turn enrich our students’ life exposure and growth experience. For example, we are contemplating the possibility of a residential college concept. We believe that a culture of strong peer support and faculty mentoring beyond academics as in a residential college environment will be conducive to the development of a better balance between academic pursuit and life pressure. Connection with Society A university, as a civic institution charged with the responsibility of educating future citizen leaders, should also be a role model for our next generation. The University is ready to announce the Code of Conduct for Outsourcing very shortly to demonstrate the University’s commitment to developing good Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards in an educational setting. Our University’s social responsibility is an important part of our core values and educational philosophy. On a different front, our University has been making proactive efforts to bring the collective scholarship and research pursuits to the general public as HKUST’s mission in transferring knowledge back to society. One example is a “Science for Lunch” series, lectures given by our faculty members on their latest research but designed for the laymen and given in Central. It has been wildly popular and I hope to provide some highlights of those that I have personally attended. International Strategy From the very beginning, HKUST was positioned as an international elite research university. More recently, many world-renowned universities from the West are expanding to Asia (and China specifically) to open up branch campuses or make collaborations. Likewise, with improved economic conditions, many Asian countries are investing heavily in upgrading their higher education institutions by adopting Western models and seeking Western partners. Against such a backdrop, what is the role of HKUST? And, what is our edge and niche in the years ahead? These are important strategic issues that will need input from and discussion amongst our university community. Even though HKUST has already achieved a certain level of recognition within higher education circles globally, being a young university in Asia, our visibility in a broader context is still a work in progress. As part of my responsibility as the “chief promoter” of HKUST, in the last two years I have taken about two trips per year with our VP for Institutional Advancement plus some of the Deans and faculty members to visit higher educational and related institutions overseas to promote HKUST, to seek strategic partnerships, to network with overseas alumni, and to help recruit faculty and students. One example of the results of these trips is a MOU on international collaboration that I signed in Davos two weeks ago with Oxford University in the area of executive education for public officials. I hope to relate to you in future issues some of what I have learned on these trips and our internationalization efforts. Competing for the Best Faculty When HKUST was founded more than 20 years ago, we were successful in attracting and retaining a good number of talented and world-class scholars to join us. But the world has changed since then. Are we still as competitive as 20 years ago and how can we stay competitive? One issue is whether our compensation is competitive on the global market. To address this important issue, the Office of the Provost recently reviewed our faculty compensation by benchmarking against the international trend. At the same time, we are also introducing an evaluation system that puts more emphasis on rewarding merit and performance. When fully implemented in the near future, we hope that this system will allow us to recruit and retain our best faculty while making use of our given resources. We have also expanded our very small endowed professorship program by adding 14 such professorships. These will serve to reward, retain, and recruit the best faculty for HKUST. Joint School of Sustainability Development with Xi'an Jiaotong University The rise of China presents both opportunities and challenges. Situated in a one-country-two-systems setting, HKUST has both a national and international role to play. As part of our overall Mainland Strategy, we are developing a new Joint School of Sustainable Development with our partner Xi'an Jiaotong University. This project, being led by the Provost, is a new and important strategic footprint onto the Mainland and it will bear long term implications on HKUST’s development. This new platform will allow us new opportunities that would not be available to us by working alone. I will articulate further what long term benefits can be generated from the partnership in terms of our educational and research offerings, and what some of the steps we are taking to realize them. Academic Freedom Finally, let me address the all-important subject of academic freedom. You may have noticed that there has recently been a lot of discussion on academic freedom in the public domain. It is a complex subject which goes to the fundamentals of what a university is about, but is often quoted by the popular media with different interpretations in controversies involving higher education institutions. HKUST is committed to upholding academic freedom. In time, I would like to share my views, both as an academic and university leader, on this important topic. It is a topic required of all of us to share thoughts, learn about the international practice, reflect on our core values, and come to a proper understanding of our own positioning. In the ensuing months, I plan to take turns to elaborate on the thinking behind these and other aspects of the University strategy and development. Happy Year of the Snake! Yours sincerely, Tony F Chan President 6 February 2013 Archive: Copyright © 2013 The Hong Kong University of Scienc e and Technology