President and Vice-Chancellor’s message

Pursuit of education excellence

We are encouraged that HKBU’s quality education received positive recognition in the Report of Quality Audit of Hong Kong Baptist University released by the Quality Assurance Council of the University Grants Committee in October 2023. The report commended the University for having a well-defined Quality Assurance Framework in place and demonstrating key Features of Good Practice, from the effective use of benchmarking, authentic assessment, creating a strong career networking with the community, to driving inclusivity and diversity in all our admissions and teaching efforts.

The University also cares much about nurturing young people with different talents to unveil their potentials to the fullest. The Talented Athletes Direct Admission Scheme (TADAS), which was launched to enhance and replace the former Elite Athletes Admission Scheme (EAAS) last year, is a vivid example of our related endeavours. I am pleased to say our first cohort of student athletes from the TADAS have fared well and achieved exceptional results at international competitions such as The 19th Asian Games and The 4th Asian Para Games, inspiring us with their determination to persevere against all challenges. Their success also reassured our commitment in providing comprehensive care and support for students to fly far and high for their dreams.

Inspiring creativity and artistic excellence

Art tech initiatives continue to feature heavily in what we do. The pioneering project, “Future Cinema Systems: Next-Generation Art Technologies”, has been awarded HK$35.4 million in funding from the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong SAR Government. The funding supported the establishment of the Visualisation Research Centre which is home to the world’s first 360-degree immersive LED Visualisation Cinema and the 180-degree iDome Cinema. Leveraging the latest AI-models, the future cinema systems created innovative and immersive platforms for theatre, dance, music, education, and sports, and transformed multimedia archives into post-cinematic encounters that people can explore and experience.

The University’s Annual Gala Concerts in 2022 and 2023 were other impressive showcases of the seamless fusion of art and technology. This signature event deployed cutting edge AI technologies to create the first human-machine collaborative performance of its kind in the world, and restored an old silent film in a stunning performance together with the HKBU Symphony Orchestra. The establishment of the Turing AI Orchestra also paved the way for more art co-creation by humans and AI.

Pioneering role of Chinese medicine

The University has created tangible impact on the community with our expertise in Chinese medicine. We can take pride in knowing our School of Chinese Medicine has offered invaluable insights and services during the pandemic, leveraging our COVID-19 related research and clinical experience. Our efforts in the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine were highlighted by the development of the first botanical drug in Hong Kong which succeeded in the Investigational New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the development of another botanical drug which has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA. With the University’s solid capabilities in Chinese medicine education, research and knowledge transfer, I look forward to the University’s further contribution to public health by running Hong Kong’s first Chinese Medicine Hospital when its operation commences in 2025.

Strengthening global impact and significance

To support the development of the “East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange” in Hong Kong and to tap into the strengths of the University, an additional research cluster of Humanities and Cultures has been included in the Institutional Strategic Plan 2018-2028 (Second Phase 2023-2028). The four overarching research clusters will work hand in hand to address the challenges and opportunities in the realms of Creative Media and Practice, Health and Drug Discovery, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence and Humanities and Cultures, translating HKBU’s research excellence into tangible benefits that impact people’s lives for the better.

In 2024, we will also see the completion of the Jockey Club Campus of Creativity. The campus will be a community hub for staff and students of different academic and cultural backgrounds to ignite ideas, spark innovations, create knowledge and establish connections. Bolstered by our education and research infrastructure offered by the new campus, our capability to providing our talents with the resources they need to thrive and make the best out of their time at the University will be taken to another level.

Looking ahead, riding on the opportunities made available with the strengthening of Hong Kong’s unique positioning as an international education hub and the Nation’s rapid socio-economic development, and with the dedication of everyone at the University, we will continue to innovate having our core competencies in mind, and create values that serve the needs of the HKBU community and society.