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Scheme strengthens HKBU’s research collaboration in Guangdong 

31 May 2024

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(From fifth left to tenth left) Professor Jia Weijia, Vice President (Research and Development) of BNU-HKBU UIC; Professor Lyu Aiping, Vice-President (Research and Development) cum Dean of Graduate School and Acting Dean of School of Chinese Medicine of HKBU; Professor Chen Zhi, President of BNU-HKBU UIC; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Professor Terence Lau, Interim Chief Innovation Officer and Director of the Wu Jieh Yee Institute of Translational Chinese Medicine Research at HKBU; and Professor Patrick Chau, Provost of BNU-HKBU UIC, attend the agreement signing ceremony.

 

The establishment of a new seed fund pool amounting to HK$90 million marks a new milestone in research collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong. The joint effort is led by the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (GDSTC), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), and Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (BNU-HKBU UIC) to support in-depth scientific and technological cooperation, as well as to strengthen cooperation in areas of research infrastructure and talent training.

At the collaboration agreement signing ceremony held on 21 May, Mr Gong Guoping, Party Secretary of GDSTC, introduced the “Work Plan to Jointly Support the Deepening of Collaboration in Science & Technology.” The Work Plan aims to accelerate the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as an international science and technology innovation centre, and to leverage the advantages of Hong Kong higher education institutions and their joint institutions in Guangdong. The Plan also supports more in-depth collaborations between cross-campus teams in science and technology, encourages active participation in national scientific and technological programmes, and promotes original and innovative joint research projects. These initiatives are in order to enhance the breadth and depth of research projects in the regions and address the key technology needs of the Nation and the GBA.

Mr Gong, together with Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, and Professor Chen Zhi, President of BNU-HKBU UIC, signed the collaboration agreement. The ceremony was witnessed by Mr Wang Xi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and Vice Governor; Mr Huang Mingzhong, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangdong Provincial People’s Government; Mr Zhu Kongjun, Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education; and Ms Long Guangyan, Deputy Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province.

Under the Work Plan, the three parties will implement a “1+1+1” Funding Programme. Over the three-year period from 2024 to 2026, GDSTC will invest RMB10 million per year, while HKBU and BNU-HKBU UIC will invest no less than HK$10 million and RMB10 million respectively per year as seed funding for scientific research. The fund will support up to 10 joint research teams and projects each year, particularly in strategic areas of data science, artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary applications.