VISION CONTENTS MISSION The University of Hong Kong, Asia’s Global University, delivers impact through internationalisation, innovation and interdisciplinarity. It attracts and nurtures global scholars through excellence in research, teaching and learning, and knowledge exchange. It makes a positive social contribution through global presence, regional significance and engagement with the rest of China. The University Profile An Extract from the University’s Annual Accounts 2020–21 Officers of the University The Court 02 08 18 30 40 49 52 53 Knowledge Exchange and Technology Transfer GROWING OUR IMPACT The University of Hong Kong will endeavour: • To advance constantly the bounds of scholarship, building upon its proud traditions and strengths • To provide a comprehensive education, benchmarked against the highest international standards, designed to develop fully the intellectual and personal strengths of its students, while extending lifelong learning opportunities for the community • To produce graduates of distinction committed to academic / professional excellence, critical intellectual inquiry and lifelong learning, who are communicative and innovative, ethically and culturally aware, and capable of tackling the unfamiliar with confidence • To develop a collegial, flexible, pluralistic and supportive intellectual environment that inspires and attracts, retains and nurtures scholars, students and staff of the highest calibre in a culture that fosters creativity, learning and freedom of thought, enquiry and expression • To provide a safe, healthy and sustainable workplace to support and advance teaching, learning and research at the University • To engage in innovative, high-impact and leading-edge research within and across disciplines • To be fully accountable for the effective management of public and private resources bestowed upon the institution and act in partnership with the community over the generation, dissemination and application of knowledge • To serve as a focal point of intellectual and academic endeavour in Hong Kong, China and Asia and act as a gateway and forum for scholarship with the rest of the world Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor READY TO LAUNCH Teaching and Learning BACK TO THE FUTURE Research and Innovation RAISING THE BAR
The image of a boat setting sail evokes thoughts of new journeys, fresh horizons, promise and potential. Over the past three years, I have had the great privilege of preparing HKU to lift its sails and venture forth – to dream big and build momentum in its quest towards excellence. Our destination is to be a global leader making impact in Hong Kong, China and the world. Like any major undertaking, there have been challenges and crises, but the University has demonstrated that it has the strengths and determination to move beyond these. 2020–21 has seen us pass important milestones on our journey. HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor 2 | 3
Teaching and Research in 2020-21: Embarking froma Position of Strength First, it was very pleasing to see the University sustain its existing strengths given the restrictions of COVID-19 that have been felt around the world. We attracted the most top scorers in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) of all Hong Kong universities (admitting 76 candidates who scored 5** in four or more core subjects), as well as strong candidates from Mainland China and overseas. I also took great pride in our students’ sporting achievements at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, where three current students and two alumni represented Hong Kong. Our teachers kept up their high standards and ensured students fulfilled curriculum requirements, despite having to adapt to the online environment. After much careful preparation and due consideration to health and safety, the University was able to resume mostly face-toface learning in September 2021. This has energised everyone. Being on campus and interacting in person is essential to students’ learning and personal development, and it makes teaching and learning immensely more enjoyable. It is also the preference of both staff and students. Having said that, we will continue to explore the use of technology to enrich learning and take it in new directions. Honours came in for both teaching and research achievements during the year. HKU won the University Grants Committee’s 2021 Teaching Awards for general faculty members and teams, while 31 researchers were named by Clarivate as being among the most highly cited scholars in their fields in the world. Our researchers also received numerous international and national honours for outstanding work, as described in the Research and Innovation chapter. Most importantly, the high quality of our research output across the University was endorsed in the Research Grants Council’s Research Assessment Exercise, which is held every five years. Some 75% of our research output was deemed internationally excellent or world-leading – a fantastic increase on previous performance when 50% of output met this bar. We also had the highest proportion of world-leading research of all universities. Our performance in local competitive funding exercises also continued to be the best in Hong Kong, while we secured the most projects under InnoHK where we lead nine laboratories receiving more than HK$3 billion in total. These are strong foundations. However, I believe we have the potential to reach far greater heights. HKU is facing a wave of exceptional opportunities and fierce competition from others around the region, and we need to act quickly to sustain and advance our position. My team and I have taken on that challenge with a vision that asks everyone from professors and students to managers and support staff: how can we do better? Campus development has been amajor focus of activity from the beginning of my tenure and I ampleased to report that we aremaking excellent progress. Over the coming five years, a number of new developments will reach completion. HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor 4 | 5
Adding Ballast: Recruiting the Best for All In order to pivot quickly to new opportunities, raise the bar and achieve our highest ambitions, we need more talent and space – more room to grow and more people to help us get there. Starting last year, we launched a drive to recruit the world’s best scholars to HKU. Their presence will augment the work of our existing strong team of researchers, as well as stimulate them with new ideas and new visions of greatness – and encourage them to reach for the stars. The HKU Global Professoriate Recruitment Campaign has been recruiting world-leading researchers from other world-renowned universities. We also have recent schemes to recruit 100 each of outstanding young professors, postdoctoral fellows and PhD students, and we are participating in the government’s Global STEM Professorship Scheme where we secured nearly one-third of available positions in the first round (15 of 46 positions). The presence of more top-flight scholars will imbue HKU with advantages that resonate across the University. They will bring in more research funding, which will grow the pie of resources. They will also lift the visibility and international profile of the University as a whole. This is a win-win situation that promises to enrich all of our scholars and students with new opportunities and growth. Getting HKU Shipshape: Building Bigger, Serving Better Our plans cannot be achieved without upgrading and expanding our campus facilities, which are small, cramped, and inadequate to meet the challenges of 21st century research and teaching. Campus development has been a major focus of activity from the beginning of my tenure and I am pleased to report that we are making excellent progress. Over the coming five years, a number of new developments will reach completion: the Tech Landmark, which will house 10 interdisciplinary institutes and the new International Innovation Centre to cultivate future talent; new research and teaching blocks under the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine; the Pokfield Campus with a home for the HKU Business School, residences for scholars, and conference and other facilities; four new student residential developments; and advanced sports facilities. Alongside these new constructions, we are modernising and enhancing the efficiency and performance of our A campus in Shenzhen presents opportunities to engage in larger-scale research, conduct medical research and education with a larger, more varied patient population, bring our top-tier teaching and curriculum to more students, and bring us closer to industry partners in Shenzhen to translate our upstream original research into applications that are useful to the world. These opportunities are unprecedented and promise to benefit the University and Hong Kong. Sailing Past Distractions to NewHorizons Amidst this impressive pace of progress, I have continued to reach out to students and staff to engage them in our ambitious plans and reaffirm our values. I engaged with students and visited halls and sporting events to keep our channels of communication open and convey to them the very bright prospects of our shared future. On academic freedom, I have also sought to reassure staff and students that while we must all act within the law, the University remains committed to that principle. The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom must continue, as must dialogues that are civilised and respectful of each other’s opinions. These messages are essential to my vision for HKU and they also serve us in meeting the challenges facing all of society in the 2020s. The theme of this message is about setting sail and venturing forth. Our sights are on the horizon and the operations and support services. This means improving digital platforms, ensuring we have the capabilities to make data-driven decisions, and strengthening our culture of service. The We Serve programme, as it has been named, aims to make it simpler and more straightforward to handle administrative matters and to enhance the quality of working life for everyone on campus. This will make us more fit for purpose and give us a sturdier springboard for engagement with the region, which is also about to be stepped up. Full SteamAhead to the Greater Bay Area To enhance HKU’s footprint on the Mainland and leverage on the Greater Bay Area (GBA)’s development potential for technology and innovation, the University has been stepping up its outreach in recent years, with some of our teaching programmes establishing a presence in places such as Beijing and Shanghai, our scholars regularly collaborating on research projects with their Mainland peers and our medical faculty managing the HKU-Shenzhen Hospital. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish an entire new campus in Shenzhen will strengthen these efforts and enable us to play a leading and contributing role to the development of Hong Kong, China and this region of the world as a whole. The campus will be located in Shi Bi Long of the Nanshan district and be built in phases. HKU and the Shenzhen government have established a joint steering group to work out details, with the goal of bringing HKU’s model as a worldclass comprehensive research-led university deeper into the GBA to nurture talents and research. This is important to HKU’s own ambitions, too, because we are limited by space constraints. Even with our considerable building development plans within Hong Kong, the University would remain quite small. We need to grow in order to flourish. Professor Zhang and students at the HKU Mentorship Inauguration Ceremony 2021 held in Loke Yew Hall where mentors and mentees had an enjoyable first encounter. Professor Zhang witnessed HKU’s historic victory in the University Sports Federation Men’s Soccer Championship. opportunities that lie there, but we are also conscious of the need to navigate obstacles and not get anchored down by the polarisation of views that affects many places in the world today. I believe the best way to do that, and to have people listen to and respect us, is by demonstrating our excellence in everything we do. Fortunately, as this Annual Report shows, we are making steady progress in that direction. My three years as President of HKU have been spent bringing the University to the point of lifting its sails ever higher and setting off to new destinations. I am extremely fortunate to be ably supported by my management team and all colleagues across the University. As we prepare to celebrate our 111th anniversary next year – the triple ‘1’ has an auspicious ring to it – I am delighted to confirm that I will serve another five-year term beyond the current one and continue to steer HKU to new horizons that will sustain the University’s excellence for decades to come. Professor Zhang visited St. John’s College and mingled with undergraduates and postgraduates at the Common Room. He was also presented with an antithetical couplet composed and calligraphed by two St. Johnians. Professor Xiang Zhang President and Vice-Chancellor December 2021 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 Message from the President and Vice-Chancellor 6 | 7
Teaching and Learning BACK TO THE FUTURE The University continued to attract top-scoring students from around the world and reaffirmed its educational principles, as it moved past the challenges of the past two years to resume face-to-face learning, expand programme offerings and press ahead with the expansion of learning spaces and student residences. Following two years of mainly online teaching and learning, HKU has almost entirely resumed face-toface classes in the 2021–22 academic year. HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 8 | 9
Returning to Campus HKU’s teaching staff made enormous efforts and adaptations over the past two years to ensure students could continue to fulfil graduation requirements, even in hands-on clinical programmes. Teachers have been ably supported by the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, which has supported course re-design and helped staff navigate new pedagogies and tools for online and hybrid teaching, and the Technology-Enriched Learning Initiative, which has developed new teaching tools. Technological innovation has been a major focus of this work, but at the same time it has made one thing resoundingly clear: technology cannot replace the rich experiences and personal development of in-person encounters. Surveys of both teachers and students have found overwhelming support for face-to-face learning, which the University endorses. From September 2021, arrangements have been made for 75% capacity in classrooms, while still giving highest priority to health and safety. Student enrichment activities are also moving offline. Although virtual exchanges were held with some partners during 2020–21, we plan to return to in-person exchanges in 2021–22 as far as possible and to send and receive about 1,500–2,000 students in total. We will continue to explore the use of virtual engagement, for instance in enabling more students to interact with their counterparts in less-privileged parts of the world, but it will not be a replacement for the advantages of being physically immersed in another place and culture. The disruptions caused by the social movement and the COVID-19 pandemic have been a trial for teaching and learning over the past two years. But the University has emerged with a strongly affirmative message: we returned to nearly full face-to-face learning in September 2021, while drawing on the experiences of online learning to enhance our teaching. We have also reaffirmed our core educational values after wide-ranging consultations and will continue to pivot the curriculum towards innovation, interdisciplinarity, internationalism and the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Top Students Continue to Choose HKU The University’s success in providing a rigorous, valueadded education even during the pandemic has sustained our ability to attract outstanding students. Students were admitted from more than 40 countries and among them were more than 100 top scorers of qualifications such as the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), IB, Gaokao, GCE A-levels and national examinations. To recognise and support high achievers, the HKDSE Top 1% Scholarship was launched, offering at least HK$50,000 to new students who score among the top 1% in the HKDSE; 115 students were eligible. The University encourages students to pursue their dreams in different disciplines by giving out generous scholarships. The President’s Scholars admitted in 2021 have chosen such areas of study as architecture, arts, business, dentistry, engineering, law, medicine and social sciences. A new Direct Admission Scheme for Top Athletes was also announced and will start to admit students to selected academic programmes mainly based on sporting achievement from 2022–23. Supporting Students’ Development To welcome new students, the Co-Curricular Support Office was established in summer 2021 to provide administrative support for student clubs and societies in organising orientation and induction activities in conjunction with the Centre of Development and Resources for Students. The latter also continued to organise the inauguration ceremony, non-academic induction talks (held online) and orientation sessions for non-local students, as well as a wide range of support services, such as psychological counselling and a virtual job fair that attracted more than 140 companies and organisations offering well over 2,000 vacancies. To provide new graduates with options during uncertain times, the University extended the Taught Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme and HKU Graduate Internship Programme. Enrichment activities have also continued through outings around Hong Kong and, as mentioned, virtual exchanges. The Common Core supports a range of interdisciplinary virtual student exchange projects in Europe, the UK, and Australasia. It also, through its TransDisciplinary Undergraduate Research Initiative, continues to provide a structured format for all students to step beyond their disciplines into guided inquiry, which aligns with the wider goal of expanding research across the curriculum as supported in our 2020–21 review of teaching and learning. Our Educational Values Reaffirmed That overarching review involved input from more than 550 teaching staff and more than 1,000 students and recent graduates, and drew on the lessons learned during COVID-19 to create a teaching and learning strategy for 2021–28. The strategy, approved by the Senate in July, reaffirms the soundness of our core educational aims: critical intellectual inquiry, tackling unfamiliar situations and illdefined problems, critical self-reflection, understanding and respecting cultural differences, effective communication and collaboration, and leadership and advocacy for a better world. At the same time, new elements have been moved to the forefront to support the University’s wider vision of innovation and impact. In addition to undergraduate research, these include interdisciplinarity and cosmopolitanism (for example, having an international Students admitted to HKU have come from places as diverse as Brazil, Denmark, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, Panama, Spain and Turkey. NATIONALITIES Top scorers achieved the highest results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE), IB, GCE A-levels, Gaokao and national examinations. TOP SCORERS 100+ 40+ element in capstone projects). The strategy also recognises that some aspects of online learning are here to stay as we explore the possibilities of changing up and enhancing classroom learning. New Ways to Contribute to the Future of Hong Kong and the GBA As well as nailing down our educational principles, we have been developing new data-driven undergraduate programmes to meet the needs of Hong Kong and the GBA as they develop into an innovation hub. The new Bachelor of Engineering in Data Science and Engineering, Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and Digital Technologies, Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics, Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Analytics, and Bachelor of Science in Marketing Analytics and Technology will produce graduates who are adept at applying AI and data to a wide variety of issues and challenges. New teaching and student facilities are also being developed to accommodate growing enrolments. Learning spaces are being added at Pokfield Road and the medical campus, and new student residences are under construction. In the longer term, the new Shenzhen campus, announced in 2021, will enable students to engage more directly with the burgeoning opportunities of the GBA. COVID-19 may have restricted learning opportunities in the short term, but it has also accelerated innovation and underscored the value of our educational mission. Teaching and learning at HKU is emerging stronger from this difficult test of our will and commitment. From September 2021, most students are back attending classes on campus, in rooms filled to only 75% capacity as an ongoing social distancing precaution. HKU offers scholarships to outstanding student athletes admitted through the Sports Scholarship Scheme. Last year’s Inauguration Ceremony for New Students was held online due to the pandemic. This year, the ceremony returned to the Grand Hall and first-year students were able to attend – and be welcomed to the University – in person. Teaching and Learning HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 10 | 11
COVID-19 created a huge challenge for disciplines that require students to have contact with patients. Teachers found creative solutions that met curriculum demands and opened new avenues for engagement. CLINICAL TRIALS Dental Students Get Back in Touch with Patients The dilemma of balancing safety with professional training has been a major concern for dentistry, which was deemed to have the highest COVID-19 occupational risk by the US Department of Labour. “About 80 per cent of our teaching is clinical and cannot be taught online,” said Professor Thomas Flemmig, Dean of Dentistry and Kingboard Professor in Advanced Dentistry. “But in dentistry we have procedures, such as drilling, that create this blast of aerosols.” When in-person teaching was halted across the University in early 2020, the Faculty of Dentistry immediately went to work finding a feasible way to get students back into the clinic. Following much consultation with staff and students, a set of safety measures was arrived at to allow students to start treating patients in person from May 2020. This included mandatory SARS-CoV-2 testing for all students and staff, enhanced infection control through increased spacing in clinics and additional personal protective equipment, and input from the Faculty of Engineering on the best extra-oral suction devices for reducing aerosols (the chosen device reduces them by about 90%). An additional daily clinic was added, as were summer sessions, to increase capacity given the reduced number of patients per clinic. As a result, students have been able to acquire and demonstrate the required competencies to graduate, albeit with a few extra months of study. “Our graduates need to be competent clinicians who can perform invasive, irreversible procedures – drill and fill – on live patients,” Professor Flemmig said. “The measures we have introduced have allowed us to have stable patient care and clinical teaching, even during waves of the pandemic.” Tech Solutions for the Medical Faculty The medical and nursing programmes used technology to ensure their students continued to be exposed to real patient scenarios during COVID-19 restrictions. The School of Nursing, for instance, drew on its earlier experience with technologies such as a simulation laboratory, immersive virtual reality, high-fidelity simulation and robotics, and increased their use in clinical teaching and learning. Students were provided with high- and midfidelity simulated activities in a ward-like laboratory, and virtual simulation involving virtual patients with pre-set vital signs and scenarios. Technology was also used for clinical assessment of 188 final-year nursing students who, in place of face-to-face sessions, performed virtual care, engaged in self-reflection and considered how to apply their new learning in practice. A study by the School found that students using these technologies developed similar clinical competencies and reported greater satisfaction and self-confidence compared with traditional simulation. The School’s success in using all these technologies won the University’s 2020 Teaching Innovation Award, which was bestowed in March 2021. “Simulation education can never completely mirror the value of clinical practicum in hospital wards, but it meant we could provide a safe platform for students to learn professional skills and procedures,” said Dr Veronica Lam Suk-fun of the School. The MBBS programme also deployed technology and supervised teleconsultations, and is now developing telemedicine to be a permanent feature of the Family Medicine rotation. “The principles central to physicianpatient relationships still apply to telemedicine: students are held to the same standards, responsibilities, ethical considerations and the like, whether they see patients via teleconsultation or in person,” said Dr Anderson Tsang Chun-on, who has spearheaded the telemedicine initiative. Speech Therapy through Zoom Teleclinics have helped get speech and hearing sciences students over the COVID-19 hump and uncovered unexpected benefits. Their adoption predated the pandemic, when trials of teleclinics began in summer 2019 to see if they could be used to reach patients in remote areas. This was quickly scaled up in 2020 to enable students to consult with patients over Zoom. Some patients were found to prefer this approach, particularly those with mobility issues due to Parkinson’s Disease and stroke, while others required adaptations. For young children, parents were trained to help support treatment delivered through Zoom, while for elderly patients with dementia, a clinical supervisor sat next to and supported patients in the nursing home while students conducted the online therapy sessions. “This form of teleclinic meant students could get exposure to different institutional settings and other healthcare professionals, which was similar to the clinical experience they had before COVID-19,” said Associate Professor Dr Karen MK Chan, who leads the teleclinic team. The teleclinic arrangements were originally intended to be temporary but the outcome has been so positive that preparations are now underway to make them a regular part of the speech therapy curriculum and develop more materials specifically for teleclinic use. Dr Chan and her team will also explore the possibility of administering teleclinics outside Hong Kong. Dental students are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and face shields in the Simulation Laboratory even if they are not treating real patients. Nursing students taking part in simulated activities in a laboratory setting that resembles an actual ward. Students watching a teleclinic session of an on-site clinical educator with a patient in an old age home. Teaching and Learning HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 12 | 13
The pandemic may have put a halt to exchanges outside Hong Kong, but it has not prevented the University from finding other ways for students to have enriching activities beyond the classroom. ENGAGING WITH THE WORLD Going on a Virtual Exchange Exchanges outside Hong Kong were severely disrupted in 2020 and much of 2021 due to COVID-19 lockdowns. So HKU and about 50 of our partner institutions decided to try another route to bring students to new environments, through virtual exchanges. The situation required adaptations – credits were awarded only pass / fail grades, it was difficult to accommodate STEM courses requiring lab work, and time differences made it challenging for some students to participate in tutorial groups. Still, 159 HKU students participated in the exchanges and the University welcomed 79 students from outside Hong Kong. “Our principle was to not hinder final-year students who need an overseas experience to fulfil graduation requirements. The University accepted the virtual programme to replace the in-person programme of before,” said Ms Iris Ip, programme manager of the International Affairs Office. Krisya Louie, a Bachelor of Social Sciences student, did a full-year virtual exchange with the University of Chicago that was originally meant to be in person. “I didn’t want to give up the opportunity to learn from some of the brightest minds in psychology, so I continued with the exchange,” she said – and despite a schedule that often ended after 3am given time differences, she found the experience enriching. In addition to classes and interactions with leading scholars, she also participated in a virtual palaeontology expedition to Greenland and met up online with exchange students from around the world. “The intense pacing pushed me to learn a lot in a short time frame. It was an exciting challenge and I felt I learned a lot more about myself and what I was capable of.” In-person exchanges remain the ideal, though, and are resuming in 2021–22. One of those participating is Ms Louie, who is now in her fourth year and a visiting scholar at Oxford University. Creative Approaches to Teaching Archaeology A planned expedition for undergraduate students to conduct archaeological fieldwork in the South Caucasus moved online and into the Hong Kong community in the wake of COVID-19. The expedition was part of the new Bachelor of Education course Cultural Heritage and Information in the Field that was launched in summer 2020 by Dr Peter J Cobb in partnership with the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. They had to quickly adapt to the reality that an overseas trip was out of the question. “There were two main topics – dealing with the cultural heritage, i.e., the archaeology itself, and also dealing with the information science aspect of fieldwork – digital methods. The second aspect was quite straightforward to carry out without travel, but we also found creative ways to teach students about cultural heritage,” Dr Cobb said. In 2020, students worked with their counterparts from Armenia and other students from the University of Pennsylvania on tasks such as 3D modelling and creating ceramics databases. Research posters that they produced were accepted to the Archaeological Institute of America’s annual meeting in January 2021. One of the poster creators was Ms Agnes Sung Pui-yee, a biochemistry major, who became a teaching assistant to the course in summer 2021. The 2021 intake worked online, too, but this time students were taken on field trips to Hong Kong cultural heritage sites to gain hands-on experience in the physical processes of archaeology. “This course has made me reconsider my interests, passion and strengths,” said Ms Sung, who has decided to become an archaeologist. Dr Cobb said that while students had enjoyed learning the new digital technologies and the Hong Kong field trips, he hoped they could get back to their original goal in 2022: taking students to Armenia. There’s No Place Like Home Until the pandemic, HKU sent planeloads of students abroad every year for anything from one week to a full year to study, do service learning and undertake internships. When travel was put on hold, the HKU Horizons Office sought out broadening experiences within Hong Kong itself. In collaboration with the School of Chinese and external partners, four programmes were organised on heritagerich Lantau Island in 2021, focussing on religious diversity, cultural heritage and rituals, art and art creation, and the natural environment. Students visited monasteries and churches, participated in the Dragon Boat Festival and races, visited historic buildings, talked with artists and did outdoor sketching, and went on hikes, dolphinwatching and birdwatching. Another programme took students sailing around Hong Kong Island to learn about Hong Kong’s seafaring history, as well as basic navigation and sailing techniques. Each programme was limited to 12 participants under pandemic restrictions. “The students were very positive about the experiences. For instance, although the majority were from Hong Kong and had been to Tai O [on Lantau], they knew nothing about what we showed them. It was an opportunity for them to join in local activities and talk to local people. They also conducted surveys in Tai O to help local people and helped make signage posts,” said Dr Parry Leung of HKU Horizons Office. He added that the programmes will be continued and consideration is being given to how to make them more structured and in-depth. Dr Hayson Liu Shun-hei of the School of Chinese sees much possibility. “Cross-border travelling is not necessarily about visiting a foreign country. By studying our own history and contemplating our mind, we could continue to seek the unknown and broaden man’s quest for knowledge despite challenges,” he said. Student Huang Shunzhuang, who joined the virtual exchange at the University of Chicago, discussing asset pricing with classmates for a research project. Students in the community service programme helped make signage for the Luk Wu to Tai O footpath. The programme offers students an opportunity to visit stilt houses and talk to local people in Tai O. A visit to the Sha Lo Tung historical village, guided by Maxime Decaudin, Assistant Lecturer from the Division of Landscape Architecture. Students carried out mapping activities while making observations about irrigation, farmland, forests, and architecture in the local landscape. Students acting like they had been transported to the Vedi Fortress in Armenia, while actually being at the HKU Main Library and taken on a virtual reality tour of the archaeological site by Dr Peter J Cobb. Teaching and Learning HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 14 | 15
The University welcomed recognition for its teaching excellence in 2020–21 and celebrated the sporting and academic achievements of its students. ABOVE AND BEYOND: HIGH ACHIEVERS Teachers Bring the Human Touch Art historian Dr Koon Yee-wan and clinical psychologist and mental health social work academic Professor Daniel Wong Fu-keung were each recipients of the 2021 University Grants Committee Teaching Award, which honours outstanding teaching performance, leadership and scholarly contributions to teaching and learning across Hong Kong. Dr Koon, of the Faculty of Arts, was honoured under the General Faculty Members category for her ‘art history in action’ strategy and her commitment to help students appreciate the wider value of art to society and themselves. She brings students into direct contact with art objects and people in the art world, and constantly challenges herself and her students to seek the story behind objects, for instance how a broken piece of pottery can tell a history of technology, trade or tastes. “I’m often questioned about the usefulness of studying art history and my answer is simple: art teaches us empathy. This underscores my teaching philosophy, which can be summarised as a deep-seated appreciation for creativity, an excitement for active learning and a belief that art has immense social value,” she said. Professor Wong, of the Faculty of Social Sciences, was part of a cross-institutional team honoured under the Teams category for their Joint University Mental-Wellness Project, which has applied positive psychology and experiential learning to enhance student mental well-being at five universities. About 4,000 students, 1,100 staff and professionals and 1,500 members of the community have benefitted. “We employ a strength-based and process-oriented approach to maximise students’ potentials and capacity, and ultimately to facilitate them to live a flourishing life,” he said. HKU’s Olympians Three HKU students were among the athletes competing at the Summer Olympics held this year in Tokyo and their achievements have been honoured with generous scholarships. Windsurfer Hayley Chan (Arts), fencer Ryan Choi (Business) and triathlete Oscar Coggins (Engineering), were already HKU Sports Scholars when they competed and were awarded an additional HK$100,000 scholarship each to support their academic and sports career endeavours. Hayley finished a personal best of eighth in her event and will continue training half-time and return to HKU to complete her degree in English Studies. “Sport has changed my life and I am grateful for the encouragement from the University. I look forward to witnessing more fellow students strive for excellence in world stadiums,” she said. Ryan will use the award to support his career development after he retires as a full-time athlete, while Oscar will use it to fund his studies and work towards competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Two HKU alumni also competed in Tokyo – fencers Coco Lin (BA[Landscape Studies] 2017) and Moonie Chu (BSocSc 2021). To further support Hong Kong’s sporting stars, the HKU Sports Scholarship offered a total of HK$500,000 in scholarships and other support to outstanding student athletes in 2020–21, such as residential scholarships, subsidies for training and competition and academic advising. From 2022–23, the new Direct Admission Scheme for Top Athletes will offer competitive admission mainly based on sports achievements. Making the Choice to Make a Difference A passion for the environment and a desire to help Hong Kong achieve greater sustainability have inspired the path chosen by President’s Scholar Martin Chan Ho-hin. President’s Scholars are the top HKDSE scorers in their faculties. Martin is studying a Bachelor of Science in Surveying, rather than subjects like medicine and law that are often the preference of top-flight performers. His resume also includes activities such as a project to enliven Kwun Tong Promenade, being an eco-tour guide for younger schoolmates, and studying the government’s conservation policies for historic buildings. “I understand my choice of programme may sound unusual and indeed I hesitated at first. However, given my deep interest in the built environment, I would really like to learn more about land development and conservation policies and contribute to this field in the future,” he said. Martin chose HKU for the quality of its teaching and its internationalism and said he hopes in future to put his learning to work helping Hong Kong better tackle the landuse challenges it faces and achieve greater sustainability in its urban development. President’s Scholars are each awarded at least HK$100,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements, to help cover such costs as tuition fees and overseas learning experiences. Dr Koon Yee-wan (third from right) and Professor Daniel Wong Fu-keung (fourth from left) at the 2021 UGC Teaching Award Presentation Ceremony. (Courtesy of University Grants Committee) President’s Scholar Martin Chan (second from right) is one of the executive committee members in the Hong Kong Outstanding Students’ Association. Martin (second from right) contributes to his neighbourhood by serving in the Yuen Long Volunteer Leaders Team. Three current HKU students (windsurfer Hayley Chan, fencer Ryan Choi and triathlete Oscar Coggins) and two alumni (fencers Coco Lin and Moonie Chu) represented Hong Kong in the Tokyo Olympics. Teaching and Learning HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 16 | 17
Research and Innovation RAISING THE BAR 2020–21 was a banner year as the University secured the largest share of government funding, had the highest proportion of ‘world-leading’ research in the Research Grants Council’s Research Assessment Exercise, and saw 31 HKU academics named to Clarivate’s 2021 Highly Cited Researchers List. Plans were in motion to elevate our research excellence even higher through recruitment and new facilities. The Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, directed by Professor Che Chi-ming, is one of the six research laboratories established under the Health@InnoHK cluster with a key mission to make advanced cancer a treatable chronic disease, by developing innovative, leading-edge interdisciplinary research that connects chemistry, molecular biology and clinical oncology. HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 18 | 19
The University has consistently produced impactful research at the local and international levels, but to achieve true excellence, we must up our game. Constrained in the past by limited resources and facilities, we now are in the fortunate position of having wider support and opportunities at a time when our ambitions are growing. The University has embarked on programmes to develop new cutting-edge facilities, attract the cream of global talent, and capitalise on the opportunities presented in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Together, these initiatives will solidify our position as a global hub of innovative research and significantly heighten our impact around the world. A Solid Foundation: Successes in 2020–21 HKU’s strong performance in local research funding and assessment exercises has demonstrated yet again that this is the best university in Hong Kong and a leading university in the region and the world. The Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Research Assessment Exercise 2020, for example, found 75% of our research submissions to be world-leading or internationally excellent. This compares with about 50% in the previous exercise in 2014, showing how well we are progressing. HKU also had the highest proportion of research scoring 4 stars (i.e., worldleading) among all Hong Kong universities and was rated best in six of 13 broad panel areas in which we were assessed: biology, health sciences, computer science and information technology, law, humanities, and education. The University also received the largest share of most public funding exercises, both in terms of amount awarded and number of funded projects. Under the General Research Fund, we received a total of HK$178 million (excluding on-costs) for 221 approved projects, and under the Early Career Scheme we received HK$32 million (excluding on-costs) for 43 projects. HKU scholars lead three of eight projects awarded in the 11th round of the Theme-based Research Scheme and participate in three others, and they lead a new Area of Excellence project awarded HK$92 million (including on-costs). Our scholars also performed strongly in the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (securing three of nine projects awarded), the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) (nine of 21 group research projects) and the Research Impact Fund (six of 13 projects). Added to that list of achievements is our impressive performance in the government-funded InnoHK programme, where we lead nine research laboratories that will collectively receive more than HK$3 billion over five years, the largest share. Our COVID-19 research has also continued to be world-leading and received HK$94 million under the One-off CRF Coronavirus Disease and Novel Infectious Disease Research Exercise, the most among local institutions. People Power: The Source of Our Strength Our funding successes are not possible without a large cohort of high-quality researchers. In 2020–21, a number of HKU scholars were honoured with international and national recognition of their excellence. Thirty-one academics were named to Clarivate’s 2021 Highly Cited Researchers List – more than double the previous year when we had 13 – for producing multiple research papers that have been highly-cited by their peers. Our scholars also received two Future Science Prizes (China’s ‘Nobel’ equivalent), two John Dirks Canada Gairdner Awards, the American Chemical Society National Award, and the ASHRAE Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, among other international honours. Young scholars received two Xplorer Prizes and nine Excellent Young Scientist awards from Mainland China. Locally, HKU researchers received five RGC Senior Research Fellow and Research Fellow scheme awards, a Croucher Senior Research Fellowship and a Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship. These honours recognise that our scholars are producing globally important research. To sustain our success and advance further, we cannot sit still. We need to bring in additional top-flight talent to produce even more impactful research and lift the bar for everyone. The HKU Global Professoriate Recruitment Campaign has started to recruit 100 world-class scholars in emerging fields with potential for scientific and scholarly breakthroughs. We also did well in the first round of the government’s Global STEM Professorship Scheme, which is funded separately, securing 15 of the 46 initial positions available. Rising talents are also on our radar. In 2020–21, we established the 100 Outstanding Young Professorships programme valued at HK$10 million each, alongside a recent scheme to offer 100 Presidential PhD Scholarships to promising young scholars. Enlarging Our Footprint Great research talent needs a great environment to flourish, which means access to frontier technology, large computing capacity, and space for large-scale projects. HKU is a small campus, but we are undergoing a historic expansion of our research facilities both in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. On our main campus, a new centrepiece will be the Tech Landmark, a futuristic development of four towers housing 10 new institutes dedicated to strategic research and emerging fields. One of these, the Institute of Data Science, has already secured HK$150 million in funding, begun recruiting staff and is operating out of revamped space on the main campus. Nearly every faculty will be involved in the Institute, given the importance of data and AI to research today. Most of the other institutes will be up and running when the Tech Landmark is completed in 2024. Apart from this project, the medical school is also modernising and growing its campus and facilities to meet both its research and teaching demands. The University is excited about the prospect of having a stronger foothold in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), with the Memorandum of Understanding announced in summer 2021 to establish its Shenzhen campus. The new campus will initially house scholars in such fields as science, engineering, architecture, business and life sciences, and make it easier for our researchers to conduct large-scale research, find industry collaborators and access new sources of funding. HKU researchers have done exceptional work over the years within the limited confines of Hong Kong, but now their horizons can broaden to the open spaces that await them in the GBA. Mr Zheng Hongbo (left, seated), Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, and Professor Gong Peng (right, seated), HKU’s Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) representing the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and HKU respectively in the Memorandum of Understanding signing to establish an HKU campus in Shenzhen. Professor Kevin Tsia (right) of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering introducing to the Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam (centre) the pioneering homebuilt ultrafast optical microscope system at the Photonic Systems Research Laboratory during her visit to HKU in August 2021. for new research projects in 2020–21. HK$902.4 MILLION FUNDING FROM UGC AND RGC HK$894.5 MILLION FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES + as assessed in the RGC’s Research Assessment Exercise 2020. OF RESEARCH WORLD-LEADING OR INTERNATIONALLY EXCELLENT 75% These are led by HKU professors and received a total of HK$167 million. HKU is also a participant in three other projects. THEME-BASED RESEARCH SCHEME PROJECTS 3/8 Research and Innovation HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 20 | 21
Highly cited researchers are scholars who have produced multiple papers that are influential and rank in the top 1% in terms of citations for their field. In 2021, Clarivate named 31 HKU academics to this prestigious list, up from 13 in 2020. Our expertise in infectious diseases has helped make our research especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we also saw increases in the number of engineering and science scholars included. Computer Science Dr Huang Kaibin Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Cross-Field Economics andBusiness Geosciences Environment andEcology; Microbiology Microbiology Physics Mathematics Immunology; Microbiology Materials Science Immunology A BIG LEAP IN THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY CITED RESEARCHERS Mr Cai Jianpiao Department of Microbiology Professor Ester Cerin Dr Chan Kwok-hung Professor Vincent Cheng Chi-chung Dr Chu Hin Professor Mak Tak-wah Professor Dennis Leung Yiu-cheong Professor Gabriel MatthewLeung Professor James Lam Professor Gong Peng Professor Benjamin John Cowling Professor Malik Peiris Professor Kevin Zhou Zheng Dr Kelvin To Kai-wang Professor Yuen Kwok-yung Dr Jasper Chan Fuk-woo Professor Li Lain-Jong Professor Xiang Zhang Professor Zhang Shuang Professor YaoWang Professor Leo Poon Lit-man Professor Yuan Xiaoming Professor Zhang Tong Professor SunMin Professor Zhao Guochun Professor Tang Chuyang Professor PatrickWoo Chiu-yat Professor JosephWu Tsz-kei Dr Cyril Yip Chik-yan Dr Yuan Shuofeng School of Public Health Department of Microbiology Department of Microbiology Department of Microbiology Department of Pathology Department of Mechanical Engineering Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Department of Mechanical Engineering President’s Office School of Public Health School of Public Health Faculty of Business and Economics Department of Microbiology Department of Microbiology Department of Microbiology Department of Mechanical Engineering President’s Office Department of Physics Department of Physics School of Public Health Department of Mathematics Department of Civil Engineering Department of Earth Sciences Department of Earth Sciences Department of Civil Engineering Department of Microbiology School of Public Health Department of Microbiology Department of Microbiology Research and Innovation HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 22 | 23
InnoHK is amajor initiative of the Hong Kong Government to develop the city as a hub for global research and innovation. In October 2021, it was formally announced that HKU has been awarded nine InnoHK research laboratories, themost among local universities – six Health@InnoHK labs on healthcare technologies and three AIR@InnoHK labs on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The labs will collectively receivemore than HK$3 billion in funding over five years. Creating New Materials for Renewable Energy: Hong Kong Quantum AI Lab Realising Precision Medicine and Improving Global Health: Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Using big data and machine learning, computational science and experimental research, this centre will develop software tools that can predict the precise properties of materials used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which can readily be extended to solar cells, fuel cells, related catalysts and other chemical research. The results will help widen the use of renewable energy and create new-generation materials for OLED. The centre’s director is Professor Chen Guanhua in the Department of Chemistry, who is collaborating with the California Institute of Technology. Advanced AI applications will be used to realise precision medicine and greater global health. Under the directorship of the Dean of Medicine, Professor Gabriel Leung, Helen and Francis Zimmern Professor in Population Health, this centre will work with massive unique data resources and focus on the mitigation of vaccine hesitancy; next-generation immune-based technologies to detect infectious disease epidemics and understand their dynamics; global influenza monitoring and prediction; pathogen discovery; and AI-driven disease treatment outcome prediction, among other outcomes. Collaborators include the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London and the University of Sydney. HKU TAKES A LEAD IN Professor Chen Guanhua Department of Chemistry Professor Gabriel Leung Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine Director Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer AI and Robots that Take Garment Industry to New Heights: Centre for Transformative Garment Production AI and robotics-based solutions will be applied to enhance the operations and output of the garment sector, such as enhanced sewing capabilities, fabric handling and manufacturing; shorter product development cycles; improved efficiency; and better worker safety. A platform will be established for exchanges between industry, universities and society to ensure the research is impactful. The centre is directed by Professor Norman C Tien, Taikoo Professor of Engineering, who is collaborating with Tohoku University. Professor Norman C Tien Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Managing Director OUR AIR@INNOHK LABS INNOHK Learn more about InnoHK@HKU Research and Innovation HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2021 24 | 25
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