45 44 HKU ANNUAL REPORT 2023 ACHIEVING IMPACT The University actively encourages scholars to apply their research for the benefit of people and the community. In 2023, we sharpened that encouragement with a new funding scheme that rewards scholars who aim for international as well as local impact. The Strategic Impact Scheme, launched in March, awards up to HK$500,000 to new projects in seven globally strategic areas – green and sustainable energy; health and medical technologies; industry 4.0; smart cities; food security and nutrition; use of IT in education; and community engagement for governance and law. This is in addition to our ongoing Impact Project Scheme, which awards up to HK$150,000 to each project. Knowledge exchange (KE) is also promoted through the annual KE Excellence Awards at both the faculty and university levels. An example of the reach of our KE work is the project ‘Revitalising Hong Kong’s Abandoned Villages – Mui Tsz Lam & Kop Tong’ from the Faculty of Social Sciences, which has had more than 840,000 views on Instagram. HELPING THE COMMUNITY HKU launched the Wellness@HKU initiative to promote campus health and well-being. Social responsibility and a sense of community are encouraged among students through curricular and co-curricular activities. Many experiential learning and capstone projects include these elements, which aim to not only develop students’ professional and ‘soft’ skills, but also make them cognisant of their deeper connections and roles within society. This is part of the bigger picture of whole-person development, which is also a valued part of students’ education. In 2023, we launched the studentstaff partnership, Wellness@HKU, a communication platform to promote mental and physical health and well-being on campus. Watch the ‘Revitalising Hong Kong’s Abandoned Villages – Mui Tsz Lam & Kop Tong’ video 13 PROJECTS AWARDED IN THE IMPACT PROJECT SCHEME FOR 2022–23 17 PROJECTS AWARDED IN THE STRATEGIC IMPACT SCHEME FOR 2022–23
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