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The delegation of more than 10, headed by President
Chu, included Prof Yuk-shee Chan, Vice-President for Academic
Affairs, Prof Roland Chin, Vice-President for Research and Development,
Prof T C Pong, Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs,
and the heads of the four Schools. With the aim being to promote
collaboration and exchange between the University and Mainland
China, the whole trip proved to be a worthwhile endeavor on all
fronts.
One of the major accomplishments of the visit was the signing of
an agreement between UST, the Finance Street Holding Co Ltd, and
the Beijing International Finance Training Centre. Under the terms
of the agreement, UST and the Training Centre are to set up an institute,
which will be the only internationally reputed joint-venture education
services provider on Finance Street –
making UST the first tertiary institution to have a presence
in the district.
Together,
UST and Beijing International Finance Training Centre will provide
education and professional development programs for financial professionals.
On top of this, the joint venture institute will enhance the software
infrastructure of Finance Street and also raise its profile globally.
Known as
the Wall Street of China, Beijing's Finance Street is the national
center for financial management, financing, clearing and information.
To date, over 500 top-notch corporations and enterprises have established
themselves on Finance Street, which will be fully operative and
replete with state-of-the-art facilities and multi-function complexes
by as early as 2005.
To meet China's pressing need for talents in IT management,
UST and the graduate school of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) reached an agreement on 26 April to jointly organize a
Master of Technology Management Program in Information Technology
Management (MTM-ITM) in Beijing. Students who complete the course
successfully will be awarded a master's degree in Technology
Management in IT.
Set to begin
in February 2005, this innovative program will further enhance the
collaborative relationship that exists between UST and CAS and,
by combining the best of their resources, prove highly beneficial
to both institutions.
 In
the midst of a jam-packed schedule, the busy delegates made several
major visits to senior officials at the Ministry of Science and
Technology, the Ministry of Education, as well as Beijing's two
top universities, Peking University and TsingHua University. Prof
Chu also delivered an inspiring talk on his favourite subject, "Superconductivity
and I", to more than 200 students at Jing Shan Secondary School!
Another highlight of
the trip was the set of agreements signed on undergraduate exchange
programs with TsingHua University and Peking University. For every
semester within the 2005-08 triennium, UST and each partner university
will send one another at least 10 students on academic exchange.
In fact,
collaborative and exchange programs between UST and the two prestigious
universities started long ago. UST already has an academic alliance
with Peking University to jointly run doctoral and postdoctoral
programs. Other initiatives in place include: recruiting faculty
members between the universities, carrying out joint recruitment
exercises, and conducting collaborative academic research. Also
in place is an academic agreement with TsingHua University to jointly
undertake collaborative academic and scientific research, conduct
exchange programs for faculty members, and provide education opportunities
for postgraduate students and teachers.
 Clearly pleased about the collaborations,
Prof Chu said: "As a leading research university in Hong
Kong, HKUST looks forward to strengthening its ties with the
academic and scientific communities
of the Mainland to enhance the well being of both UST and its
Mainland partners." 
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UST Makes Landmark Entry on Finance Street
