In search of to additional strengthen bonds between Hong Kong and the UAE, a high-level delegation from The Hong Kong College of Science and Expertise (HKUST) – a world-class research-intensive college that focuses on science, engineering, enterprise, in addition to humanities and social science, will discover alternatives for analysis and expertise switch collaboration in robotics, synthetic intelligence (AI) and clear power.

The delegation will probably be led by the college president, Nancy Ip, and also will search to establish potential synergies between HKUST’s experience in engineering and expertise and the UAE’s funding. This follows a earlier go to to the UAE by Hong Kong’s secretary for innovation, expertise and trade, professor Solar Dong. Constructing upon these efforts, Ip’s delegation marks a big milestone amongst Hong Kong’s universities to strengthen the town’s dedication to advancing analysis and innovation with the UAE.

Over the previous decade, the UAE has emerged as considered one of Hong Kong’s primary buying and selling companions and the most important within the Center East. Demonstrating the dedication to strengthening connections, Hong Kong’s chief government, John Lee, launched into his first abroad go to to the nation final yr.

Fostering collaboration

The HKUST delegation will set up new connections with key companions and stakeholders within the UAE’s increased training and innovation techniques. It will happen by varied conferences and discussions with authorities representatives, varied firms and different companions coping with innovation, analysis, expertise, and expertise switch within the fields of robotics, AI, clear power, and start-up incubation.

These key establishments embody the Dubai Future Basis, the College of Sharjah, Khalifa College and Mohamed bin Zayed College of Synthetic Intelligence.

Given HKUST’s plans to determine Hong Kong’s third medical faculty, the delegation may also go to the state-of-the-art medical-related analysis services of those key UAE establishments. In doing so, it would acquire insights and discover potential collaboration alternatives.

Moreover, the delegation will host a reception to have interaction with alumni teams within the area and strengthen their ties with their alma mater. This occasion supplies a chance for alumni to attach with HKUST and be taught concerning the college’s newest developments and initiatives, whereas additionally fostering a way of neighborhood amongst alumni within the UAE.

HKUST has constantly ranked throughout the world’s prime 70 universities and prime three younger universities. It’s the first college within the area to embrace open AI and has just lately established one of the crucial superior AI computing services for cross-disciplinary analysis in AI, giant language mannequin coaching, drug screening and extra.

Success throughout fields

College members are additionally recognized for efficiently making use of their fundamental analysis ends in real-world purposes to learn society. Thus far, HKUST has nurtured greater than 1,700 energetic startups, 9 unicorns and 13 profitable exits, together with drone empire, DJI, based by HKUST graduate Frank Wang.

“HKUST is a distinguished international analysis establishment with management within the discipline of AI, there may be super potential for collaborative ventures that span training, analysis, and data switch with the UAE, which has made substantial funding within the discipline. Collectively, we will make significant contributions to the development and betterment of humankind,” mentioned Nancy Ip, president of HKUST.

HKUST goals to recruit extra proficient UAE college students to its undergraduate and postgraduate applications whereas aligning with the UAE’s speedy tempo of expertise progress and fostering developments in frequent objectives of creating and nurturing abilities within the I&T sectors.

“Being residence to probably the most numerous undergraduate pupil inhabitants in Hong Kong, and a trailblazer in innovation, AI, and entrepreneurship, HKUST stands as a most popular associate for the UAE of their pursuit of technological development and expertise cultivation throughout the I&T ecosystem. We’re dedicated to offering distinctive training and analysis alternatives for aspiring UAE college students searching for to pursue their research overseas,” Ip added.

Cultivating expertise transformation 

Linking again to synergies between the college and the UAE, nationwide plans such because the UAE’s Nationwide Synthetic Intelligence Technique 2031 and Nationwide Program to Remodel Expertise that goals to domesticate expertise transformation for future jobs align with HKUST’s 3.0 imaginative and prescient for advancing the way forward for dwelling, work, and folks.

HKUST’s 3.0 imaginative and prescient contains the proposal of building a medical faculty, an innotech park to collaborate with trade companions, and an extra analysis base in mainland China.

On this regard, the UAE’s robust dedication to driving technological developments and changing into a world industrial expertise middle and international innovation hub enhances the objectives of China’s Belt and Highway Initiative, which seeks to advertise cross-border connectivity and collaboration in I&T in addition to Hong Kong’s emergence as a worldwide powerhouse in life sciences, synthetic intelligence, and robotic expertise. The UAE has been an energetic associate within the Belt and Highway Initiative since its launch.

Constructing on earlier success

Up to now yr, HKUST enhanced its efforts to attach with UAE stakeholders and hosted outstanding officers from the nation together with the His Excellency (H.E) Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE’s Financial system Minister and H.E Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China.

Extra just lately, one of many innovation facilities underneath HKUST, the Hong Kong Middle for Building Robotics (HKCRC), together with its incubated start-up, just lately participated within the LEAP 2024 expertise convention in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the place it showcased how its superior robotic expertise might contribute to the development improvement within the Center East, thereby displaying the college’s energetic involvement in commercializing applied sciences and contributing to the expansion of the Center East area.