The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently established strategic partnership with The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (FAH-SYSU), Southern Medical University (SMU), and Guangzhou Medical University (GMU) respectively. These individual partners will engage in in-depth collaboration with HKUST on areas such as clinical education, talent cultivation, medical research, and translation of innovations, injecting new impetus into the advancement of medical education and healthcare services.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with a population of approximately 86 million, continues to see a rising demand for high-quality healthcare services. At the same time, the region's abundant clinical medical resources offer significant potential for the development of medical education and clinical research. HKUST has always valued and actively pursued collaboration and development in the GBA. Over the years, it has established research bases in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan, and in 2022, HKUST (Guangzhou) was founded in Nansha, Guangzhou. These collaborations with the three institutions are another HKUST’s key initiative in support of its vision to establish the third medical school in Hong Kong By leveraging resources and platforms within the GBA, HKUST will capitalize on its strengths in research, education and innovation to collaborate with its partners in cultivating interdisciplinary medical talents who will shape the future of medical development. These partnerships are set to transform Hong Kong and the GBA into an international hub for medical innovation, and position the region as a leader in the global health sector.
These partnerships aim to further expand the cooperative mechanisms between Hong Kong and the mainland in clinical education and medical research. Under the agreements, clinical professors and experts from FAH-SYSU, SMU and GMU will conduct regular lectures at HKUST and provide its students diverse clinical practicum opportunities in the GBA. HKUST also plans to explore innovative pedagogical approaches and research on clinical education with its three partners, leveraging cutting-edge technology, medical research, and clinical expertise to advance the region’s medical education.
In the field of medical research, HKUST seeks to integrate its strengths in biomedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), data science, engineering and basic sciences, with the expertise of FAH-SYSU, SMU, and GMU in clinical medicine. To foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, HKUST will explore establishing joint research teams or centers with its partners to translate cutting-edge research findings into practical clinical applications and enhance medical technology in the GBA and beyond. Additionally, HKUST plans to co-host regular international academic forums and seminars with these institutions to share the latest advancements in medical research, facilitate global academic exchanges, and create a platform for global medical innovation.
HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP said, “HKUST is honored to establish strategic partnerships with FAH-SYSU, SMU, and GMU, marking a key milestone in our long-term collaboration with top-tier medical institutions in the GBA. By combining HKUST’s robust research capabilities and our three partners’ clinical expertise, we shall nurture a new generation of high-quality medical professionals and accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into clinical applications, thereby contributing to the advancement of medical innovation in Hong Kong and the nation.”
As Hong Kong’s first research university, HKUST is distinguished by its strong research foundation and a diverse array of internationally renowned scholars and experts. The University has achieved world-class excellence, particularly in fields such as neuroscience, genetics, bioengineering, AI, data science and robotics. HKUST is actively working to establish Hong Kong's third medical school, aiming to cultivate medical professionals who are forward-thinking, innovative, and equipped with clinical expertise. Over the years, the University has made significant research breakthroughs in medicine, including a highly accurate blood test for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, a microscope that facilitates real-time decision-making during cancer surgery, and a series of large AI models designed to assist both general practitioners and specialists in diagnosis.
The three GBA medical institutions partnering with HKUST not only possess exceptional capabilities in the field of clinical medicine but also have advanced talent development systems, abundant clinical resources, and extensive international collaboration networks. These partnerships will fully leverage the strengths of all parties involved, working together with HKUST to elevate medical education, research innovation, and clinical applications to new heights.
