HKU eyes Northern Metropolis expansion to boost research capacity, attract talent

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is planning to expand its presence in the Northern Metropolis university town in order to enhance its research capabilities and attract top talent, according to the institution's new vice-president for research, Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung. Shum emphasized the need for additional laboratory space and called for increased government funding, noting that grant applications can be time-consuming and results may take time to materialize.

He stressed that the university's research initiatives align with the government's vision of integrating education, technology, industry, and talent to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis, as outlined in the recently released policy address. Shum proposed a closed-loop strategy, where discoveries from laboratory experiments are translated into industry applications and subsequently generate new research problems for scientists to solve.

This creates a cycle of continuous innovation. Shum highlighted that attracting talented individuals can further fuel research progress, as researchers are drawn to universities with higher concentrations of talented peers. He pointed out that when top-tier researchers join HKU, they often collaborate with other high-caliber scientists, further strengthening the university's research environment.

During his tenure at HKU, Shum has already recruited two Nobel laureates, Sir Andre Geim and Ferenc Krausz, and one Fields Medallist, Ngo Bao Chau, demonstrating the institution's ability to attract prestigious talent. The Northern Metropolis plan, which was integrated into Hong Kong's initial five-year plan and the recently announced policy address, aims to develop three university towns—San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu, and Ta Kwu Ling—spanning over 1,000 hectares to become an innovation hub.

Shum stressed that while the government will provide land and loans, institutions will be responsible for funding their own research activities through reserves or bonds. He outlined the various types of laboratories needed in the Northern Metropolis, including dry labs for computational tasks, wet labs for biological and chemical experiments, and AI facilities.

Shum called for close collaboration among the government, universities, industry, and talent to ensure the effective implementation of the Northern Metropolis vision. Shum, a biomedical engineering scholar with extensive experience in university leadership, has previously served as HKU's associate vice-president for research and innovation and City University's research vice-president.

He is also part of a group advising the Chief Executive's Policy Unit on research strategy. Under his leadership, HKU launched the RISE platform, which aims to align research funding, intellectual property, technology transfer, and start-up incubation efforts. Shum stressed the importance of transforming research into tangible products, as the process can be challenging and may take years to yield results.

He emphasized the need for government and university funding to enable researchers to focus on their creativity. In terms of university-industry collaboration, Shum emphasized the significance of involving companies early in the process, as they possess valuable insights into product improvements and regulatory challenges. By addressing these issues collaboratively, universities and industries can streamline the translation of research into commercially viable products.

Shum will also spearhead HKU's Innovation Week, an event from October 12 to 16 that will bring together over 1,000 representatives from government, industry, and academia. The event aims to showcase more than 120 innovations and will focus on enhancing science popularization and raising overall innovation and science literacy, contributing to the university's broader social mission to bridge the gap between academia and society.