Dear Colleagues,
With the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, HKMU can look forward to another year of hard work and hopefully, great success.
HKMU has developed rapidly in recent years. We are now the 6th largest university in Hong Kong in terms of the number of full-time undergraduates, which currently stands at about 10,000. The total number of taught postgraduate students in 2022 increased by 57% compared to that in 2021 and doubled that in 2020.
The continued success in student recruitment has further exacerbated the acute space shortage on our Homantin campus. By way of example, the net area per student is just 4.5 m2, which is significantly lower than the minimum of roughly 15 m2 at other UGC-funded institutions. As well, the utilisation rate of lecture theatres and classrooms is close to 90%.
To maintain our competitive advantage and cater for the further development of the University, in 2021, a decision was made to relocate some of the Administrative Offices off campus to create more usable space on the Homantin campus.
In our search for off-campus offices, we engaged six property agents and received 116 offers related to 52 properties. Subsequently, our FMO colleagues conducted site visits to 17 short-listed premises in November 2021. We signed two rental agreements with NEO in Ngau Tau Kok, one in March and one in June 2022.
The move of the Administrative Offices to NEO took place in two phases: the first phase was completed in October 2022 and the second in January 2023.
Feedback from colleagues who made the move suggest that the work environment is generally good and that they have gradually adapted to the new work environment.
I understand that the move may not be welcomed by everyone and that it has caused inconvenience to some colleagues who prefer to work on our Homantin campus. In addition, there are soundproofing issues and other practical challenges on the new premises. Our FMO colleagues will work hard to address these teething problems.
I hope that we can all work together as a team, embrace the HKMU spirit, and make things work.
The vacated space on the Homantin campus will be used to create more modern classrooms, well equipped laboratories and new office space for staff. It will also provide an opportunity for the Offices and Schools to replan and consolidate their office space and related facilities.
I would like to thank all staff wholeheartedly for your understanding, patience and forbearance in making a significant contribution towards a better future for the University.
Paul LAM Kwan-sing
President
