Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) signed an agreement with the Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality today (14 November) to join Shenzhen Virtual University Park (SZVUP), becoming Hong Kong's first self-financing tertiary institution to be admitted to SZVUP.
HKMU will establish the “Hong Kong Metropolitan University Shenzhen Research Institute” (HKMUSRI), dedicated to promoting cooperation between the two cities in the areas of education and research, and fostering commercialisation of research outcomes.
The “Admission Agreement Signing Ceremony” was held at the 2023 Assembly of Shenzhen Virtual University Park. The agreement was signed by Deputy Director Lou Yanfeng of the Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality and HKMU President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing, and witnessed by Inspector at Level 2 Xia Qifeng of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Vice Mayer Chen Qing of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, and Director Zheng Xiuyu of Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau, marking an important milestone for HKMU's integration into the development of the Greater Bay Area.
“As the first self-financing tertiary institution in Hong Kong to join SZVUP, HKMU will fully leverage its strengths in talent development, and research and innovation to set up a research platform for promoting research projects in the areas of environmental protection, medicine and health, and smart city. We will launch impactful research and projects to facilitate knowledge transfer for the benefit of the community,” said Prof. Lam.
Prof. Lam expressed his gratitude for the support of the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality. With the theme of innovation and integration, HKMUSRI will embark on work in three key areas:
1. Establishing an Environmental Science Research and Development (R&D) Centre to focus on the ecological conservation of mangroves and coastal wetlands, contributing to solutions in areas such as ecological restoration, environmental pollution and human health.
2. Developing a Digital Health R&D Centre to develop wearable devices and smart diagnostic equipment for detecting diseases (including cancer) to cope with the ageing society and cardiovascular diseases and to focus on the early detection of cancer.
3. Setting up a Smart City R&D Centre as a core project of the HKMUSRI to create a cluster of laboratories integrating the technological elements of smart cities, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
HKMU was one of the first tertiary institutions in Hong Kong to establish a presence in the Mainland. HKMU set up a Mainland office in Shenzhen in 2000 to facilitate communication between the University and the Mainland. In 2016, HKMU collaborated with the authority of Futian National Nature Reserve on Neilingding Island and Shenzhen University to set up the Greater Bay Area Mangrove Wetland Research and Development Centre in Shenzhen Bay. The Centre aims to promote R&D on the conservation of wetland resources, important marine organisms and the ecological environment. HKMU is also a member of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution.
SZVUP is the first innovative industry–academia–research demonstration base in the Mainland for gathering resources from local and overseas institutions. It was established under the one-park, multiple-institutions model and co-developed by both the government and the respective institutions.
A platform for member institutions to develop innovative research in Shenzhen, SZVUP effectively pools resources, promotes cooperation between the government and institutions, and integrates the research strengths of the institutions into urban development, thus contributing to the national economic development.
