University of Waterloo expands research and education partnerships in Hong Kong

Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo, signed three agreements last week expanding the institution’s teaching and research partnerships with two universities in Hong Kong.

Two of the agreements are with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and include a strategic partnership agreement as well as a memorandum of understanding to increase collaboration.

Waterloo also signed an agreement with Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, where the two institutions have agreed to start an undergraduate exchange program.

“Hong Kong has long been an important global partner for the University of Waterloo and these agreements further cement our relationship with this very important region of the world,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Waterloo. “These partnerships will continue to ensure our students and our institution maintain a global perspective so we can continue to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.”

HKUST was established in 1991 and has 9,000 undergraduate students and 5,000 graduate students. Waterloo currently has agreements with HKUST at the PhD and undergraduate levels.

Over the next two years, Waterloo and HKUST will be exploring ways increase research collaboration in a number of areas, including artificial intelligence and biomedical research.

“HKUST and the University of Waterloo have a similar mission and we both enjoy a high academic standing with broad international vision,” said Tony F Chan, president of HKUST. “The agreements will bring our partnership to new heights, and I believe the unprecedented engagement between us will result in the realization of some of the best innovations and ideas to benefit our people, our regions and for the greater good of the world.”

LU has roots back to 1888 in Guangzhou, China and was formally re-established as Lingnan College in Hong Kong in 1967. In 1999, LU acquired university status and was renamed Lingnan University. The university has 2,500 undergraduate students and 600 graduate students.

Waterloo currently has more than 40 academic programs with international partners and has been listed as the 34^th most international university in the world by Times Higher Education.

Professor Hamdullahpur will be in Hong Kong until November 28. The trip also included a demo day, where several Velocity companies had the opportunity to introduce their businesses to potential investors.

About the University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo is Canada’s top innovation university. With more than 36,000 students we are home to the world’s largest co-operative education system of its kind. Our unmatched entrepreneurial culture, combined with an intensive focus on research, powers one of the top innovation hubs in the world. Find out more at uwaterloo.ca.