In this era of complexity and change, universities have a critical role to play, which is to address global challenges by breaking through the barriers to knowledge. With our commitment to excellence, Hong Kong Baptist University has in recent years constantly strived to extend the frontiers of knowledge, especially through the development of interdisciplinary research and integrating creativity with innovative technology. For the purposes of strategic development, a greater emphasis has been placed on selected research clusters such as the creative media, healthcare, drug discovery, artificial intelligence (A.I.) and data analysis. The goal of all these efforts is to create a welcoming and forward-looking atmosphere, one in which innovative teaching and research can flourish and thereby benefit society.
As early as 2006, the University launched the inaugural Endowed Professorships Scheme. The objective was to attract global top talents and to honour distinguished scholars as a way to build the capacity of our designated academic disciplines. And thanks to the efforts of our endowed professors, the University has performed outstandingly over the years, winning an array of the world’s top honours and patents, and making great strides in our groundbreaking research and deepening our internationalisation. The Scheme also serves to encourage creativity and innovation in education, with a view to nurturing a generation of young talents who are equipped with the mindset, skills, flexibility and adaptability that enables them to embrace and conquer future challenges.
Every endowed professorship is an enduring tribute to the donor who has established it, connecting the donor to the University in a shared vision and binding partnership. Furthermore, the additional resources brought by the endowment help to drive the development of our teaching and research programmes. In this connection, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all donors for their generous contributions, which have been a morale-building source of encouragement as well as empowering the University to fulfil its academic aspirations and shine in the field of cutting-edge research.
Professor Ping-kong Alexander Wai, JP
President and Vice-Chancellor
Chair Professor of Photonics
Hong Kong Baptist University