HKUST Hosts First Short-Term Training Course under The Hong Kong Jockey Club Medical and Health Scholarship-cum-Fellowship for Top Talent in the Mainland

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has long been dedicated to advancing medical technology and fostering innovation to drive technological breakthroughs. HKUST recently hosted its inaugural short course for senior healthcare executives from the Mainland. This course is the first short course under "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Medical and Health Scholarship-cum-Fellowship for Top Talent in the Mainland" following the signing of the “Collaboration Agreement Between the National Health Commission and The Hong Kong Jockey Club on a Scholarship-cum-Fellowship for Top Talent in the Mainland” last year. 

The course brought together world-renowned scholars and industry leaders to deliver a comprehensive curriculum tailored to the needs of these senior Mainland healthcare executives. It covered a range of critical topics ranging global health governance, applications of medical technology, and public health strategies. The course aimed to foster national healthcare talent development in support of the “Healthy China” plan. 

The course was held from April 6 to 19. HKUST welcomed 25 senior executives from central government bodies, including the National Health Commission (NHC), as well as healthcare departments and medical institutions across 19 provinces and cities. The course featured a series of lectures, site visits, and a culminating symposium. Prof. LO Chung-Mau, Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government, graced the opening ceremony as an officiating guest along with representatives from the Health Bureau, who offered attendees an overview of Hong Kong’s healthcare system.

Prof. Lo Chung-Mau, Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government, said this training course, with its focus on “Empowering Healthcare with Technology”, underscores how technological innovation serves not only as a core driver for transformative advancements in healthcare, but also as a critical pillar for achieving the nation’s high-quality development amid the global wave of digitalization. “In the 2023 and 2024 Policy Addresses, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR emphasized that the Government will complement technological innovation with institutional innovation to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. Key initiatives include establishing the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation to strengthen the HKSAR’s drug approval capability and enhancing Hong Kong’s clinical trial capacity to facilitate the translation of innovative biomedical research results into clinical applications. Meanwhile, we are also exploring the establishment of the ‘Real-World Study and Application Centre’ to accelerate approval for registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas.” 

Focusing on emerging trends in healthcare and medicine, the training course featured lectures by top global experts such as Prof. Margaret CHAN, Dean, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, and former Director-General, World Health Organization; Prof. Neil FERGUSON, Director, School of Public Health,  Imperial College London; Prof. Raymond CHUA, Chief Executive Officer, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore; Prof. Joseph SUNG, Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Prof. ZHENG Zhijie, Director, China Office, Gates Foundation and Professor, Health Science Center, Peking University; Prof. LI Cheng, Founding Director,  Centre on Contemporary China and the World, and Professor of Political Science, University of Hong Kong (HKU);  Prof. Masahiro HASHIZUME, Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo; Prof. Thomas TSAI, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University; and Prof. John JI, Associate Professor, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University. Discussions delved into critical areas including global health governance and policy development, healthcare system reform and regulatory advancement, and public health threat management.

To strengthen cross-border collaboration, HKUST also hosted a symposium titled "Hong Kong’s Integration into the National Health Development Strategy" on April 17. The event featured opening remarks by Anthony WU, former Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA); Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST; LI Wei, Deputy Director General of the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Office of NHC. While panelists including Dr. Ronald LAM, Director of Health of the HKSAR Government; Dr. Tony KO, Chief Executive of the HA; Prof. Philip LI, President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine; WANG Jianghong, Secretary of NHC Health Human Resources Development Center; Prof. Philip CHIU, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Victoria WONG, Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs) of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at HKU; Dr. LAW Chun-Bon, Cluster Chief Executive of Kowloon West Cluster and Chief Executive of Princess Margaret Hospital and North Lantau Hospital; Dr. Joseph CHAN, Chief Medical Officer of HKSH Medical Group and Deputy Medical Superintendent of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital; and three participants of the training program, shared insights on regional health governance, hospital management, and medical technology collaboration, highlighting Hong Kong’s role in advancing the nation’s health strategy.

Li Wei, Deputy Director General of the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Office of NHC, expressed her heartfelt appreciation to HKUST for its full support of this training course. “The course hosted by HKUST marks a critical step in our talent development collaboration with The Hong Kong Jockey Club. Focused on advancing high-caliber talent cultivation, the program promotes innovation and fosters collaborative mechanisms in healthcare. It has not only provided participants with invaluable opportunities to broaden their horizons and deepen their expertise, but also laid a solid foundation for cross-regional cooperation in the medical and health sectors. Through this program, we have witnessed the immense potential for collaboration between the Mainland and Hong Kong in healthcare, further reinforcing our confidence in deepening such partnerships. The new era entrusts us with new missions. We hope that the medical, educational, and research communities in the Mainland and Hong Kong will join hands to enhance the nation’s new quality productive forces in healthcare, leveraging our unique strengths in building a high-quality ‘Health Silk Road.’ Together, we can make greater contributions to fostering a global community of health for all.” 

Prof. Nancy Ip, President of HKUST, expressed her gratitude to NHC and The Hong Kong Jockey Club for their trust and support. "HKUST is honored to host this training course for NHC. By bringing together leading global scholars and experts to share their experiences and showcasing how Hong Kong utilizes the latest medical technology, we strive to broaden the global perspective of China’s healthcare system and inject innovative momentum into its evolution. In line with the ‘Healthy China 2030’ vision, HKUST will leverage its research capabilities to drive the integration of artificial intelligence and healthcare, advance innovative education, conduct pioneering medical research, and nurture high-caliber talent to support the nation’s long-term development in the healthcare sector." 

In addition to international experts, HKUST faculty members, including Prof. GUO Yike, Provost; Prof. HUI Kai‐Lung, Acting Dean of Business and Management; Prof. ZHANG Qian, Head, Division of Integrative Systems and Design; Prof. Alex HE Jingwei, Acting Director, Institute for Public Policy; Prof. LI Zexiang,  Professor, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering; Prof. Caroline WANG, Adjunct Professor, Department of Management; and Prof. SUN Zhigang, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Division of Life Science, shared insights on the interdisciplinary applications of medical technology and discussed how technological advancements can reshape healthcare delivery and management efficiency. 

Edith SHIH, Vice-Chairperson of the HKUST Council, and Ir. Billy WONG Wing-Hoo, Member of the HKUST Council, contributed their governance expertise to discussions on healthcare management practices. Meanwhile, HKUST also arranged visits for participants to private and public hospitals in Hong Kong, allowing them to gain firsthand insights into the city’s healthcare system and innovative practices.

Moving forward, HKUST will further deepen collaboration with NHC by exploring long-term healthcare-related programs to further advance cross-border talent development and support the establishment of a high-quality national healthcare system.