📋 Tender Overview
The Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuklin together with the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis and representatives from the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences UAS Alliance visited Switzerland yesterday May 21 Zurich time The delegation conducted onsite visits to local higher education and innovation and technology infrastructure with a view to providing solid references for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town NMUT
The delegation first visited the University of Basel the oldest university in Switzerland which was founded in 1460 The delegation toured Biozentrum the flagship research centre of the university to gain an indepth understanding of its successful experience in conducting frontier scientific research and promoting the integration of industry academia and research Leveraging its unique geographical advantage Biozentrum has established exceptionally close partnerships with local multinational pharmaceutical corporations and leading innovation and technology companies in Basel where the biomedicine and life sciences industries are highly developed
The delegation met with the President of the Government of the Canton of BaselStadt Mr Conradin Cramer and the President of the University of Basel Professor Andrea SchenkerWicki to learn how the University of Basel has successfully transformed fundamental research into practical medical and industrial applications through its excellent interdisciplinary research
Dr Choi said that the Ngau Tam Mei site in the NMUT is also reserved for the development of life and health technology and related innovation The development model of the University of Basel perfectly demonstrates how a toptier higher education institution and frontier scientific research centre can drive deep integration of peripheral industries and create a powerful synergy The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government hopes to draw on the successful experience of the university and make reference to its practice in longterm fundamental research promoting close collaboration with industries and leveraging geographical advantages thereby optimising the industryacademiaresearch layout in the NMUT and the Ngau Tam Mei site
In the afternoon the delegation visited ETH Zurich a globally acclaimed institution for nurturing STEM science technology engineering and mathematics talent and fostering industryacademia integration The delegation met with the university management to learn more about the universitys campus development layout and spatial planning strategies ETH Zurich created an organically connected research ecosystem through the highlevel integration of cuttingedge research facilities teaching spaces as well as industry collaboration areas
Dr Choi said that the layout of research facilities planned by the university enables researchers from different disciplines to conduct crossdisciplinary collaborations in a highly fluid space and attracts industry partners by utilising the campus open spaces This planning concept allows the teaching area research area and industryacademia collaboration area to complement each other and has a high reference value for Hong Kongs planning and construction of a modern university town in the Northern Metropolis that combines educational functions with industry driving force
The UAS Alliance was established in 2024 to promote collaboration between Hong Kongs universities of applied sciences industries and stakeholders with a view to driving the development of vocational and professional education and training while supporting Hong Kongs development into an international postsecondary education hub The Alliance comprises four postsecondary institutions as founding members with Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University as full members and Tung Wah College and the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong as associate members
On May 20 Bern time Dr Choi proceeded to Bern upon arrival in Switzerland and met with the President of Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL Professor Anna Fontcuberta i Morral to learn about EPFLs experience in teaching and research
EPFL is committed to promoting interdisciplinary research particularly in key areas such as data science biomedical engineering robotics and advanced manufacturing and cultivates students technical capability by adopting a learningbydoing approach It also fosters collaboration between researchers and industries by promoting knowledge and technology transfer
Afterwards Dr Choi met with the Head of International Relations Division of the State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation Mr Jacques Ducrest to exchange views on the latest trends in different fields of international education and explore further cooperation between Hong Kong and Switzerland in education
Dr Choi also paid a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland Mr Qian Minjian and briefed him on the development of the NMUT in Hong Kong
Dr Choi and the delegation will continue their visit to Zurich on May 22 Zurich time
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