LSE welcomes HKUST (Guangzhou) delegation to explore future collaboration

At the end of September, LSE welcomed a senior delegation from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), led by its President, Professor Lionel Ming-Shuan Ni, to discuss opportunities for future collaboration in education and research.

The visit built on conversations initiated at the APAIE Conference in Hong Kong earlier in the year, where Elizabeth Aitken, LSE Associate Vice President (Education), met representatives from HKUST (Guangzhou). The two institutions have maintained an informal relationship and share an interest in developing closer links.

Exploring shared interests in education and research

During the visit, discussions focused on potential student mobility opportunities, joint research initiatives and opportunities for academic exchange between faculty members.

The delegation met Professor Emma McCoy, LSE Vice-President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education); Elizabeth Aitken, Associate Vice President (Education); Dr Mengxi Pang, Senior Global Research Partnerships and Alliances Manager; Rachel Cox, Head of Student Recruitment and Study Abroad; and Nathan Brennan, Student Recruitment Officer International.

Connecting expertise in climate change and sustainability

The delegation also visited LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, where members met Professor Lord Nicholas Stern.

The visit provided an opportunity to build on Professor Stern’s longstanding academic collaboration with Professor Kejun Jiang, Head of the Carbon Neutrality and Climate Change Thrust at HKUST (Guangzhou). Their shared interests reflect the institutions’ wider strengths in climate change, sustainability and policy-relevant research.

Established in 2022, HKUST (Guangzhou) is a research university located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and founded in partnership with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The university has a strong interdisciplinary focus, bringing together expertise in areas including artificial intelligence, data science, sustainability, advanced manufacturing and digital innovation.

The visit reflected both institutions’ interest in developing globally connected education and research partnerships and established a foundation for further conversations about potential collaboration.