Looking Beyond 2014 and Planning for HKU’s Second Century

Looking Beyond 2014 and Planning for HKU’s Second Century

The University of Hong Kong has actively pursued its development since its foundation in 1911. The first hundred years have seen significant expansion of the campus in Pokfulam, along with growth of the surrounding urban landscape. With the rapid emergence of China on the international stage, the universal challenges facing human kind, and the globalization of knowledge, the University must continue to develop and expand in its second century, and the most pressing requirement will be for additional space. The main campus and its nearby medical campus in the Western District are severely limited in their growth potential, and we will need to look beyond our current landholdings, particularly in the New Territories and in Shenzhen. We will also look for opportunities to develop real estate on Hong Kong Island, especially where acquisition and conversion of suitable buildings is possible. At the same time it is clear that we must expand and diversify our funding sources. Such diversity, particularly with the growth of private funds, will give us the necessary liberty and flexibility to pursue a range of innovative developments, including those which might increase, diversify and support our student population, broaden and enhance our areas of research strength, and further enhance our reputation as an outstanding international research-led university. The challenge for HKU from now until 2014 and beyond is to get ourselves ready to take up such opportunities.