Call for government support for innovative academia in Hong Kong

The Chinese University has invited globally renowned mathematician Yau Shing-tung to establish an academy in Hong Kong, said lawmaker Bill Tang Ka-piu. 

Tang also urged the government to provide funding support during a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday. 

He emphasized the importance of attracting top academics from both the mainland and overseas.

Tang, who is also a member of CUHK’s governing council, noted that while the university has invited Yau -- former professor emeritus at Harvard University and a 1982 Fields Medal laureate -- to set up the academy, the proposal has not received financial backing from the government.

“Although Hong Kong’s finances are very tight now, it is hoped that the SAR government can allocate some funds to support cutting-edge scientists coming to Hong Kong,” Tang said. 

He said that despite having five local universities ranked among the top 100 globally, the city lags in developing an innovative industry.

Referring to last year’s Global Innovation Index, Tang said that Hong Kong ranked 17th, while Israel ranked 14th, despite having no universities in the top 100. 

He also said that innovative industries contribute only 1.5 percent to Hong Kong’s gross domestic product, compared to about 4.4 percent in Shanghai and 6.8 percent in Beijing.

Despite policies promoting innovation, Tang indicated that these initiatives have yet to be fully activated by the private sector.

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king suggested that local higher education institutions should enhance the transfer of scientific research into real-life applications and proposed the establishment of an interdisciplinary innovative research fund.

In response, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said that the Research Grants Council under the University Grants Committee has consistently encouraged local institutions to engage in interdisciplinary research. 

She added that several local universities have collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 1996 to promote scientific cooperation and talent exchanges between the two regions.

(Eunice Lam)