Is IAS doing a good enough job? Here is what the experts said. Quoting the report of the IAS External Review Panel*
submitted to HKUST President Tony F. Chan in June 2014,
“Recent decades have seen the establishment of institutes for advanced study in increasing numbers around the world.
Although now typically established within existing universities, they provide environments where outstanding scholars
and scientists can concentrate for sustained periods on the most challenging and promising areas of research in ways
that are often not possible within the context of the university itself ... The accelerating growth in the number of such
institutes provides a striking testimony to their effectiveness at producing profound breakthroughs and attracting many
of the world’s leading researchers, with obvious benefits to the host university and its region. HKUST, through the
HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, has seized the unique opportunity of providing such an institute for
Hong Kong and the wider region. Great progress has been made, and excellent resources and facilities acquired, but
these achievements must be built on vigorously if it is to realize its potential to become one of the world's leading
scientific institutes.”
Vision and mission affirmed. Goals clear. IAS will continue to drive research excellence within and beyond HKUST. Clearly
many challenges remain if we aim to reach the next level. We will strive to get on board more prominent scholars
irrespective of area. We also look forward to recruiting top scholars and rising stars in a few targeted areas who have the
energy and high potential to attain international recognition. We will do our very best to continue the well-established IAS
distinguished lectures by partnering with HKUST faculty to bring in renowned academic visitors. We will further strengthen
the well-received IAS visitor program by engaging and linking up IAS visitors with HKUST faculty in different formats. We
will work more closely with IAS Senior Fellows and IAS Fellows to elevate research standing. We will attract outstanding
young researchers to join the team of IAS Postdoctoral Fellows. Working within a UGC recurrent budget of $22M (faculty
salary excluded) as well as endowment income and donations, we are all set to execute our plans for 2014/15.
Please read on to know more about our people, research and activities. Do share with us your brilliant ideas and valuable
comments on making IAS your partner for research excellence! Your support is crucial for the future development of IAS.
Henry Tye
Director
HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study
* The IAS External Review Panel was appointed by HKUST President with the following membership:
Chair:
Prof David Gross
(2004 Nobel Laureate in Physics; Former Director of Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics; Chairman of IAS International Advisory Board)
Members: Prof Jean-Pierre Bourguigno
n
(President of the European Research Council; Former Director of Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques; Member of IAS International Advisory Board)
Prof Peter Goddard
(Former Director of Princeton IAS; Member of IAS International Advisory Board)
Prof Chih-Ming Ho
(Ben Rich-Lockheed Martin Professor, School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles; IAS Visiting Professor)
Prof Sir James A. Mirrlees
(1996 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences; Distinguished Professor-at-Large and Master of Morningside College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
On the balcony of IAS overlooking HKUST campus and Port
Shelter, gazing afar, I ask myself, “How far will IAS go?”
Starting as an operation with a star-studded international
advisory board and a small group of famed IAS Visiting
Professors some 8 years ago, bringing to Hong Kong the
world-known physicist Stephen Hawking to give a public
inaugural lecture on “The Origin of the Universe”, IAS has
gone quite a way down the road. Since the repositioning
approved by HKUST Council in 2011, we have appointed 3
internationally acclaimed academic leaders as IAS Professors,
and 19 excellent, research active HKUST faculty as fellows;
engaged more than 50 top scholars as regular visitors; as well
as run a wide array of programs, conferences, distinguished
lectures, etc.
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Words from the Director
Sep 2014
