14 A dual emphasis on sustainability and quality is at the core of our best-in-class practices. We will embody our innovative spirit to develop and uphold the best practices of campus development, financial management, as well as data and digital strategy. We also uphold sustainability as a guiding principle in all our operations while achieving our aspirations. Enabling Environment for Our People To strengthen HKUST’s world-leading position in education, research, and knowledge transfer, we commence campus development projects to address short, medium, and long-term spatial needs. In the near future, this will involve setting up a new town facility in Kwun Tong to provide additional teaching and office spaces, and, in the medium term, building new facilities under a Campus Development Plan. In anticipation of development of HKUST in the next decade and beyond, we must take decisive action to acquire and develop off-campus land sites for new initiatives with lasting impact. Concurrently, a Campus Renewal Plan will be in place to guide the maintenance and improvement of the existing campus facilities to enhance the campus experience. Apart from physical infrastructure, we must also create and uphold a digital environment that unlocks potential of our people. Doing so requires enhancement of digital and data capabilities of our members. We will not only ensure timely and sufficient provision of digital tools but also foster a culture of data literacy and digital adaptability on campus. A key element is to forge a robust data strategy that guarantees data quality, security, and accessibility. Investment in hardware infrastructure, including high performance computational facilities, is also essential in the fast-changing environment. Sustainability for the HKUST Community and the World Striving to be a sustainability leader across the region and beyond, HKUST is taking various steps to renew our commitment to net zero carbon. A notable way is to meet the measurable targets of the ongoing 2028 Sustainability Challenge in areas of energy, water, landfill waste, biodiversity, and wellbeing. Another critical step is to develop and implement a Net Zero Action Plan that aspires to achieve the net zero emissions goal by 2045 through new building standards, operation improvements, sustainability education, AN EXEMPLAR OF BEST-IN-CLASS SUSTAINABLE AND QUALITY PRACTICES 12 4
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