New school to focus on energy and environment
Joint university venture in Xian hopes to contribute energy and environmental policies to the central government
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's joint school of sustainable development in Xian will contribute to energy and environmental policies on the mainland, the university's provost says.
"We'll do studies, research and propose alternative policies for the government to consider," said Professor Wei Shyy, executive vice-president and provost of the university. "We want to have a role in contributing to policy development and thinking."
The Clear Water Bay university's joint venture with Xian Jiaotong University is in the northwestern city of Xian, which Shyy described as "the future of China".
He said resources such as coal, gas and certain important industrial salts, were highly concentrated in the region.
In terms of development, the region was not "as advanced as the eastern coastal area".
"So basically there are a lot of opportunities to do sustainable development in northwestern China," said Shyy, who is overseeing the establishment of the school.
"When they extract the natural resources from the ground they can also pay attention to the balance and the impact on the environment."
