Hong Kong think tank proposes mega science hubs for city amid dearth of joint research projects
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A network of mega science hubs backed with large sums of cash is needed to address the shortage of joint research projects in Hong Kong, says a think tank founded by the city’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa.
The city should start with an institute for biomedical research, a field in which Hong Kong has an edge, funded by HK$1 billion (US$128 million) every year, according to a report published on Tuesday by Our Hong Kong Foundation.
The foundation said Hong Kong could draw inspiration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, which joined forces in 2004 to establish the Broad Institute in support of joint research on biomedical science across several fields and institutions.
There had been insufficient interdisciplinary and collaborative research across different bodies in Hong Kong, the think tank said, as it quoted figures showing how further ahead rivals such as Singapore were in this area.
“Hong Kong should establish mega research institutes which would create more stable research opportunities and allow more large-scale research collaborations across disciplines and institutions to take place,” the report said.
The report said these mega institutes would provide promising career paths to attract top global talent and emerging local researchers.
Professor Tsui Lap-chee, president of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences and a world-renowned expert in molecular genetics, said the idea of setting up such facilities was supported by the heads of five local universities.
