3 November 2025, Guangzhou — The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) and the Tibet Autonomous Region Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center today signed a strategic tripartite cooperation agreement on plateau ecological protection and sustainable development at HKUST(GZ). The agreement aims to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism to integrate university research and local monitoring resources, promote research-to-practice translation for plateau ecological protection, strengthen monitoring capacity and talent development, advance technology demonstrations and practical deployments tailored to governance needs, and provide scientific and capacity support for green Belt-and-Road and broader South Asia regional ecological cooperation.

At the signing ceremony, representatives of the three parties formalized the agreement and reached consensus on the cooperation framework and initial work plan. Under the agreement, the parties will advance the sharing and standardization of methodologies and technologies, and organize technical training, joint seminars and technical exchanges for frontline practitioners and researchers to enhance regional monitoring and data-analysis capabilities. The partners will also promote the application of big data and artificial intelligence in plateau ecological monitoring and problem diagnosis, and will use field validation and impact evaluation to assess the feasibility and pathways for scaling up technical demonstrations. The outcomes of the collaboration will be shared to inform ecological management practices across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Tibet Autonomous Region, and beyond to the wider South Asia region, thereby supporting cross-border environmental governance and green development initiatives.

Given the plateau’s unique ecology and the significant climatic challenges it faces, the tripartite collaboration will strengthen the scientific basis for safeguarding ecosystem services and freshwater resources, and will enhance coordination with neighbouring South Asian regions on ecological protection, risk early-warning and sustainable development. By creating channels for joint research and technology translation, the partners are committed to rapidly converting research results into practical governance tools and management recommendations to support long-term, sustainable plateau stewardship, and to contribute practical experience and technical capacity for cross-border ecological cooperation under the green Belt-and-Road framework. To ensure the sustainability of the partnership, the three parties will explore launching the “Research Laboratory on Plateau Ecological Protection and Sustainable Development,” further consolidating organizational and scientific support.

Director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Mr. JIA Xiaohua; Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) of HKUST’s Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies, Professor NING Zhi; and Head of the Thrust of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at HKUST (GZ), Professor Frank LEE Shuncheng, signed the agreement on behalf of the three parties. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Head of Department of Ecology and Environment of Tibet Autonomous Region Mr. HU Li; Senior Engineer of the Tibet Autonomous Region Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Ms. ZHANG Huifang and Office Director of the Tibet Autonomous Region Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Mr. WU Pengfei; Associate Provost (Teaching & Learning) of HKUST, Professor Jimmy FUNG; Vice-President (Research) of HKUST(GZ), Professor Ricky LEE Shi-wei; Professor ZHENG Junyu from the Thrust of Sustainable Energy and Environment at HKUST(GZ); Professor WANG Zhe from the Division of Environment and Sustainability at HKUST; and a number of senior experts and scholars from the relevant fields.