The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) signed three agreements with Tsinghua University (Tsinghua) to foster collaboration in research and education. These initiatives include launching a joint Integrated Master-PhD Program in Electronic and Computer Engineering, an executive education program and joint research funding.

HKUST Council Chairman Prof. Harry SHUM and HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP recently received a Tsinghua University delegation led by Secretary of the Party Committee Prof. QIU Yong, alongside Tsinghua Council Deputy Chairman Prof. YANG Bin and other senior Tsinghua officials.  The delegation witnessed the signing of the agreements between the two institutions. Key initiatives include:

1)    Integrated Master-PhD Program: Designed for electronic and computer engineering students from both universities, the program features two main components: 

• An exchange program for master's students set to launch in the 2025-26 academic year, 
• Master's students from each institution may apply for the partner institution's PhD program.

By merging the exceptional computer science resources of Tsinghua and HKUST —two leading global institutions in Electronic and Computer Science— this collaboration leverages on each other's talent resources and jointly cultivate world-class talents in electronic information and artificial intelligence (AI) who could tackle the challenges of the digital era.

2)    Establishment of a Cross-Institutional Research Fund: With each allocating one million dollars in local currency annually over the next four years, Tsinghua and HKUST will jointly establish a research fund aimed at fostering research collaborations across various disciplines.

Focus areas include AI development and application, electronic information, biomedical science, advanced materials, robotics, energy and environmental science, data science and big data analytics, fintech, and other interdisciplinary fields. Beyond research projects, the fund, led and managed by Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies, will sponsor seminars and facilitate short- and long-term exchanges between faculty and students, encouraging more researchers to engage in interdisciplinary and cross-regional studies while driving innovative scientific breakthroughs.

3)    Executive Education Program: Following the launch of the Bilingual Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program by the HKUST Business School and Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance this year, the two institutions will jointly kick-start a new executive education program that integrates technology, management and finance. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the program will incorporate real-world industry challenges into its curriculum, equipping innovative business leaders with expertise to drive transformation across multiple sectors.

HKUST Council Chairman Prof. Harry SHUM said, "HKUST and Tsinghua have long been close strategic partners, sharing the vital mission of driving technological innovation for our nation and for the world. Nearly one-tenth of our outstanding scholars are from Tsinghua. These scholars, leading forces in cutting-edge research fields, not only drive scientific innovation at HKUST but also actively collaborate with Tsinghua to pioneer new approaches in cultivating higher education talent. We firmly believe this partnership will set new benchmarks for high-quality development in higher education that contributes significantly to building China into an education powerhouse, and will foster impactful contributions to global scientific and technological innovation."

Tsinghua's Secretary of the Party Committee Prof. QIU Yong said, “In alignment with building a leading country in education, Tsinghua University is advancing a new round of comprehensive reform, expanding high-level educational openness, and enhancing its capacity to serve national strategic needs and regional economic and social development. The University highly values collaboration with Hong Kong universities and looks forward to strengthening cooperation in talent cultivation, academic exchange, and scientific research, working together to produce more landmark achievements and contribute to the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area."

HKUST and Tsinghua share a longstanding collaborative history. Key milestones include:

• In 2023, the two institutions co-hosted the “International AI Cooperation and Governance Forum 2023", uniting over 50 world-renowned AI experts, scholars, industry leaders, and government representatives and international organizations to discuss global AI governance frameworks, with nearly 1,000 participants in attendance. 
• In 2024, HKUST Business School and Tsinghua PBC School of Finance signed an MoU and launched a bilingual DBA program. The HKUST senior management also visited Tsinghua and toured its School of Basic Medical Sciences. 
• In early 2025, HKUST and Tsinghua Medical School signed a strategic cooperation agreement to advance medical education and innovation in medical technology.