HKU Partners with Tech Giants for AI Labs at Shanghai Campus

The University of Hong Kong is strengthening its presence on the mainland by partnering with leading technology companies to establish on-site artificial intelligence laboratories at its expanded Shanghai campus. The facility in Zhangjiang Science City welcomed more than 300 students for the new academic term earlier this week and is preparing for further growth.

The campus, which already hosts the university’s computing and data science school that opened a base there in mid-January, is expected to expand its student intake next year when medicine and engineering programmes begin. This development forms part of HKU’s broader strategy to deepen collaboration between Hong Kong’s academic strengths and Shanghai’s innovation ecosystem.

On Sunday, the university signed memorandums of understanding with 17 companies from Hong Kong and mainland China. Among the partners are Unitree Robotics, BrainCo and AgiBot. The agreements will support the creation of joint laboratories specialising in artificial intelligence and fintech. These labs are located in one of the two new buildings that were officially inaugurated on the same day.

Two additional blocks dedicated to teaching and research facilities opened in mid-January. Three further buildings are scheduled to open later, bringing the total campus area to more than 30,000 square metres. The phased development reflects a deliberate long-term investment in physical infrastructure to support both education and applied research.

University president Xiang Zhang spoke at the opening ceremony for the new buildings. He noted that the Shanghai campus would draw on the mainland city’s strengths in innovation and industry to advance partnerships focused on artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies. The location within Zhangjiang Science City, a major hub for technology and research in Shanghai, is intended to facilitate closer links between academic programmes and industry applications.

The joint laboratories represent a concrete step in translating those partnerships into practical facilities. By working with companies that specialise in robotics, brain-computer interfaces and intelligent systems, HKU aims to give students and researchers direct access to advanced tools and real-world projects. The inclusion of fintech alongside AI reflects the growing overlap between computational technologies and financial services on both sides of the border.

The arrival of more than 300 students marks an important milestone for the campus. These students join an expanding community that will grow further once medicine and engineering programmes launch next year. The staged introduction of additional disciplines is designed to build a multidisciplinary environment that can support interdisciplinary research and teaching.

University of Hong Kong’s decision to establish a substantial presence in Shanghai aligns with wider efforts by Hong Kong universities to engage more deeply with mainland innovation centres. Zhangjiang Science City offers proximity to technology companies, research institutes and talent pools that complement the university’s existing strengths in Hong Kong. The partnership model with industry partners is intended to ensure that academic work remains closely connected to practical technological development.

The new buildings provide dedicated space for the joint laboratories as well as teaching and research activities. Their inauguration on the same day as the signing of the memorandums of understanding signals a coordinated approach to both infrastructure and collaboration. Future buildings will expand capacity further, supporting the planned increase in student numbers and the addition of new academic programmes.

For students, the campus offers the opportunity to study within an environment that combines Hong Kong’s academic standards with direct exposure to mainland technology companies. Access to specialised AI and fintech laboratories is expected to enhance practical learning and research opportunities, particularly in fields where industry collaboration is essential.

The university’s computing and data science school has already established a foothold at the site since January. The forthcoming launch of medicine and engineering programmes will broaden the academic profile of the campus and create additional avenues for cross-disciplinary work involving artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and engineering systems.

President Xiang Zhang’s comments at the ceremony underscored the strategic rationale. By leveraging Shanghai’s industrial and innovation strengths, HKU seeks to create a platform for meaningful partnerships in AI and frontier technologies. The presence of companies such as Unitree Robotics, BrainCo and AgiBot among the 17 partners illustrates the range of expertise being brought into the collaboration.

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As the campus continues to develop, with additional buildings still to open, the focus remains on building a sustainable and integrated academic-industry environment. The combination of expanded physical facilities, growing student numbers and formal industry partnerships positions the Shanghai campus as a significant extension of the University of Hong Kong’s activities on the mainland.

In the coming year, attention will turn to the successful launch of the new medicine and engineering programmes and the further scaling of student intake. The joint AI and fintech laboratories are expected to play a central role in shaping the research and learning culture of the expanded campus within Zhangjiang Science City.