HKUST Launches First Training Course Under Jockey Club Medical Fellowship for Mainland Talent

• HKUST launches first short course for senior Mainland healthcare executives under HKJC Talent Fellowship
• Global health experts and leaders lead intensive program on tech innovation, health governance, and policy
• Training supports "Healthy China 2030" and promotes Mainland-Hong Kong cooperation in medical advancement

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been committed for a long time to promoting medical technology and developing innovation in order to stimulate technological advances. HKUST has recently organized its first short course for senior healthcare executives from the Mainland. This program is the inaugural short course under "The Hong Kong Jockey Club Medical and Health Scholarship-cum-Fellowship for Top Talent in the Mainland" since the "Collaboration Agreement Between the National Health Commission and The Hong Kong Jockey Club on a Scholarship-cum-Fellowship for Top Talent in the Mainland" was signed last year. 

The program assembled global scholars and business leaders to present a wideranging curriculum specifically targeted to meet the needs of these senior Mainland healthcare executives. It discussed various key issues from global health governance, medical technology applications, to public health approaches. The program aimed to promote national healthcare talent cultivation for the 'Healthy China' initiative.

The course was conducted between April 6 to 19. HKUST received 25 senior officials from central government departments such as the National Health Commission (NHC), as well as from healthcare bureaus and hospitals in 19 provinces and municipalities.

The course consisted of a series of lectures, field visits, and a concluding symposium. Prof. LO Chung-Mau, HKSAR Government Secretary for Health, was an officiating guest of honor at the opening ceremony along with members from the Health Bureau, who provided participants with an overview of the healthcare system in Hong Kong. Prof. Lo Chung-Mau, Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government, explained that this training course, with its theme of "Empowering Healthcare with Technology", highlights how technological innovation not only represents a central driving force for revolutionary breakthroughs in healthcare, but also a crucial pillar in supporting the realization of the country's high-quality development under the global tide of digitalization.

In the Policy Addresses for 2023 and 2024, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR stressed that the Government will bring technological innovation together with institutional innovation to build Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub". Key projects cover setting up the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation to enhance the HKSAR's drug approval strength and increasing Hong Kong's clinical trial capacity to drive the conversion of innovative biomedical research findings into clinical applications. 

In parallel, we are also seeking to set up the 'Real-World Study and Application Centre' to drive approval for registration of new drugs in Hong Kong, the Mainland and abroad. With a special focus on cutting-edge trends in healthcare and medicine, the training program had the honor of hosting lectures from the world's leading experts including Prof. Margaret Chan, Dean, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, and former Director-General, World Health Organization; Prof. Neil Ferguson, Director, School of Public Health,  Imperial College London; Prof. Raymond Chua, Chief Executive Officer, Health Sciences Authority, Singapore; Prof. Joseph Sung, Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and Senior Vice President (Health and Life Sciences), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Prof. Zheng Zhijie, Director, China Office, Gates Foundation and Professor, Health Science Center, Peking University; Prof. Li Cheng, Founding Director,  Centre on Contemporary China and the World, and Professor of Political Science, University of Hong Kong (HKU);  Prof. Masahiro Hashizume, Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo; Prof. Thomas Tsai, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University; and Prof. John Ji, Associate Professor, Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University.

Discussions delved into critical areas including global health governance and policy development, healthcare system reform and regulatory advancement, and public health threat management. In order to promote cross-border cooperation, HKUST also organized a symposium entitled "Hong Kong's Integration into the National Health Development Strategy" on April 17. The symposium was inaugurated by Anthony WU, former Chairman of Hospital Authority (HA); Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST; LI Wei, Deputy Director General of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Office of NHC.

While panellists such as Dr. Ronald Lam, HKSAR Government Director of Health; Dr. Tony Ko, HA Chief Executive; Prof. Philip Li, President of Hong Kong Academy of Medicine; WANG Jianghong, Secretary of NHC Health Human Resources Development Center; Prof. Philip Chiu, Dean of Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof. Victoria WONG, Associate Dean (Clinical Affairs) of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at HKU; Dr. LAW Chun-Bon, Kowloon West Cluster Cluster Chief Executive and Chief Executive of Princess Margaret Hospital and North Lantau Hospital; Dr. Joseph CHAN, Chief Medical Officer of HKSH Medical Group and Deputy Medical Superintendent of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital; and three members of the training program, discussed regional health governance, hospital management, and collaboration on medical technology, emphasizing Hong Kong's contribution to promoting the country's health strategy. Li Wei, Deputy Director General of NHC's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Office, extended her warm gratitude to HKUST for the generous support of this training program.

"The HKUST-hosted course is an important milestone in our collaborative development of talent with The Hong Kong Jockey Club. With an emphasis on developing high-level talents, the program encourages innovation and enhances coordination mechanisms in healthcare.". It not only granted participants invaluable experience in expanding their vision and enriching their skills, but also established a good foundation for cross-regional cooperation in the field of medicine and health. 

By means of this program, we have seen the vast potential for Mainland-Hong Kong cooperation in health care and further enhanced our confidence in deepening such cooperation. The new era brings us new missions. We sincerely look forward to cooperation and joint efforts between the medical, educational, and research communities of the Mainland and Hong Kong to make better contributions to the nation's new quality productive forces in medicine, utilizing our own strengths in establishing a high-quality 'Health Silk Road'. HKUST President Prof. Nancy Ip also thanked NHC and The Hong Kong Jockey Club for their confidence and support.

"HKUST is privileged to have been chosen by NHC to conduct this training course. Through gathering the world's top scholars and professionals to exchange experiences and presenting how Hong Kong applies cutting-edge medical technology, we aim to enrich the international vision of China's healthcare system and infuse innovative drive into its growth. In support of the 'Healthy China 2030' blueprint, HKUST will utilize its research strength to lead the application of artificial intelligence and healthcare, promote innovative education, conduct ground-breaking medical research, and cultivate high-quality talent to serve the country's long-term development of the healthcare industry". 

Aside from international experts, HKUST professors, such as Prof. GUO Yike, Provost; Prof. HUI Kai‐Lung, Acting Dean of Business and Management; Prof. ZHANG Qian, Head, Division of Integrative Systems and Design; Prof. Alex HE Jingwei, Acting Director, Institute for Public Policy; Prof. LI Zexiang,  Professor, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering; Prof. Caroline WANG, Adjunct Professor, Department of Management; and Prof. SUN Zhigang, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Division of Life Science, provided insights on the multidisciplinary use of medical technology and deliberated on how technological innovation can transform healthcare delivery and management effectiveness.

Edith SHIH, HKUST Council Vice-Chairperson, and Ir. Billy WONG Wing-Hoo, HKUST Council Member, brought their governance experience to the table when discussing healthcare management practices. At the same time, HKUST also organized hospital visits to Hong Kong's private and public hospitals for participants so that they could have first-hand experience with the city's healthcare system and cutting-edge practices. In the future, HKUST will further strengthen cooperation with NHC by researching long-term healthcare-related programs to further promote cross-border talent development and drive the construction of a high-quality national healthcare system.