Prof Tony F Chan, President of HKUST, and Prof Thomas F Rosenbaum, President of Caltech, signed a memorandum of understanding establishing the new program on 19 June.  The partnership, which began in the academic year 2015/ 2016, not only broadens exposure of HKUST’s faculty members but also contributes to the development of deep and lasting research collaborations between faculty members of HKUST and Caltech.

The program was made possible by a generous donation given to the University by Mr Dominic Orr of Orr Family Foundation.  At the official signing ceremony, Mr Orr said, “Socially, I grew up in the Hong Kong and Macau area.  Intellectually, I grew up at Caltech.  I feel particularly privileged to be able to make a small contribution back to bridge these two habitats.”

HKUST President Prof Tony F Chan expressed his gratitude to Mr Orr for his donation. “This thoughtful donation will give a strong impetus for collaboration between HKUST and Caltech.  HKUST is a world-class university dedicated to fostering an international education and research environment, and Caltech is one of the leading research universities in the world.  This partnership will forge a powerful academic alliance between HKUST and Caltech, and our faculty members will surely benefit from the collaborations with the outstanding faculty members of Caltech.”

Prof Thomas F Rosenbaum, President of Caltech, said, “It is a great pleasure to join President Chan and colleagues to seal this collaboration.  Not only will researchers at Caltech and HKUST work together to attack problems of import, but we anticipate that the visiting program will lead to lasting ties at the faculty and student levels.  We look forward to welcoming each HKUST Visiting Associate to Caltech.”

Selected HKUST faculty members will participate in the program as HKUST Visiting Associates on Caltech’s campus normally for up to one academic year, during which they will work together with the host Caltech faculty members for research engagement.