One of the largest ever academic delegations to represent the University of Glasgow is bound for Hong Kong to establish new links and reinforce existing links with the University of Hong Kong.

Over the past three years, there have been nine active research collaborations between the two universities resulting in published work. These include: Immunology; Health and Well-being; Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences; Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; Computing Science; Engineering; Law; Urban Studies; and Sociology.

The 15 academics, representing all four of the University’s colleges – Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; Social Sciences; Arts; and Science and Engineering – will spend three days in Hong Kong.

Professor Jane Duckett, the University of Glasgow’s International Dean for East Asia, said: “This visit will build on our strong and active links with the University of Hong Kong — a world leader in the East Asian region — to develop strategic research collaborations and provide exciting opportunities for our students to gain international experience.”

As well as meeting other academics, they will also meet alumni of the University of Glasgow who live and work in Hong Kong. Professor Anna Dominiczak, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, will address a reception entitled "Inspiring People: Medicine from Glasgow to Hong Kong”. She will be joined by Professor David Galloway, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

The University of Glasgow has a tradition of medical investigation, education and training that has strong links to Hong Kong, not least through Alexander James Smith McFadzean, the renowned liver expert who was Professor of Medicine, Vice-Chancellor, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Hong Kong University for almost three decades.

Current collaborations between Glasgow and HKU include: the effect of ocean acidification on oysters (Hong Kong) and mussels (Scotland); and comparative studies of young people in Hong Kong and Glasgow – their social media and leisure habits and their politicisation.

Professor Nick Pearce (Glasgow) and Dr Yeewan Koon, Associate Professor in the School of Humanities (Fine Arts) from HKU, will be working together in the China Art Research Network (CARN) which provides a platform for art historians, archaeologists, museum and art world professionals who specialise in China and who work in object-based research.

The Universities of Hong Kong and Glasgow have coinciding areas of specialism in Global Challenge areas. These include: Biomedicine; Biomedical Engineering; Cancer; China Studies; Clean Energy; Development and Reproduction; Frontier Technology; Genomics; Healthy Ageing; Public Health; Molecular Materials; Nano-Biotechnology; Molecular Materials; Sustainable environment.

The University of Glasgow also has two very popular undergraduate exchange agreements with HKU: one is university-wide, and the other is a specific agreement between the Faculty of Law at HKU and the School of Law at the University of Glasgow. Professor Mark Furse, of the School of Law, regularly teaches competition law at the University of Hong Kong.

Both universities are members of the Universitas 21 network, which means that there is regular communication between the institutions at the highest level, with regular sharing of good practice already taking place across a range of teaching and research areas.

The Principal’s Early Career Mobility Scheme was introduced in 2014 to promote the development of research collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the University of Hong Kong. It is modelled on a scheme, now in its third year, between the University of Glasgow and Columbia University in New York; the interchange of early career researchers is seen as an excellent mechanism to catalyse collaborative research links between research groups. 

---

Media enquiries: liz.buie@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 2702

First published: 6 May 2016