Embracing the Light, Co-creating the Future: A Glimpse into the 2025 New Faculty Induction Programme (NFIP) at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)

As golden autumn sets the stage for a new beginning, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), welcomed a group of its newly joined faculty members. The 2025 New Faculty Induction Programme (NFIP), held on September 16 and 17 at the University Activity Center, was meticulously organized by the Department of Academic Personnel Administration (APA). Bringing together university leadership and colleagues from various administrative departments, the programme aimed to swiftly acquaint new faculty with the campus environment and integrate them into the academic community through policy briefings, resource introductions, and a campus tour, thereby laying a solid foundation for their educational and research endeavors at HKUST(GZ).

On the morning of September 16, new faculty members gathered to register and settle in, beginning their "first lesson" in a relaxed atmosphere.

The University President, Professor Lionel M. NI, officially inaugurated the programme with a session titled "University Overview, Substantiation & Promotion Review​". Professor Ni elaborated on HKUST(GZ)'s development history, core philosophy, organizational structure, and management model, providing a comprehensive understanding of the university. He also detailed the Substantiation & Promotion Review mechanisms, charting a clear path for faculty career development. Professor Ni specifically encouraged the new faculty to actively engage in teaching innovation and achieve mutual growth with the university in this dynamic educational environment.

Professor Jingshen WU, Vice-President (Teaching & Learning), also extended a warm welcome to the new faculty members and further elaborated on the university's educational philosophy, teaching framework, and support system for faculty. He highlighted the university's innovative education model and the structure, which break down traditional academic boundaries to offer students personalized learning pathways. He encouraged new faculty to adopt “student-centered” approaches, engage in pedagogical innovation, and leverage modular course design, diverse teaching resources, and interdisciplinary platforms to collectively advance the university's pursuit of educational excellence.

Professor Ricky Shi-Wei LEE, Acting Vice President (Research), shared insights on building the research ecosystem, introducing the university's research layout, platform resources, and project support policies. He encouraged faculty to leverage the university's extensive research platforms and resources to pursue cutting-edge research, while emphasizing the importance of research integrity and ethical compliance. Professor Lee also outlined the corresponding support measures to assist faculty in integrating into the Greater Bay Area's science and technology innovation landscape.

Over the two-day programme, a total of sixteen departments related to academic and campus life delivered rich training content (listed below in order of appearance on the agenda).

Mr. Foster ZHANG, Consultant of the University Library (LIB) and his colleague Ms. Junjun CHENG, introduced library collections retrieval, access to academic resources, teaching support, and reservation services to facilitate efficient teaching and research.

Ms. Qian HUANG, Head of the Public Affairs Department (PAD), delivered a presentation covering university brand management and media communication guidelines. Using recent domestic examples, she explained that faculty members are often held in high regard by the public, which also subjects them to greater scrutiny. Accordingly, she offered practical advice to new faculty on how to use social media effectively.

Ms. Jingyao DAI, Vice Chairman of the Trade Union, presented the TU's benefit system and featured activities, covering areas such as holiday gifts and children education support, offering tangible support and warmth to new faculty.

Mr. Percy Mo Tsun TO, Head of the Department of Health Safety and Environment (HSE), stressed the importance of campus safety using real cases, systematically explaining laboratory safety protocols and emergency response procedures to fortify safety measures for research activities.

Professor Hui XIONG, Associate Vice-President (Knowledge Transfer), introduced the work of the Office of Knowledge Transfer (OKT) in promoting technological innovation, intellectual property management, and entrepreneurial incubation, as well as how policy support and practical activities facilitate the commercialization and social application of academic research.

Dr. Karen GUAN, Associate Dean of the Fok Ying Tung Graduate School (FYTGS), introduced the main responsibilities of the Graduate School, including postgraduate management, coordination and quality assurance. She introduced the recruitment process of postgraduates, curriculum development, policies on postgraduate scholarships and thesis guidance, provided a comprehensive perspective on postgraduate management for new faculty.

Dr. Kevin ZHEN, Associate Vice-President for Undergraduate Recruitment and Admission, systematically introduced the overall arrangements for undergraduate recruitment and admissions, covering recruitment philosophy, selection criteria, process milestones, and mechanisms. He also clarified ways for new faculty to participate in recruitment promotion, encouraging active involvement in attracting outstanding students.

Professor Bin JIANG, Acting Master of the Residential College 1 (RC1), shared the RC organizational structure and educational philosophy, highlighting RC as the platform for faculty-student interaction and peer communication through academic salons and various cultural activities.

Mr. Nan LI, Acting Head of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), introduced the student emergency response mechanism and psychological counseling service system. By establishing SOPs and conducting regular cross-departmental case reviews, OSA aims to build a comprehensive campus safety support network that integrates prevention, early warning, and intervention.

The programme on the next day was also exciting.

Professor Ting Chuen PONG, Vice-President (Administration & Business) and the team colleague, systematically introduced the campus development plans and administrative service resources, covering Phase II construction goals and various facility layouts. The sharing also included administrative service support, finance and procurement processes, human resource management, asset management policies, commercial insurance, and clinic services, providing clear guidance for campus work and life.

Dr. Yingbo LIU, Head of the Department of Academic Governance and Senate (AGS), explained important issues such as academic governance and quality assurance, providing key information for new faculty to understand the University's academic governance framework and decision-making mechanisms.

Dr. Franco LI, Head of the Research Department (RD), introduced the department's main functions in research project application, management, and funding support, covering government, industry, and international projects, and providing one-stop research service support.

Dr. Jing YANG, Head of the Research Construction and Development Department (RCDD), outlined the department's roles and services in research integrity and ethics review, research platform development, and research award applications, offering end-to-end support from ethics review to platform applications

Ms. Betty LAW, Academic Consultant in the Department of Academic Registry Service (ARS), introduced the department's support functions in academic operations such as teaching schedules, course registration, and examination grading, committed to providing comprehensive teaching management services to ensure effective implementation of academic decisions and teaching quality.

Ms. Yok ZHOU, Deputy Head of the Department of Academic Personnel Administration (APA), introduced policies and procedures related to annual performance review, academic staff outside activities, and faculty code of conduct, highlighting the department's full-cycle personnel management support.

The afternoon's "Campus Tour" was also a highlight of the programme. Led by APA colleagues and staffs from relevant centers and laboratories, new faculty successively visited the Visitor Information Center, the Intelligent Autonomous Driving Center (IADC), the Materials, Design and Manufacturing Facility (GZ) (MDMF(GZ))​, the Sustainable Atmospheric Environment Research Facility (SAERF)​, and the Biosciences Central Research Facility (GZ) (BioCRF(GZ))​.

This provided an up-close experience of the university's research facilities and innovative atmosphere, sparking enthusiastic questions and in-depth discussions about future research and teaching endeavors.

From university philosophy to service resources, and from policy norms to site visits, this programme has established a "fast track" for new faculty to gain a comprehensive understanding of the campus and integrate quickly into the community. Although the two-day New Faculty Induction Programme has concluded, the educational and research journey for the new faculty is just beginning.

Looking ahead, we anticipate that our new faculty will translate their learning from the programme into practical momentum—innovating in teaching methods, pushing boundaries in research, and fostering collaboration. Together with HKUST(GZ), we look forward to co-writing a brilliant new chapter with the new faculty in the university's educational mission.