Task Group on New Medical School discusses progress for implementation of new medical school project (with photo)
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Since the establishment of the Working Group on Programme and Faculty Development, the Working Group on Hospital Teaching and Research Support, as well as the Working Group on Financing and Infrastructure Development under the Task Group in the first quarter of this year, have each held several meetings over the past six months or so. Representatives from relevant government bureaux and departments, the Hospital Authority (HA), together with expert advisors have worked closely with the HKUST team across key areas of the preparatory work, closely monitoring the implementation progress of the new medical school project and providing professional advice to ensure that the preparatory work advances steadily.
Regarding programme and faculty development, following the appointment of Professor Li King-chuen as the Founding Dean of Medicine in June this year, the HKUST subsequently put forward a staffing plan for academic and administrative staff from 2026 to 2030. The HKUST is accelerating the recruitment of teaching and research staff, with priority given to appointing clinical faculty members of key departments. The HKUST has also proposed the overarching framework and subject outlines for its four-year graduate-level entry medical programme, encompassing multiple themes such as evidence-based and precision medicine, professionalism, ethics and compassion, quality and safety, as well as technology and AI. The programme will integrate basic sciences with early clinical exposure, incorporate primary healthcare components and more, and arrange preparation prior to clinical practicums.
With the support of the Working Group on Hospital Teaching and Research Support, the HKUST will use Kai Tak Hospital as its primary interim teaching hospital. The HA and the HKUST have established a multilevel co-operation and communication mechanism and channel. On the premise of ensuring daily operations of the hospital and safeguarding public healthcare services, the HA will provide support for the HKUST's teaching and research.
Prior to the completion of a permanent campus in the Northern Metropolis, the HKUST will utilise the Medical Education and Research Complex on its Clear Water Bay campus as its primary teaching and research venue. The groundbreaking of the Complex was conducted in April 2026, and the Complex is expected to be completed by 2028 to welcome the first cohort of students to be admitted in the same year. Meanwhile, the Government is working actively with the HKUST and the HA to press ahead with the integrated design and co-ordinated construction of the medical school campus and the integrated teaching and research hospital in the San Tin University Town.
The Task Group also noted that the accreditation work by the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) for the HKUST's medical programme is proceeding in an orderly manner, and its accreditation committee conducted an accreditation visit to the HKUST in October.
To ensure that the HKUST implements the various key tasks of the new medical school project in an orderly manner and to set out the support to be provided by the Government, the Government and the HKUST have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which came into effect in September this year. The MOU covers areas including financial arrangements, curriculum accreditation, clinical teaching, faculty recruitment and capital works.
Professor Lo said, "I would like to express sincere gratitude to the HKUST team for advancing the preparatory work of the new medical school at full speed with an efficient and pragmatic attitude. Encouraging and substantial progress has been made in various critical tasks. The Medical Education and Research Complex at the Clear Water Bay is soon to be topped out, and the HKUST is also working intensively to accelerate the recruitment of teaching and research staff to align with the admission timeline of the first cohort of students, which fully demonstrates the HKUST's execution capability. The Task Group noted that the MCHK's accreditation process for the HKUST's medical programme is proceeding in an orderly manner, and that the curriculum design and academic framework of the medical programme have largely taken shape. Meanwhile, the HKUST and the HA are working together to finalise the collaboration arrangements for using Kai Tak Hospital as the interim teaching hospital, with the framework for clinical teaching and research support gradually being put in place. These developments are the result of the close collaboration between the HKUST team and the Task Group as well as its working groups. The Government will continue to render its full support to the HKUST in taking forward all preparatory works, enabling the new medical school to admit its first cohort of students in the 2028/29 academic year as scheduled. Taking this as a starting point, it will cultivate medical professionals with both clinical and scientific research capabilities for Hong Kong, with a view to responding to the healthcare demands brought by an ageing population, and promote the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub."
Dr Choi said, "The establishment of the new medical school is an important milestone in the development of Hong Kong's higher education. It will not only effectively expand capacity and enhance quality for medical education, but also further consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's position as an international post-secondary education hub. The Government has earlier announced in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address the development of three university towns in the Northern Metropolis, based on the concept of a town area, including the San Tin University Town, which will be positioned to focus on the development of medicine, life and health technology, among other areas. In this connection, we will continue to render full support to the HKUST in taking forward the establishment of the new medical school at the San Tin University Town campus area, and work hand in hand to advance this strategically significant project, thereby complementing the two existing medical schools in a positive manner, jointly building a more comprehensive and diversified medical education ecosystem, and nurturing more outstanding medical talent with international vision, humanistic care and innovative thinking. The new medical school will further strengthen Hong Kong's competitive advantages in international higher education and medical training, and attract more outstanding academics, students and research projects to establish a presence in the city. The Task Group will continue to work closely together to ensure the high-quality and high-standard development of the new medical school, inject strong momentum into the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town, and provide strong talent support for the country and Hong Kong."
In November last year, the Chief Executive in Council approved the establishment of the third medical school and gave approval in principle for the new medical school to be established by the HKUST, with the target of admitting the first cohort of 50 students in the 2028/29 academic year.
The Task Group was established in October 2024, comprising seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics in medical education and university management, professionals, representatives from the MCHK and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, as well as representatives from the relevant government bureaux and departments.
Ends/Monday, October 26, 2026
Issued at HKT 17:52
Issued at HKT 17:52
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