The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (simplified Chinese: 香港科技大学; traditional Chinese: 香港科技大學; pinyin: Xiānggǎng Kējì Dàxué), commonly abbreviated HKUST, is a public research university in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong.

[note 1] It occupies a 60-hectare (150-acre) seaside site in Tai Po Tsai, Clear Water Bay Peninsula, and has established a satellite campus in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

[11] In the late 1980s, the Hong Kong Government anticipated a strong demand for university graduates to fuel an economy increasingly based on services.

The site was earmarked for the construction of a new British Army garrison to house the 2nd King Edward VII's Own and 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles,[14] but plans for its construction were shelved after the 1984 signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration resulted in the downsizing of army presence in Hong Kong.

[15] Originally scheduled to finish in 1994, the planning committee for the university decided in 1987 that the new institution should open its doors three years early, in keeping with the community's need and in fulfilment of the wishes of Youde, who died in 1986.

[18] Several leading scientists and researchers took up positions at the university in its early years, including physicist Leroy Chang who arrived in 1993 as Dean of Science and went on to become vice-president for academic affairs.

[citation needed] In February 2023, to coincide with its 30th anniversary, HKUST announced “30 for 30” talent acquisition campaign, a global hunt for 30 leading academics to drive innovation in Hong Kong with 30 major research projects designed to have maximum social impact.

[25] Under the HKUST Ordinance, the chief executive of Hong Kong possesses the power of directly appointing the chairman and vice-chairman of the council, the treasurer of the university, and not more than 9 of the lay members.

The university is connected to the metro network through public bus routes including 91, 91M, 91P, 291P and 792M, complemented by a handful of minibus services, with Choi Hung and Hang Hau stations being the major feeder points.

Opened in 2015, the Cheng Yu Tung Building (CYT) afforded the other schools with a lecture theatre (L), additional classrooms and laboratories.

Located at the southern tip of the campus, the Lo Ka Chung Building houses the HKUST Jockey Club Institute of Advanced Study (IAS).

[31] The library owns a collection of old maps of China and the rest of Asia, produced by Chinese and Western cartographers over the last 500 years.

[32] A selection of these maps, providing an insight into the history of international geographic knowledge, was published by the library in a limited-edition (1000 copies) volume in 2003.

The initiative aims to transform the campus into a testing ground for learning, experimenting, and advancing smart and innovative ideas to address real-life challenges.

[37] Wei Shyy, the former President of HKUST, said the initiative is to "nurture a new generation who can produce original solutions with a sustainability mindset.

[39] HKUST launched “Blockcerts” platform in 2020 which is a blockchain-based degree authentication system to verify the documents such as graduation diplomas and academic transcripts.

The school offers degree programs– undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, MSc and PhD – and a range of executive education.

The School of Humanities and Social Science supports interdisciplinary academic training and research in fields including anthropology, creative writing, economics, history, innovation studies, linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, political science, sociology.

The interdisciplinary programs bring together two or more different fields of study, offering a great opportunity for students with more than one interest to integrate their abilities.

Programs are referenced to Hong Kong's needs and global trends to ensure relevance, with strong input from business and industry to keep training and skills in line with market demand.

[78] Two extended majors, artificial intelligence and digital media & creative arts, are provided by its Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas.

Another 512 bed spaces in double rooms at the off-campus HKUST Jockey Club Hall in Tseung Kwan O New Town are also provided for undergraduates.

For research postgraduates students and visiting interns, 1080 on-campus residential places in single or double rooms are available.

15 apartments in Tai Po Tsai Village (TPT308 and Wan's Lodge) are rented by the university to accommodate 90 TPgs.

[89] The union is governed by four independent statutory bodies, namely the executive committee, the council, the editorial board and the court.