The Hong Kong government has approved plans for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to establish a new medical school, creating the territory’s third such institution amid ongoing concerns over healthcare capacity and long-term workforce shortages.

The decision follows an eight-month assessment process led by a government task force. HKUST said the approval reflected “the visionary leadership of the government in fortifying Hong Kong’s medical system”, adding that it hoped the first cohort would begin in 2028. 

The university called the move “a significant advance in addressing Hong Kong’s future healthcare needs through an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to medical education”.

Harry Shum, HKUST council chairman, said the institution was “profoundly honoured to be recognised as a partner in the forward-looking strategy of the HKSAR Government to foster healthcare innovation and develop a robust pipeline of medical talent”.

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Shum added that HKUST aimed to cultivate “a new generation of medical pioneers who will lead with clinical excellence and technological mastery”.

HKUST president Nancy Ip said the decision was “a powerful validation of the government’s strategic vision” and that the university hoped to prepare clinicians through “integrating rigorous clinical training with technological proficiency”.

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Ip added that HKUST looked forward to “continued support” during the implementation period and pledged its “complete commitment to bring this shared vision to life”.

In a joint statement, Shum and Ip highlighted contributions from staff and advisory bodies, noting that “everyone has worked in unison with collective determination”.

They said the university recognised “the weight of our responsibilities moving forward” and would work with the government, regulatory bodies, the hospital authority, existing medical schools and others “to jointly cultivate outstanding medical professionals and drive innovation in global medical technology and clinical practice”.

The approval follows an earlier government plan to locate the new medical school within a proposed “university town” in the Northern Metropolis, a large development zone on Hong Kong’s border with mainland China.

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The government said in October 2024 that space would be reserved for the school and for an integrated medical teaching and research hospital.

Beyond expanding training capacity, the project reflects Hong Kong’s stated aim of attracting more international students and researchers and strengthening its higher education sector.

According to HKUST, the school will draw on the university’s “deeply international character and global networks” and aims to produce graduates who are “ethically grounded, clinically outstanding and technologically adept”.

The institution plans to embed data science, artificial intelligence and robotics into clinical teaching, arguing that its interdisciplinary model will help future doctors address complex health challenges and support the translation of research “from the lab to the bedside”.

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tash.mosheim@timeshighereducation.com