Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the first week of 2022, we are all excited about this wonderful gift and great opportunity from the Musketeers, who are our very loyal alumni and friends – Mr Stanley Chu, Dr Lawrence Fung and Mr Leong Ka-Chai.

Their magnificent donation will kickstart the new Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science at HKU.

Data science is the future. It has far-reaching implications in our daily lives – the digital economy, health care, social sciences, medical informatics and many more.

The Institute will focus on three major areas: Fundamental Data Science, Explainable AI and Human-Machine Interplays, as well as Smart Society. Its research will shape the complex industrial, business and societal landscapes of the 21st century.

The Institute is an integral part of HKU’s vision to create new ideas and explore new directions to impact society and the world. It will be set up in Tech Landmark, as shown in the video just now, a world-class site for innovation, together with nine other new institutes. They will converge HKU’s research strengths into building a better future for the humankind.

Our efforts do not stop here. On a vast, new site in Pokfulam, HKU is developing an international hub for frontier research and innovation. It will enhance our global leadership.

Beyond Pokfulam, we are establishing a new campus in Shenzhen. It will give us invaluable opportunities to expand our programmes, work with the industry, and extend our impact to the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

As we look to this exciting future, our excellent people are essential to HKU’s continued success. Just last year, our faculty members won Future Science Prize, Xplorer Prize, Excellent Young Scientists Fund and many more international awards. We have attracted world-leading scholars, young talents and rising stars from top-tier universities around the world to join us.

We all play a part in making HKU a world-leading university - a university that shapes the future. In achieving that, HKU continues to count on the support from our community, alumni and friends. I wish to thank the three Musketeers again for their generosity.

They believe in the future of Hong Kong, and they want to give back. They want to build the future for our young people. This is what the Institute will do.

Let me assure the three Musketeers – the HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science will make positive impact in our society and be the engine for our future!