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UGC Areas of Excellence Scheme

Following a comprehensive review of higher education of Hong Kong, the University Grants Committee (UGC) advised the Government in a report published in October 1996 that Hong Kong would need world-class institutions with distinct areas of excellence in order to retain its leading economic position in the development of China and the Pacific Rim. The UGC recommended, and the Government agreed, that the UGC-funded institutions should build upon their existing strengths and develop them into Areas of Excellence (AoE).

Such Areas would be recognised internationally as of equal status to their peers in the same subject areas, and justify the additional investment in state-of-the-art facilities and activities which would maintain them among the world leaders. The UGC's report "Higher Education on Hong Kong" (October 1996) and more information about the concept of Areas of Excellence can be found in the publication "Higher Education in Hong Kong - Report by the University Grants Committee"

An Areas of Excellence Group (AoEG) was established under the UGC to develop the AoE Scheme and four rounds of AoE exercises had hitherto been undertaken.

The UGC has embarked on the fifth round of the AoE Scheme. For more information about the Fifth Round exercise, please click here

  • For the past four rounds, a total of HK$427m was allocated to ten AoEs. A total of HK$77m sustained funding was also granted to four first and second round projects for a period of three years. A summary position of the funded projects is listed below:

  • Round Project Title Current
    Status
    Completion
    Date
    Remarks

    First

    Information Technology

    Completed

    December 2005

    Achievements

    Center for Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology (previously known as "Plant and Fungal Biotechnology")

    On-going

    March 2010

    Sustained funding awarded
    Hong Kong Institute of Economics & Business Strategy

    Completed

    December 2006

    Achievements

    Second

    Molecular Neuroscience: Basic Research & Drug Discovery

    On-going

    August 2010

    Sustained funding awarded
    Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis

    On-going

    September 2010

    Sustained funding awarded
    Chinese Medicine Research & Further Development

    On-going

    March 2011

    Sustained funding awarded

    Third

    Centre for Marine Environmental Research and Innovative Technology

    On-going

    March 2009

    -

    Development Genomics & Skeletal Research

    On-going

    January 2010

    -

    Fourth

    Centre for Research into Circulating Fetal Nucleic Acids

    On-going

    December 2015

    -

    Control of Pandemic and Inter-Pandemic Influenza

    On-going

    December 2015

    -


    Related Press Release:


    First Round
    Second Round
    Third Round
    Fourth Round