Home > FAQs > Research > How does the UGC support institutions to transfer their research outputs into real socio-economic benefits for the industries/businesses and the community? What is the UGC doing about "knowledge transfer" or "knowledge exchange"?

How does the UGC support institutions to transfer their research outputs into real socio-economic benefits for the industries/businesses and the community? What is the UGC doing about "knowledge transfer" or "knowledge exchange"?
  • "Knowledge Transfer" (知識轉移), i.e. the systems and processes by which knowledge, including technology, know-how, expertise and skills are transferred between higher education institutions and society, leading to innovative, profitable or economic or social improvements, is frequently described, and embraced by the local institutions, as the "third mission" (apart from teaching and research) of higher education institutions. The UGC attaches great importance to "knowledge transfer" as it has implications on the international competitiveness of Hong Kong's education sector and capable of enriching research policies.

  • The UGC successfully lobbied the Government and sought LegCo approval for new recurrent funding of $50 million each year from 2009/10 onwards for UGC-funded institutions to build up further their capacity and broaden their endeavours in knowledge transfer. We hope, and indeed observed that, the new funding can cause a "ripple effect" and facilitate institutions to strengthen further its knowledge transfer on both technology and non-technology disciplines, and share among themselves and with their overseas counterparts their experience and good practices in that connection.

  • Institutions' reports on the use of the new recurrent funding in 2009/10 are available at the following link: < http://www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/ugc/activity/knowledge.html>. Within the first year of funding, we have witnessed positive responses from our institutions. A marked increase was observed in both the quality and quantity of knowledge transfer, and central monitoring system was also improved in the institutions.

  • Apart from the new stream of recurrent funding, the UGC sponsors worthy institutional endeavours in promoting "knowledge transfer" among the sector and its stakeholders on the basis of their merits. A recent example is that the UGC co-sponsored a large-scale "Knowledge Transfer Conference" jointly organized by eight UGC-funded institutions and Hong Kong Science & Technology Park in November 2010 to share best practices and stakeholders/industries' perspectives on aspects of knowledge transfer.