HKUST and French Consulate General Renew Partnership to Nurture Sustainability-Focused Researchers

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau (French Consulate General) for the third time, deepening eight-year collaboration. This agreement strengthens joint efforts to address global sustainability challenges, which include the Anita Conti Sustainable Innovation Fellowship, an initiative designed to foster the development of the next generation of researchers, innovators, and environmentalists, equipping them to tackle the pressing challenges of climate change and its global impacts.

Fostering Cross-Border Collaboration

Named in honor of France’s pioneering oceanographer Anita Conti, known as « la Dame de la Mer » (the Lady of the Sea), the fellowship was launched in 2023. Conti’s groundbreaking contributions to marine ecology and ocean conservation continue to inspire the initiative. This is the first programme of this kind in Hong Kong, providing HKUST researchers with the opportunity to engage in short-term sustainability projects at leading French academic institutions. Starting this year, HKUST will host PhD students and post-doctoral fellows from France for up to three months to conduct sustainability-related research.

The agreement was signed by HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP and Consul General Mrs. Christile DRULHE during the "France x HKUST Reception" held at the French Consulate General. The occasion also featured the award presentation for the 2025 Anita Conti Fellowship Awardees.

Echoing HKUST’s Strategic Vision for Net-Zero 

Consul General Mrs. Christile Drulhe emphasized the importance of this collaboration, “From the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change to the upcoming United Nations Ocean Conference, which will be held in Nice in June 2025, France has taken the lead in engaging a global conversation on sustainability. HKUST, with its vision and thought-leadership for a sustainable future, is spearheading the transformation of its campus into a net-zero community. This partnership signifies our shared commitment to addressing common sustainability challenges”. 

HKUST President Prof. Nancy Ip thanked the French Consulate General for its steadfast support of this partnership, she said, "Since the establishment of the “France-HKUST Innovation Hub” in 2017, our collaboration with French Consulate General has flourished into a strong and dynamic partnership rooted in shared values and aspirations. Our renewed agreement reflects our mutual trust and commitment to pioneering research, education and innovation. I am confident our work will yield transformative solutions benefitting Hong Kong, France and the global community.”  

Eight Years of Progressive Collaboration for Sustainable Future

In 2017, HKUST signed the first MoU with the French Consulate General to establish the France-HKUST Innovation Hub, fostering applied research projects multicultural exchanges. The second MoU in 2022 expanded collaboration in sustainability, education, research, and innovation. Over the past eight years, the two institutions have organized numerous knowledge-sharing initiatives addressing critical global issues. Simultaneously, HKUST’s student exchange programs have broadened opportunities for collaboration with 23 institutions in France.