Institute for Advanced Study enables interaction between scientists and scholars

Perhaps the true meaning of learning is to put what you have been taught to good use. That’s why the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) established the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) with a donation from the Jockey Club 10 years ago.

The overall aim of the IAS is to accelerate interaction between the world's foremost scientists and scholars. It fosters fundamental and applied research that’s relevant to the region's socio-economic development. The goal is to discover enduring knowledge by nurturing gifted students and postdoctoral fellows, and to boost community interest in the latest scientific and technological discoveries.

HKUST appointed Professor Henry Tye as the Director of IAS and the Chair professor of Physics in 2011. Prior to this, Tye was the Horace White Professor of Physics at Cornell University in the US, with a research interest in theoretical particle physics and cosmology. Born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong, Tye graduated from California Institute of Technology and received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The IAS brings together the most brilliant minds to drive cutting-edge discovery and scholarship,” said Tye.

“We recruit top-notch scholars as IAS professors to further elevate the academic standing of HKUST and Hong Kong. We invite intellectual leaders to visit and interact with the local academic community, and engage with our HKUST faculty to lead frontier research projects,” Tye added.

The IAS champions collaborative research across disciplines and institutions. It supports initiatives that are significant for the advancement of Hong Kong, and organises and sponsors lectures and forums, conferences and workshops, and topical research programs. The institute enables education and research to come together, complementing and supplementing each other.

As a research organisation, the IAS aims for innovation and discovery-driven research. As an education organisation, it offers a diverse range of teaching and outreach programs, including postgraduate courses and seminars, mentorship and internship programs for the most gifted undergraduates, and popular science and general knowledge lectures.