The Story of HKUST's Birth

Foreword

Can you imagine the complexity and scale of a venture that aims to build a research-focused university from scratch within five years? This is a story of people with vision and determination. Presenting historical documents, photographs, ephemera, and artifacts from the early history of HKUST, this exhibition reveals the remarkable journey behind the planning, design, construction, organization, and opening of Hong Kong’s third university from 1986 to 1991.

Zone 1 – Planning: A Thousand Decisions

In May 1986, the Governor, Sir Edward Youde appointed Sir Sze-Yuen Chung as chairman of the Planning Committee for the third university, and Ian F.C. Macpherson, then Secretary for Transport, as the Committee’s secretary-general.

Between September 1986 and April 1988, the Planning Committee convened six meetings, making decisions on aspects crucial to the University’s development. There was much to be discussed – from selecting the institution’s name, campus site, and architectural design to shaping its academic profile and establishing the administrative framework. Each decision charted a course for the university’s growth, leaving an enduring mark on the community that resonates to this day.

Zone 2 – Building: Racing with Deadlines

In February 1987, the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (RHKJC) generously offered to finance the campus construction and oversee the management of this large-scale project. In June 1987, the Campus Project Sub-Committee was formed, with the chairman and half of the Committee members being Jockey Club representatives.

The construction project was segmented into several key phases – Preparatory, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III – each planned with specific deadlines. The successful completion of the Phase I project in 1991 was a testament to the team’s exceptional project management, facilitating the University to open its doors and welcome the inaugural cohort of 560 undergraduates and 140 postgraduates on 2 October 1991.

Zone 3 – “An Opening is but a Beginning…”

The University celebrated its opening in a commemorative Opening Ceremony and Banquet on 10 October 1991. It is a milestone of many parallel efforts, involving the Planning Committee (later the University Council), the Jockey Club Project Management team, the HKUST staff, and many others across Hong Kong society.

What sentiments pervaded the grand Opening Ceremony? In the words of our founding president, Professor Chia-Wei Woo, “An Opening is but a beginning. Real challenges and tasks lie ahead…”