New Teaching and Research Complex and 800 Hostel Places: A People-Centred Approach as HKSYU Enters a New Chapter

As Hong Kong Shue Yan University (HKSYU) marks its 55th anniversary, it stands at a new starting point, building on the past while looking to the future. Dr Jason CHOW Tak-sang, Vice President (University Administration), describes the next five years as a “very important stage of development” for the University. From the new campus on Braemar Hill Road and student accommodation to administrative digitalisation, talent development and community collaboration, Shue Yan is planning not only for the expansion of its physical facilities, but also for how a university can continue to provide space for students and staff to learn, interact and grow in an era of rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

Dr CHOW said the new campus development on Braemar Hill Road will be a key focus of the University’s future campus development. HKSYU plans to construct an approximately eight-storey teaching and research complex featuring smart classrooms, digital laboratories and a range of student activity facilities. He emphasised that the significance of the new building goes beyond providing additional classrooms and offices. The aim is to create a learning environment for the future, where artificial intelligence, digital technology and interdisciplinary learning can be more naturally integrated into teaching, supporting the development of digital humanities.

For many students, university life extends beyond the classroom. Accommodation also has an important bearing on their study routines and sense of belonging. The new campus is planned to provide approximately 800 hostel places. At the same time, the University is taking forward the redevelopment of its premises on Wan Chai Gap Road, exploring the conversion of existing space into student accommodation. Dr CHOW believes the two projects can complement each other and provide students with more stable and comprehensive support for their lives outside the classroom.

“Campus development over the next five years is not simply about expansion.” With changes in teaching models, advances in technology and the increasing internationalisation of the University, Shue Yan hopes that new teaching and research facilities, smart learning spaces and improved accommodation will help create a more vibrant campus while retaining its emphasis on humanistic care. “Developing the physical facilities is certainly important, but what matters more to us is whether students and staff can find the right environment to learn, research, and grow.”

This people-centred approach also extends to administration and facilities management. Dr CHOW said HKSYU has been pursuing strategic digitalisation and recently established a one-stop cloud-based platform for internship and employment resources, bringing together information and workflows that were previously dispersed. The platform makes access easier for students and staff while helping the University connect with industry more systematically and identify internship and employment opportunities.

For Dr CHOW, meaningful digitalisation is not simply about “adding another system”. What matters is whether technology genuinely meets the needs of students and staff and creates more opportunities for them. “No matter how advanced technology becomes, it is ultimately people who use it.” The University therefore also places importance on strengthening the digital capabilities of its staff, particularly in the application of artificial intelligence and related technologies. Dr CHOW hopes technology can serve as an assistant to administrative staff by reducing repetitive processes, allowing colleagues to devote more time to supporting students, engaging with industry, and handling work that requires judgement and communication.

When it comes to the University’s contribution to society, Dr CHOW believes the key is not how many community service activities it organises, but how closely teaching, research and community collaboration can be connected. Through HKSYU Service Stars and Community Service Projects, the University hopes to bring together academic departments, administrative units, alumni and students to engage with the community, listen to the needs of different groups, and use interdisciplinary expertise to identify practical ways of responding to those needs. Research, too, should not end with academic outputs. Dr CHOW hopes research can respond more closely to the practical needs of society and be translated into policy recommendations, community services or practical applications, allowing knowledge to move beyond the campus and make a more tangible contribution.

Dr CHOW believes, however, that Shue Yan’s most enduring contribution to society lies in educating and nurturing people. In the age of AI, information and answers are increasingly easy to obtain, and artificial intelligence can already assist with many tasks. He believes the value of a person is no longer simply determined by “how much they know”, but by whether they can think independently, exercise judgement and understand what is worth doing. “Shue Yan hopes to nurture graduates who possess not only professional knowledge and workplace skills, but also values, a sense of responsibility and the ability to think critically.”

As Shue Yan marks its 55th anniversary, Dr CHOW quoted a line from Zheng Diao Qu (《徵調曲》) by Yu Xin, a writer of the Northern and Southern Dynasties: “When enjoying the fruit, remember the tree from which it came; when drinking from the stream, remember its source.” To Dr CHOW, everything Shue Yan has today has been built on the foundations laid by those who came before, particularly the determination of Founding President Dr Henry HU Hung-lick and Founding Principal Dr CHUNG Chi-yung to uphold their educational ideals under difficult circumstances.

Dr CHOW summed up this spirit as “holding firmly to what is right and rising to challenges” (擇善固執、迎難而上): once something worthwhile has been identified, one should remain committed to it even when the journey is difficult. Education, technology and society will continue to change, and no one can predict every challenge that lies ahead. However, Dr CHOW believes that as long as the University remains clear about why it started and holds on to the values worth preserving, it can have the courage to change when change is needed and face difficulties when they arise.