Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) on Tuesday inaugurated its Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, a 7,500-square-meter hub blending education, technology and residential facilities designed to cultivate globally minded creative arts talents.
As a key project in HKBU’s Strategic Plan 2018-2028, the new campus — which reportedly cost HK$2.3 billion ($295 million) — features four dormitory buildings, providing over 1,700 bed spaces for students. The campus also houses the Jockey Club Creative Hub and the HKBU Academy of Music, equipped with advanced post-production theaters and research labs for audiovisual creations.
The professional recording studios in the campus can accommodate over 100 musicians simultaneously, with 12 large classrooms available for various departments, said Johnny Poon Ming-lun, HKBU’s associate vice-president for interdisciplinary research, during a media tour on Tuesday morning.
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A renowned conductor, Poon said the new campus is not only for music education. Anything related to creativity, such as business, scientific innovation and other related fields, is encompassed within the new campus's offerings, he added.
Initiated in 2020 as an extension of HKBU’s main-campus complex in Kowloon Tong, the new campus’ development was supported by a HK$452 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
After four years of development, the campus commenced partial operation in September.
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Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday afternoon, Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin noted that the establishment of the new campus aligns with the government’s expectation for tertiary education institutions to promote high-quality development and nurture more creative talents.
Choi said the new campus had impressed her deeply as it combines learning, living and social spaces to provide for music and creative media students. She said she believes the design will immerse youngsters more deeply into campus life and inspire their innovative thinking.
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The new campus heralds a fresh chapter for HKBU and marks an important milestone in Hong Kong’s efforts to cultivate creativity and nurture visionary leaders for the next generation, noted Choi.
HKBU President Alexander Wai Ping-kong said the new campus offers students numerous opportunities for fostering creativity and collaboration in innovation, cooperation and sustainable development.
He said he was confident that the campus’ creative integration of studying, living and social functions will fully support students’ academic advancement and personal growth.
Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com
