'New HKUST medical dean brings experience'

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Monday said the newly appointed founding dean of the city’s third medical school possesses relevant experience. The government welcomed the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s appointment of physician-scientist King Li, who had the same role at Carle Illinois College of Medicine of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States. Li possesses “invaluable practical experience” in establishing a new medical school, Lo said. “I look forward to the HKUST's medical school continuing to smoothly advance the relevant preparatory work under his leadership, including the recruitment of the teaching and research team, the formulation of teaching programmes, and participation in the overall planning of the Ngau Tam Mei campus and the new integrated teaching and research hospital, deepening collaboration with local healthcare institutions and teaching partners, as well as full co-operation with the Medical Council of Hong Kong throughout the accreditation exercise for the curriculum,” Lo said. He stressed that establishing a third medical school is important for Hong Kong’s healthcare system. Secretary for Education Christine Choi said she hopes Li will lead the medical school to develop a forward-looking and internationally oriented education model with his global vision and connections in the international medical community. Edited by Thomas McAlinden