Government Forms Task Group to Support New HKUST Medical School Implementation

Working groups established under Task Group on New Medical School to strengthen support for implementation of new medical school project

The Government announced today (March 13) that the Task Group on New Medical School has established working groups to strengthen support for the effective implementation of the new medical school project to be set up by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

As the preparatory work for the third medical school enters the implementation stage, the HKUST is steadily advancing the relevant work, including initiating the curriculum accreditation process with the Medical Council of Hong Kong, launching global recruitment of teaching staff, and finalising the design of the medical school complex building on the Clear Water Bay campus.

To enhance support for the work in the implementation stage of the new medical school and ensure the HKUST meets its targets in an orderly manner, the Task Group has established the Working Group on Programme and Faculty Development, the Working Group on Hospital Teaching and Research Support, and the Working Group on Financing and Infrastructure Development, which comprise representatives from relevant policy bureaux and departments, as well as expert advisors. The working groups will be responsible for maintaining close liaison with the HKUST, providing support in their respective areas, monitoring the implementation of the project and reporting progress to the Task Group on a regular basis.

Among them, the Working Group on Financing and Infrastructure Development, chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan, held its first meeting today. At the meeting, the working group received a briefing from representatives of the HKUST on the latest progress regarding funding arrangements and campus development plans of the new medical school, and the detailed arrangement for the next phase of work. The other two working groups will convene their first meetings shortly to offer views on work plans for the new medical school concerning programme development, faculty recruitment, clinical teaching arrangements, and more.

As the work moves from the planning stage to the implementation stage, the Government has reviewed and optimised the composition of the Task Group. Expert advisors with experience in medical education, clinical services, medical school management and planning and development have been invited to join the Task Group, to meet the practical needs of the new medical school in areas such as programme development, clinical training and resource planning, with a view to further strengthen supervision and support, thereby enhancing the overall quality and effectiveness of the work.

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Task Group for their active participation, particularly to the local, the Mainland and overseas experts for their dedicated contributions over the past year or so. Their efforts have laid a solid foundation for the planning work of this new medical school, which is of paramount importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong’s healthcare system.

The Task Group will continue to oversee the overall implementation in a professional, prudent and pragmatic manner. It will closely follow up with the HKUST on key areas such as curriculum accreditation, financial and financing arrangements, staffing, campus development and teaching hospital arrangements, and monitor the implementation progress of various tasks according to the established timetable to ensure the new medical school project advances steadily. The HKUST will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government, setting out the main requirements for the implementation stage, covering funding arrangements, curriculum accreditation, teaching hospital resources, as well as recruitment of teaching staff, and more. The university will also maintain close co-operation with all stakeholders throughout the process to implement various key tasks with concerted efforts.

The new medical school will adopt a complementary development approach with the two existing medical schools, enhancing Hong Kong’s medical education and research capabilities, nurturing more locally trained doctors to maintain professional standards, and supporting the long-term development of the healthcare system. This will further consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international hub for medical training, research and innovation.

The latest membership of the Task Group with effect from March 16, 2026 is as follows (see Annex for brief biographies of the newly appointed expert advisors):

Co-Chairmen

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Secretary for Health

Secretary for Education

Alternate Co-Chairmen

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Permanent Secretary for Health / Under Secretary for Health

Permanent Secretary for Education / Under Secretary for Education

Expert advisors

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Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong

President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (or representative)

Professor Nivritti Gajanan Patil

Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu

Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung

Professor Lau Chak-sing*

Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan*

Professor Lyu Aiping*

Professor David Shum Ho-keung*

Dr Pang Yiu-kai*

Official members

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Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) (or representative)

Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (or representative)

Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee (or representative)

Director of Health (or representative)

Deputy Secretary for Education (1)

Deputy Secretary for Health 3

Commissioner for Primary Healthcare (or representative)

Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative)

*Newly appointed

HKUST, Photo source: FB image

Government concludes twelfth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units

Today (May 1) is the twelfth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five middle-zone floors of Wang Tai House and 11 high-zone floors of Wang Kin House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.

A total of 130 households (489 people) registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 130 households (511 people) actually turned up.

The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 26 minutes, with the shortest time being 17 minutes and the longest three hours and 56 minutes. About 70 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 6 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.

A total of 83 households (160 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 52 households (113 people) made one additional trip, 24 households (37 people) made two additional trips, 6 households (8 people) made three additional trips, and 1 household (2 people) made five additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received seven cases requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as 1 case seeking psychological counselling services.

The seven cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and in three cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining four cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned.

The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.

Under the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day are from the LandsD and the WSD, while those mobilised from the tenth day to the twelfth day (including today) are from the Post Office and the ArchSD.

Government concludes twelfth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes twelfth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government concludes twelfth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases