As Hong Kong positions itself as an international education hub for post-secondary education, PolyU is deepening its global outreach through strategic partnerships that bridge East and West. A recent delegation to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan has yielded agreements with leading institutions, demonstrating how targeted international engagement can advance both regional collaboration and Hong Kong’s broader educational ambitions.

The PolyU delegation visited two Central Asian nations, critical nodes in the Belt and Road Initiative, establishing partnerships that span academic exchanges, innovative development and talent cultivation. Witnessed by Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), PolyU exchanged memoranda of understanding with Nazarbayev University (NU) in Kazakhstan, and with New Uzbekistan University (NUU) and the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation in Uzbekistan.

Professor Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, who led the delegation, articulated the University’s vision, “As a world top 100 university, PolyU is committed to creating societal benefits through world-leading research and innovation. Leveraging Hong Kong’s distinctive advantage of possessing strong support from the Motherland and close connection to the rest of the world, we have established partnerships with top universities worldwide to promote international talent cultivation and academic cooperation.”

The partnership with NU is further strengthened by shared academic connections. Assel Uvaliyeva, Vice President of NU and a PolyU PhD alumna, said she was pleased to serve as a bridge between Kazakhstan and Hong Kong, fostering collaboration in higher education, research and innovation.

Strategic engagement in Belt and Road regions

The approach aligns with PolyU’s broader internationalisation strategy, which emphasises proactive expansion of institutional partnerships whilst maintaining a balance between Chinese Mainland engagement and global outreach. The role of Central Asia in the Belt and Road Initiative makes these partnerships particularly strategic, offering pathways for joint research initiatives, student mobility and knowledge transfer.

In Kazakhstan, Professor Raymond Sze, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Professor Jiang Binyan, Associate Head (Teaching) of the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, engaged with Professor Rehan Sadiq, Provost of NU, exploring joint academic initiatives and research collaboration.

The MoU between PolyU and NU aims to explore collaboration in areas including student and staff exchanges, research and participation in internationally funded projects. The partnership extends to strengthening exchanges within the University Alliance of the Silk Road, demonstrating how bilateral agreements can amplify broader regional networks.

During the visit to Kazakhstan, the PolyU delegation was received by Prof. Rehan Sadiq (4th from left) and his team.

Building frameworks for collaboration

In Uzbekistan, the delegation, led by Professor Wing-tak Wong and Professor H.C. Man, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, held trilateral discussions with NUU and the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation, mapping strategic joint academic initiatives.

Witnessed by Mr John Lee and Mr Sardor Umurzakov, Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Strategic Development, PolyU exchanged MoUs with NUU and the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation, respectively.

The partnership with NUU aims to explore collaboration in areas including student and staff exchanges, research and participation in internationally funded projects, while the partnership with the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation illustrates how international collaboration generates concrete opportunities. The foundation will sponsor professional traineeship programmes for selected Uzbek government officials in cybersecurity, robotics and drone systems, with the first cohort expected to commence training at PolyU within 2026. Additionally, PolyU and the foundation will jointly offer scholarships and support to talented Uzbek secondary school graduates admitted to undergraduate programmes, creating pathways for high-achieving students to pursue education in Hong Kong.

Witnessed by Mr John Lee (centre) and Mr Sardor Umurzakov (4th from right), Prof. Wing-tak Wong (2nd from right) exchanged MoUs with Dr Bahodir Ahmedov Bobomurodovich, Rector of NUU (3rd from right), and Dr Gulnoza Ismailova, Executive Director of “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation (1st from right), during the visit to Uzbekistan.

Led by Prof. Wing-tak Wong (centre) and Prof. H.C. Man (5th from left), the PolyU delegation engaged with Dr Bahodir Ahmedov Bobomurodovich (4th from right) and Dr Gulnoza Ismailova (5th from right) during the HKSAR Government Business Networking event in Uzbekistan.

The PolyU delegation visited the construction site of NUU’s new campus.

Consolidating Hong Kong’s position

These agreements reflect PolyU’s strategic objective of attracting more non-local students, particularly from Belt and Road regions and under-represented areas. The programmes create sustainable channels for talent mobility that benefit both sending and receiving communities.

Professor Wong emphasised this dimension, “As Central Asia is an important node of our Nation’s Belt and Road Initiative, these new partnerships will amplify joint efforts in higher education and scientific research in these regions, while also drawing outstanding talent to pursue further studies and development in Hong Kong and thus consolidating its position as an international hub for high-calibre talent.”

PolyU will continue broadening its international collaboration network, strengthening partnerships in the Belt and Road regions and actively promoting academic, research and talent exchanges, making greater contributions to Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.