HONG KONG – The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) held a flag-raising ceremony on its campus on Wednesday to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), with over 300 attendees in person and more than 6,000 watching online.

The ceremony was officiated by John Chan Cho-Chak, HKUST pro-chancellor; Harry Shum, council chairman; Nancy Ip, president; Lionel Ni, HKUST (Guangzhou) president; Edith Shih, council vice-chairperson; Stephen Yiu, treasurer; and Counsellor Huang Jingrui from the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR.

The national flag, regional flag and university flag were raised at the Entrance Piazza near the Red Bird Sundial, with participants expressing heartfelt wishes for Hong Kong's continued prosperity and stability under national support.

Harry Shum emphasized that "one country, two systems" remains key to Hong Kong's success, while Nancy Ip highlighted the Northern Metropolis as a "once-in-a-generation platform" for talent and innovation. She also noted HKUST's commitment to advancing health innovation through its forthcoming medical school.

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To mark HKUST's 35th anniversary, a joint Student Flag Guard team of 35 students from HKUST and HKUST (Guangzhou) led the ceremony, symbolizing the University's heritage and the "One HKUST, Complementary Campuses" vision.

Lionel Ni noted that HKUST (Guangzhou), established four years ago, has served as a bridge for national development, with students from both campuses jointly forming the flag guard team that reflects the younger generation's patriotism and unity.