It is my pleasure to present this Annual Report on behalf of the University Council and share with you the achievements and contributions made by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2000/01.

HKUST reported many outstanding academic and scientific achievements in the period from July 2000 to June 2001. The discoveries made by the scholars at the University have pushed back the frontiers of knowledge and focused the world's attention on Hong Kong. On behalf of the University Council, I would like to congratulate the members of the University on their many breakthroughs. My colleagues on the Council and I would also like to thank the Government and the public for their support. They have helped this young university continue its contribution to the development of Hong Kong and the region.

One of the major events of this year was the launch of the University's 10th anniversary celebrations. 10 years ago, a core of established academics put aside their careers in North America and Europe, and came to Hong Kong to create the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Their perseverance and devotion have built HKUST into a world-class institution in a single decade. This pioneering spirit has continued to propel the University forward in academic pursuits and research and development, and has driven the University in its quest for excellence and innovation.

There is a Chinese proverb that says: "It takes 10 years to grow a tree but 100 years to develop a person." The founders of the University not only have laid a firm foundation for the University, but have also nurtured over 10,000 talented young men and women and equipped them with leading-edge knowledge. This group of HKUST graduates now stands ready to help transform Hong Kong into a knowledge-based society.

This Report ended on 30 June 2001, the day our founding President Prof Chia-Wei WOO retired. Prof Woo has served the University with unparalleled dedication and commitment since he joined the University's Planning Committee in 1986. On behalf of the University Council and the entire HKUST community, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to him for his great contributions.

At the same time, we would like to extend our warmest welcome to HKUST's new President, world-renowned physicist and expert in superconductivity, Prof Paul Ching-Wu CHU. We are confident that Prof Chu, building on the solid foundation laid down by the founders of the University, will lead HKUST to soar to still greater heights both domestically and internationally, and to continue its contribution to Hong Kong's social and economic development.