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The Hong Kong Jockey Club is committed to nurturing talent and supporting local educational institutions. To help address the problem of tight supply of postgraduate student hostel places at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the Club’s Charities Trust has provided a HK$176 million donation to HKUST to support the construction of The Jockey Club Global Graduate Tower. The tower provides much-needed hostel space in a green environment for postgraduate students to interact, inspiring them to utilise science and technology to serve the community by participating in different activities.

The opening ceremony of The Jockey Club Global Graduate Tower was held on 25 October. In his speech Club Deputy Chairman Michael Lee said, “The Club’s support for HKUST reflects two key areas of its charitable focus – ‘children and youth development’ and ‘talent and capacity building’. We strongly believe in the need to develop the skills, knowledge and capabilities of our young people. We also want to cultivate compassionate individuals committed, like the Club, to the betterment of our society.”  

Mr Lee added that the new tower reflects the qualities of HKUST in every way.  He said the state-of-the art building has featured the latest green technology and embodied HKUST’s innovative spirit. Through its postgraduate accommodation it brings together some of the best and brightest minds, providing fertile space to incubate ideas which will shape the future and benefit society.

The Club’s total donations to HKUST have amounted to almost HK$3 billion. As with all the Club’s donation, such support is made possible by the Club’s unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax and charity support for the community.

Located in HKUST’s south campus, the eight-storey barrier-free facility offers over 500 hostel places for students, as well as accommodation for wardens, tutors and other staff. It provides all-round learning experiences for research postgraduate students from some 60 countries and regions, with a wide range of activities that allow students to interact with each other and serve the community.

Current postgraduate student resident Mr Ginbert Permejo Cuaton, from the Philippines, said: “Living and studying in a foreign country may be daunting to some international students. However, I can say that my residential experience at the Jockey Club Global Graduate Tower has proven that this fear can easily be overcome. Thanks to the generous support and funding from The Hong Kong Jockey Club, not only do we have modern and impressive facilities in the tower, but we also have a conducive and friendly social environment which makes our residential experience in Hong Kong more fun. The official launch of the tower is only the beginning of establishing a smart, friendly, and truly international residential space for students at HKUST!”

In addition, the Jockey Club Global Graduate Tower’s eco-friendly design has earned the provisional BEAM Plus Platinum rating from the Hong Kong Green Building Council. The tower has an interactive smart metering system that monitors real-time energy consumption in the student hall to encourage conservation, as well as increase students’ awareness of their overall energy consumption. Together with other green features, such as a rainwater harvesting system, rooftop solar thermal panels, water-saving faucets and washing machines, and energy-efficient electrical appliances, the tower is expected to harvest around 45 per cent of its water needs and consume 26 per cent less electricity than buildings of a comparable floor area and occupancy rate.