The HKU-Pasteur Research Pole has pioneered an advanced life sciences teaching program to train a highly select group of students, who will be at the forefront of biomedical research in their countries. The program, based in Hong Kong, offers courses and international workshops every year that feature lectures from world-leading scientists. All HKU-Pasteur courses have also been approved by the Research Postgraduate Committee of the University of Hong Kong for inclusion in the curriculum of MPhil/PhD students.
The program was launched in 2004 with a Virology course, which received applications from students mainly originating from Hong Kong and Mainland China. Since then, recruitment has progressively widened to include applicants from most Asian countries and all over the world.
HKU-Pasteur courses are extremely competitive and are a benchmark of training in biomedical research. Topics are selected taking into account their importance in the scientific community, recent breakthroughs, exceptional circumstances (pandemics, emerging pathogens), and technical developments, and leading scientists on each topic participate in the course. A special feature of our courses is the combination of lectures with practical workshops under the supervision of local and guest teams. The practical workshops offer the possibility to understand conceptual and technical challenges in the selected field by tackling an experimental question. This approach also has the advantage of promoting teamwork and strong interactions between students and tutors.
HKU-Pasteur courses promote the fundamental Pasteurian value that science belongs to humanity, and we strive to share it with altruism. We welcome students from a diversity of backgrounds and from countries with markedly different resources, and we bring them together to provide an inclusive environment for a unique Master Class experience. This training program has enhanced the visibility and international reputation of Hong Kong for higher education and research, intensified productive interactions between visiting scientists and the local scientific community and contributed to knowledge exchange initiatives that engage the public and promote scientific culture.
