AMTD signs a strategic partnership agreement with University of Waterloo to jointly establish University of Waterloo-AMTD Innovation Hub promoting technological innovation side by side

On 24th November 2017, AMTD Group and University of Waterloo Canada officially co-signed a strategic partnership agreement to jointly promote the research and development of innovative technology and support the cultivation and education of the innovative talents. The University of Waterloo is one of the biggest Math and Computer Science Education and Research centre in the world. Two parties worked together to advance “Waterloo.ai Alpha project” by co-establishing Artificial Intelligence Academy to promote the research, development and application of innovative technology and to support the incubation and development of start-ups. Moreover, the Group and the University jointly established “University of Waterloo-AMTD Innovation Hub” to encourage the leading creative and innovative talents in the University of Waterloo to come to Hong Kong advancing the exchange and connection between the innovative technology of North America and Asia.

On the 60th anniversary of the University of Waterloo, with Ms. Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR, Mr. James Henry Lau, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr. Nicholas W. Yang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology Mr. Jeff Nankivell, Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao as witnesses, the AMTD - University of Waterloo strategic partnership agreement was signed by Calvin Choi, Chairman and President of AMTD Group and Dr. Hamdullahpur, President of University of Waterloo. On 24th November, 60th anniversary Gala of the University of Waterloo was held in Hong Kong welcoming over 600 local and overseas guests including government officials, strategic partners and staff, students and alumni of University of Waterloo. Calvin Choi, President and Chairman of AMTD Group, addresses the ceremony as keynote speaker.

The University of Waterloo is world-renowned for innovative scientific research and has been rated as the university of the greatest innovative power in Canada for consecutively 23 years. Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has especially praised the University of Waterloo for its innovative achievements in the World Economic Forum. The University of Waterloo, as one of the biggest Math and Computer Science Education and Research centre in the world, emphasizes co-operative education incorporating learning with practice. The University is regarded as the “cradle of Canadian entrepreneurs” as the students of the University of Waterloo have developed and founded Blackberry, Google Adwords and Kik Messenger.

Calvin Choi, President and Chairman of AMTD Group, said that as a Hong Kong-based comprehensive financial institution, AMTD has always been committed to promoting the development of innovative technology in Hong Kong and Asia and is determined to utilize Hong Kong’s role as super-connector contributing to Hong Kong’s status in the field of innovative technology. The University of Waterloo, as a leading global university, has excellent performance in promoting innovative technology in the past 60 years and has cultivated many outstand entrepreneurs. AMTD Group is glad to sign a memorandum with the University of Waterloo to jointly to promote the development of Artificial Intelligence, Innovative Technology and talent cultivation.

Dr. Hamdullahpur pointed out that the University of Waterloo is committed to the co-operative education with a dual emphasis on learning and practice. The University is glad to cooperate with AMTD, to explore the future development of the innovative economy in Asia side by side and looks forward to promoting the advantages of both sides in technology, scientific research, capital and markets to support start-ups, advance technological development and cultivate innovative talents.

AMTD, as a special guest, was invited to UW Velocity Investor Demo Day, one of the events celebrating the 60th anniversary of University of Waterloo. Mr. Neil Wang, Chief Investment Officer of AMTD Strategic Capital Group, exchanged opinions with Jason Chiu, CEO of Cherrypicks, a leading global innovative technology developer, Roland Yau, Managing Partner of Ignite Ventures (Cocoon Ignite Ventures) and Adrien Cote, Business Advisor of University of Waterloo Velocity on the topic of “Waterloo and Hong Kong: cut from the same cloth”. Mr. Neil Wang said that new economy, in advancing the society, has created exciting investment opportunities winning the warm reception of global investors. Hong Kong is a city full of pioneering spirit. AMTD is very pleased to cooperate with the University of Waterloo, a global leading university in innovative technology to advance the exchange between North America and Hong Kong in the field of new economy and new technology.

AMTD always believes in the power of technological innovation and is determined to become a “super-connector” to bridge the world’s leading FinTech companies, Internet technology company companies and Asia’s capital markets. Apart from the strategic partnership with the University of Waterloo, AMTD has cooperated with many local and overseas educational institutions to jointly advance the technological development and talent cultivation. AMTD signed a strategic partnership agreement with Hong Kong Polytechnic University to jointly establish “AMTD FinTech Centre of PolyU Faculty of Business” promoting the scientific research on FinTech. To support the education and training of innovative technology, AMTD has joined hands with Singapore Management University, National Chengchi University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to launch talent incubation plans to cultivate innovative talents in the field of FinTech.