HKUST & Esquel unveil five-year study: Empowering students for sustainable innovation

Guided by HKUST faculty, students will visit the garden twice a year in groups to assess and make recommendations regarding its sustainability impact on environmental monitoring and biodiversity conservation. This initiative marks another academic-industry collaboration aimed at accelerating the Greater Bay Area’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

A Living Lab Where Industry and Nature Thrive

Located in Guilin - one of the first three pilot mainland cities selected for the China National Innovation Demonstration Zones for Sustainable Development, Integral demonstrates a pioneering development model in the textile and apparel industry. Integrating cultural heritage, quality employment, innovative thinking, and environmental sustainability, it showcases how manufacturing and nature can coexist in perfect harmony. Integral incorporates green technologies, zero wastewater discharge, and innovative dyeing technologies. Additionally, it is home to China’s first specialized botanical garden for natural dye plants, setting a new paradigm for the “future factory”.

Under the five-year monitoring plan, HKUST students will conduct immersive research projects each academic term in Guilin. By collecting qualitative and quantitative data on different parameters and conducting biological sampling, the team will produce comprehensive reports to assess the impact of manufacturing activities in the ecosystem of Integral, while offering practical recommendations on ways to optimize the sustainable development practices in the textile and apparel industry.

Pioneering Sustainability Through Industry-Academia Synergy

HKUST Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning Prof. Jimmy FUNG remarked, “This partnership with Esquel is a powerful example of academic-industry collaboration in driving sustainable development. Our students are not just observers but also contributors to a global dialogue on sustainability. By working alongside Esquel’s experts, they will gain invaluable experiential learning while contributing to meaningful insights that advance sustainable practices.” (revised from the quote provided by DSTO, pending approval)

Ms. Teresa YANG, Vice Chairman of Esquel Group, said, “Integral is a living example of how industry and nature can thrive in harmony. This partnership with HKUST represents a meaningful step forward—bringing together academic insight and industrial practice to create a living lab for sustainability.”

HKUST’s research teams will visit Integral twice a year to conduct field research and ecological surveys focused on biodiversity and lake ecosystems in Guilin. The first batch of students visited Integral in January this year for preliminary research on its biodiversity.

Nurturing the Next Generation with Sense of Sustainability

HKUST is committed to nurture a new generation who takes sustainability into consideration when tackling world challenges. Over 90 % of the HKUST students, for example, study at least one subject on sustainability before graduation, the university will also launch a new Extended Major in Sustainability under the university’s Major+X degree structure in the new academic year, allowing students to combine their primary major with an additional focus on sustainability.