HKUST said the appointment follows a rigorous global search that involved reviewing over 100 candidates across North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The university said Li was selected for his exceptional track record in academic leadership, medical education, biomedical innovation, as well as his experience in founding a new medical school.
Li previously served as the founding dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 2016 to 2021, an institution widely regarded as a pioneer in engineering-based medical education.
During his time there, he developed a technology-oriented curriculum and led the college’s early graduating cohorts achieve a 100 percent pass rate in licensing examinations.
Li also received the Gold Medal of the Association of University Radiologists and holds 20 issued patents across the United States, Australia and Europe.
Born and raised in Hong Kong before emigrating to Toronto as a teenager, Li said he is deeply honoured to return and contribute to a place where his roots lie.
“In the beginning, I have never thought about coming back to Hong Kong,” he said.
“But when President Ip approached me and presented me with something that I cannot refuse – the ability to contribute to a very, very important task that can influence not just locally, but potentially the entire country and the world, is something I can’t really turn down.”
He also pointed to the critical urgency of reforming Hong Kong’s healthcare delivery through technology to cope with a rapidly ageing demographic.
“It’s something that is urgent and it’s something I have done before. I see that the opportunity here is actually larger because we have an entire country that has already decided to head in this direction. We are actually working together, not against the entire country,” he said.
When asked about how familiar he is with the SAR healthcare landscape, Li noted that he had maintained close ties with the local medical community throughout his time in the US, stressing that he will also be supported by a highly capable team on the ground.
The President of HKUST, Professor Nancy Ip, said the university is honoured to welcome Li, saying his leadership will be central to building a globally competitive and locally relevant medical school.
She added that the institution looks forward to working alongside the city’s other two medical schools.
“As Dean Li mentioned earlier, we already have two outstanding medical schools in Hong Kong and our new medical school will work with them collaboratively” she said.
“Together, all three medical schools will elevate the standing of the medical schools in Hong Kong in the international community.”
HKUST plans to commence its four-year graduate-entry medicine and surgery programme in the 2028-29 academic year.
