The HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) is committed to provide a platform for catalytic interaction among the world's foremost scientists and scholars to pursue enduring knowledge. It spearheads both fundamental and applied research relevant to the region's socio-economic development. It aims to nurture gifted students and postdoctoral fellows in the pursuit of knowledge. It raises community interest in the latest scientific and technological discoveries.

The Institute recruits top-notch scholars as IAS Professors to further elevate the academic standing of HKUST and Hong Kong, invites intellectual leaders in their respective areas to visit and interact with the local academic community, and engages outstanding HKUST faculty to lead frontier research projects. It champions collaborative research across disciplines and institutions. It supports initiatives that are important for the advancement of HKUST and Hong Kong. It organizes and sponsors activities ranging from lectures and forums, conferences and workshops, to topical research programs. It forges strong relationships with leaders from a diversity of backgrounds to make a difference in the academic world.