Contributed by Mr. David Choi, Technical Consultant (JUCC), HARNET
Like many National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) around the world, the Hong Kong Academic and Research Network (HARNET) was originally funded by the Hong Kong Government through the University Grants Committee (UGC) in the 1970s. HARNET is operated by the Joint University Computer Centre Limited (JUCC), an organization established by the eight UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong to foster collaboration in information and communications technology (ICT).
Under the direction of its Board of Management (BM) and with the support of its Steering Committee (SC), JUCC promotes inter-institutional cooperation in the development and application of ICT to support teaching, research, and administrative services across Hong Kong's higher education sector. Since its establishment, HARNET has provided UGC-funded universities with connectivity to leading academic and research networks, including BITNET, the Internet, Internet2, CERNET, TEIN2, and numerous NRENs worldwide.
In August 2006, the UGC decided to cease providing additional funding for HARNET. Subsequently, in September 2006, the Heads of Universities Committee in Hong Kong (HUCOM) agreed that HARNET would be funded collectively by JUCC member institutions, with each institution's contribution determined in proportion to its allocation of the UGC block grant. The UGC block grant is the principal source of recurrent public funding for UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong.
This funding model has proven to be both effective and sustainable. The JUCC Board of Management, comprising Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) or senior finance executives together with Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or IT Directors from member institutions, works closely with the Steering Committee, which consists of CIOs or IT Directors from the same institutions, to oversee HARNET's capital and operating budgets, funding arrangements, and expenditures.
This collaborative governance and funding framework has remained successfully in place since 2006. Over the years, HARNET has expanded its scope beyond serving UGC-funded universities to support other educational and research-related organizations, including the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), the Vocational Training Council (VTC), and Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). In addition, JUCC operates and funds the Hong Kong Open Exchange Point (HKOX), which enhances connectivity between Hong Kong's academic community, international NRENs, and major cloud service providers. A summary of the current connectivity framework is illustrated below.
Further information on the current JUCC Board of Management, Steering Committee, and various Task Forces is available at:
