Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, Chairman of AMTD Group, Appointed to the Global Strategic Advisory Board of HKUST (GZ)

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PARIS and NEW YORK and LONDON, April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AMTD Group Inc. ("AMTD Group"), AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB), AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) and The Generation Essentials Group ("TGE", NYSE: TGE; LSE: TGE), a subsidiary of AMTD Digital Inc., are pleased to announce that Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, Chairman of AMTD Group, AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB), and The Generation Essentials Group ("TGE", NYSE: TGE; LSE: TGE), a subsidiary of AMTD Digital Inc., has been appointed as a member of the Global Strategic Advisory Board of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)).

On March 25, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)) launched its Global Strategic Advisory Board.

The Board comprises eight distinguished leaders from higher education institutions across seven countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, and China.

Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur serves as the representative from Canada.

The Global Strategic Advisory Board is chaired by Prof. Sir Jim McDonald, Former Principal and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Strathclyde.

Other members include Prof. Wei Shyy, Former President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Prof. Jacques Biot, Former President of École Polytechnique; Prof. Ningsheng Xu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Former President of Fudan University; Prof. Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, President of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne; Prof. Ulrich Rüdiger, Rector of RWTH Aachen University; and Prof. Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland.

The Board will support HKUST(GZ) in strengthening its focus on cross-disciplinary education and cutting-edge research, while also promoting Guangzhou and the Greater Bay Area as a globally influential international education hub and world-class innovation center.

During the three-day inaugural meeting, Guangzhou Mayor Zhiyang Sun met with the Board members and expressed his strong support for HKUST(GZ)'s vision to make significant contributions to the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

Dr. Hamdullahpur's appointment underscores his global academic stature and extensive scholarly contributions, including holding several patents and publishing over 200 scientific and technical articles. It also highlights his strong track record in building global partnerships and fostering international connectivity and collaboration.

He currently serves as Chancellor of The International Business University and is a member of the International Advisory Board of King Abdulaziz University and the Strategic Advisory Board of Sorbonne University. He previously served as the Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Waterloo.

Over the course of his career, he has been widely recognized for his leadership in higher education. In 2022, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada. In 2019, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Palmes Académiques by the Republic of France. He was recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2018 and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. Further underscoring his strong ties with China and his contributions to Sino-foreign collaboration, Dr. Hamdullahpur is also a recipient of the Friendship Award, the People's Republic of China's highest honor for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress.

Under the leadership of Dr. Hamdullahpur and Dr. Timothy Tong, we established the AMTD Charity Foundation to advance education and talent development. In partnership with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, we established the AMTD FinTech Centre of PolyU Faculty of Business, the first university-industry collaborated FinTech centre in Hong Kong, and subsequently launched Asia's first doctoral degree programme in FinTech. AMTD has also formed a long-term partnership with Xiaomi, Singapore Management University, and the National University of Singapore to establish the "Singapore Digital Finance Leadership Programme," and collaborated with the University of Waterloo to launch the "University of Waterloo–AMTD Innovation Hub" and the "AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship." In addition, AMTD is a founding shareholder of Charterhouse School Asia, affiliated with one of the top five private schools in the UK. Across these initiatives, we remain committed to youth development and continuing education, broadening access to quality educational opportunities, and advancing positive social inclusion.

About AMTD Group

AMTD Group is a conglomerate with a core business portfolio spanning across media and entertainment, education and training, and premium assets and hospitality sectors.

About AMTD IDEA Group

AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) represents a diversified institution and digital solutions group connecting companies and investors with global markets. Its comprehensive one-stop business services plus digital solutions platform addresses different clients' diverse and inter-connected business needs and digital requirements across all phases of their life cycles. AMTD IDEA Group is uniquely positioned as an active super connector between clients, business partners, investee companies, and investors, connecting the East and the West. For more information, please visit www.amtdinc.com or follow us on X (formerly known as "Twitter") at @AMTDGroup.

About AMTD Digital Inc.

AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD) is a comprehensive digital solutions platform headquartered in France. Its one-stop digital solutions platform operates key business lines including digital media, content and marketing services, investments as well as hospitality and VIP services. For AMTD Digital's announcements, please visit https://ir.amtdigital.net/investor-news.

About The Generation Essentials Group

The Generation Essentials Group (NYSE: TGE; LSE: TGE), jointly established by AMTD Group, AMTD IDEA Group (NYSE: AMTD; SGX: HKB) and AMTD Digital Inc. (NYSE: HKD), is headquartered in France and focuses on global strategies and developments in multi-media, entertainment, and cultural affairs worldwide as well as hospitality and VIP services. TGE comprises L'Officiel, The Art Newspaper, movie and entertainment projects. Collectively, TGE is a diversified portfolio of media and entertainment businesses, and a global portfolio of premium properties. Also, TGE is a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsor manager, with its first SPAC successfully raised and priced on December 18, 2025.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor"provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects,""anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes,""estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the beliefs, plans, and expectations of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and/or The Generation Essentials Group, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the filings of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and The Generation Essentials Group with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and none of AMTD IDEA Group, AMTD Digital and The Generation Essentials Group undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For more information, please contact:

For AMTD IDEA Group:
IR Office
AMTD IDEA Group
EMAIL: [email protected]

For AMTD Digital Inc.:
IR Office
AMTD Digital Inc.
EMAIL: ir@amtdigital.net

For The Generation Essentials Group:
IR Office
The Generation Essentials Group
EMAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE AMTD Digital; AMTD IDEA Group; The Generation Essentials Group