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Welcome to the 53rd edition of CUHK in Focus.
The typhoon that affected Hong Kong last week forced us to reschedule the 94th Congregation for the Presentation of Doctoral, Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees. The necessary change was a reminder that while challenges in life are inevitable, and often as unpredictable as weather, we must respond to setbacks with resilience and agility. The delay might have been a trial of our patience, but I was glad that we were able to put up a make-up ceremony within a few days. The ceremony was attended by over 4,500 people, including graduates and their family and friends. I would like to thank everyone involved for making this possible. Your commitment enabled our graduates and their families and friends to celebrate their years of hard work on campus.
This year’s Congregation also meant a lot to me personally, as it was the last time I delivered a message to all graduates in my capacity as the Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK. As I mentioned in my speech, I hope all our graduates will let the qualities you have cultivated at CUHK be your guiding light as you forge a path towards excellence with purpose and responsibility, and shape a bright future for the world. May I extend my warmest congratulations to all the graduates, and also acknowledge the four outstanding individuals – Professor Victor Joseph Dzau, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Dr Carlson Tong Ka-shing and Ms Deng Xiaohua, who were conferred Honorary Graduates by the University for their remarkable achievements.
Connecting with mainland partners
It was my privilege to meet with approximately 30 media representatives stationed in Shenzhen and other parts of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) upon their visit to CUHK earlier this month and provide them with updates on how the University has been putting its strategic goals into action. Over the years, our mainland media partners have been rendering their kind support for CUHK, showing a consistent interest in our education, research and innovation endeavours to allow us to tell the CUHK story well beyond the border. I was delighted to offer my sincere gratitude for their long-term support in person. We also took the opportunity to showcase our latest research and innovation developments by arranging visits to the Institute of Space and Earth Information Science and two CUHK InnoHK Centres. I am deeply thankful for the enthusiasm and care of our media friends from the mainland and hope that our successful partnership will continue to go from strength to strength.
Forging partnerships across the border
It gave me great pleasure to deliver a keynote speech at the Global Forum of University Presidents organised by Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) as a signature event of its 100th anniversary celebration, where higher education leaders from around the world united to commemorate the centenary legacy of SYSU, and to discuss the future of education. In the keynote session, I shared with our global partners how CUHK has been fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, encouraging cross-sector collaborations, exploring the societal benefits of technology and promoting diversity and inclusion. The Forum also provided a platform for us to talk about how sustainability education can help tackle global issues such as climate change, health risks and the loss of cultural heritage. My brief trip to Guangzhou was filled with networking opportunities which enabled me to establish valuable connections with international partners to foster collaborations so as to widen the impact of higher education.
The Greater Bay Area Science Forum (GSF) 2024 Sub-Forum on International Organisations and Bay Areas Dialogue co-organised by CUHK and the Alliance of National and International Science Organisations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) took place at Yasumoto International Academic Park on 12 November 2024. The GSF is the highest-level event of the scientific community in the GBA, convening scientists, government officials, business executives as well as financial experts across the world to share progress of scientific development. CUHK, as the sole Hong Kong institution among the founding members of ANSO, is proud to be a long-term partner of ANSO and the GSF Secretariat in supporting this prestigious event.
Carrying the theme of “Science and Technology Innovation for Synergistic Development”, the Sub-Forum centred around cutting-edge developments in biomedical sciences, artificial intelligence and green energy. It gathered approximately 200 delegates from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, the GBA and other parts of mainland China to discuss ways to drive the GBA’s development as a global innovation hub. Drawing on my experience in regenerative medicine research, I talked about the significance of stem cell-based tissue engineering on the biomedical sciences panel and shared my thoughts in the roundtable discussion on how Hong Kong and CUHK may lead in being a superconnector and bridge in connecting China and the World. The Sub-Forum provided us with an important opportunity to exchange ideas and envision the future of the GBA. CUHK will remain committed to deepening international scientific exchanges and working together with our mainland and global collaborators to enhance the research and innovation ecosystem.
Commitment to a noble mission
I was delighted to officiate at the inauguration ceremony of the 22nd cabinet of CUHK’s Mainland Undergraduate Association (MUA). Established more than two decades ago with a mission to promote “Unity”, “Communication” and “Development”, MUA has been serving mainland undergraduates at CUHK by providing them with important information about studying, working and living in Hong Kong and organising activities to enrich their learning experience. The newly inaugurated MUA office-bearers might come from different disciplines and Colleges but they are all eager to help their fellow students build connections with each other and light up their university life. Congratulations to them on being entrusted with this meaningful responsibility and I hope they will carry forward the longstanding tradition of MUA to foster an environment of growth and exploration among mainland students at CUHK.
Great news to celebrate
We are pleased to learn that CUHK has reached its historical high in the 2025 QS Asia University Rankings, achieving the 6th position in Asia. This remarkable accomplishment is a strong recognition for the steadfast commitment of all CUHK members to excellence, demonstrating our continued influence in Asia’s higher education community. In the most recent Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), our programmes in Clinical Medicine (1st in Hong Kong, 1st in Asia) and Nursing (1st in Hong Kong, 2nd in Asia) have also received superlative distinction. These recognitions inspire us to continue to push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation as an institution of higher learning, and to contribute to the development of Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education and extend our impact to Asia and beyond.
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to CUHK scholars who have recently received prestigious awards for their research and innovation achievements.
Professor Apple Chui, Research Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences, has been named the laureate of the prestigious Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs Award in the Science Engagement category for her innovative project “Breaking the Wall to Engage Schools in Coral Restoration”. Professor Chui has been focusing on research into the impact of climate change on corals in marginal environments like Hong Kong. Her award-winning project, which has stood out from 130 submitted projects across 60 countries and regions, was launched in partnership with the HKSAR Government, with an aim to raise awareness of coral conservation and promote stewardship among students and the broader community. Professor Chui is honoured for her dedication to engaging the public with science in creative and impactful ways.
Professor Siew Ng, Croucher Professor in Medical Sciences at the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and Assistant Dean (Development) of the Faculty of Medicine, and Professor Chen Shih-Chi at the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering received the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize 2024 in the Life and Health category and Advanced Manufacturing category respectively for their groundbreaking research and development in their professional field. Professor Ng is a world-renowned researcher of inflammatory bowel disease and the gut microbiome. She successfully transformed her research discoveries into clinical applications for early diagnosis and timely intervention of diseases. Professor Chen’s pioneering developments in the field of 3D micro- and nanofabrication have brought advancements to the fields of photonics, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.
I am grateful that our faculty members are consistently recognised internationally for their contributions to the global community. Congratulations to the three outstanding scholars for receiving the well-deserved honours, which will surely propel them further in their journey to benefit society through research, innovation and community engagement.
I look forward to sharing more stories with you in the next edition.
Best wishes,
Professor Rocky S. Tuan
Vice-Chancellor and President
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
