CUHK nurtures young leaders across Asia Pacific on sustainable cities development
CUHK has hosted a leadership programme on sustainable cities development for students across Asia Pacific, providing wide-ranging opportunities for them to equip themselves with latest knowledge for promoting the cause.
The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Undergraduate Leaders’ Programme aimed to empower young leaders to become changemakers in pursuit of building sustainable, safe, resilient and inclusive cities in response to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. It was one of the University’s 60th anniversary celebrations. CUHK is a member of APRU.
From June 25 to July 6, the programme, co-organised by the Urban Studies Programme, the School of Architecture, Hong Kong Enterprise Challenge and the Office of Academic Links of CUHK, brought together a diverse group of 55 undergraduates from 31 APRU member institutions in 15 economies in the Americas, Asia and Australasia.
The students attended lectures and workshops delivered by professors from the co-organisers, including Professor Ng Mee-kam, Programme Director of the Urban Studies Programme, and Professor Hendrik Tieben, Director of the School of Architecture, Dr Elsie Tsui, Project Director of the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge, and scholars from overseas.
Local industry experts, including former Secretary for Environment Wong Kam-sing, and leaders from non-government organisations also conducted a series of talks to share their insights about the challenges and opportunities facing cities today.
The students were brought on field trips to gain a deeper understanding of sustainable development practices in action, visiting sites including the revitalised historic buildings of Mei Ho House and Viva Blue House, MTR Corporation, Swire Coca-Cola HK, the Hong Kong and China Gas Company and T-Park, Hong Kong’s first waste-to-energy facility. The programme concluded with a group project competition in which students showcased their innovative solutions to sustainable city development.
