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Welcome to the 46th edition of CUHK in Focus.
I was delighted to participate in the Annual Presidents’ Meeting of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) held at the University of Auckland from 24 to 26 June 2024, in my capacity as Chair of APRU Steering Committee. Over 120 leaders and delegates of 61 APRU member universities spanning Asia, the Pacific and the Americas gathered under the meeting theme of “Oceans – The World’s Challenges Divide Us, the Ocean Currents Connect Us”, to discuss our work addressing the impact of climate change on oceans and coastal regions through research, student activities and community projects, and the strategy to develop global interdisciplinary collaborations.
I was honoured to embark on this three-day voyage of discovery and camaraderie and speak at the panel discussion on “Navigating the Tides: APRU Leadership in Addressing Climate Change”, exchanging views with representatives from across the Pacific on the critical role that the academic community plays in fostering constructive dialogue, collaborative research and practical solutions to tackle our many shared challenges. Impactful collaboration between universities depends on partners with common interests and a common purpose. I am sure these exchanges, sharing of experience, and future-shaping discussions will propel us along our navigation through the literal and metaphorical waters of our time, creating ripples of change that will grow into waves of positive transformation.
The APRU meeting was another example demonstrating CUHK’s commitment to global collaboration in order to solve sustainability challenges, following our involvement as the regional co-host of the Times Higher Education (THE) Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) 2024 in Bangkok last month. You are invited to view the following highlight video of the GSDC:
Celebrating strong ranking performance
CUHK has continued to excel in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Global Universities Rankings, placing 42nd globally and 1st in Hong Kong. The University has been ranked number one in Hong Kong for two consecutive years, with eight of its subjects landing in the world’s top 50. While rankings performance is only one of the many metrics that demonstrate our commitment to excellence in research and education, we are grateful for the wide recognition we have gained for the University’s international influence as a global powerhouse of knowledge. This encouraging result illustrates the global recognition of the unwavering efforts of the entire CUHK community to pursue excellence, for which I owe a great debt of gratitude.
Honouring distinguished academics
We are excited to celebrate a series of inaugural lectures by outstanding academics who are honoured with prestigious endowed professorships for their remarkable achievements in education and research within their professional fields. Professor Johnny Li from the Department of Finance has received the honour of Tan Bingzhao Professorship of Actuarial Science for his expertise in actuarial mathematics, quantitative risk management and derivative securities. Professor Timothy Kwok Chi-yui from the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics has been conferred the S.H. Ho Professorship in Geriatric Medicine for his dedication as a geriatrician. The inaugural lectures of these esteemed professors are taking place this month. These are important occasions for us to celebrate the accomplishments of CUHK academics as well as to honour the respective donors for their benevolence and consistent interest in the development of CUHK as a civic institution dedicated to quality education, research and innovation that enhance the well-being of humanity. Many congratulations to Professor Li and Professor Kwok!
I would also like to congratulate Professor Francis Chan Ka-leung, Choh-Ming Li Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics of CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine, on being awarded the 15th Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award by the Chinese Academy of Engineering for his outstanding contributions to medical research. Professor Chan, with his paradigm-shifting translational research outcomes in gastroenterology and hepatology, is the only scholar from Hong Kong receiving the honour in the “Medicine and Health” category of this prestigious biennial award in Chinese science and technology and engineering management. Congratulations, Professor Chan!
I would also like to share the great news of Professor Stuart M. McManus from the Department of History becoming the first scholar from an Asian university to win the largest history prize in the world, the Dan David Prize, for his outstanding scholarship and dedication to anchoring public discourse in a deeper understanding of history. Congratulations to Professor McManus and I am sure the award will further support his ongoing efforts to promote the study of the human past.
Many of you will likely be enjoying the opportunity to pause and rejuvenate this summer season. During this time, CUHK in Focus will also be taking a short break for a few weeks. I would like to take this moment to wish all of you a joyful summer holiday. I look forward to sharing more stories with you when Focus returns for its August edition.
Professor Rocky S. Tuan
Vice-Chancellor and President
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
