Welcome to the 70th edition of CUHK in Focus.
CUHK takes pride in building lasting rapport with our benefactors and supporters, whose generosity has empowered us to pursue academic excellence, expand research capabilities and create a lasting impact on the community. The CUHK Art Museum held a ceremony on 8 September 2025 to celebrate the opening of a special exhibition entitled “The Wong Family: A Century of Collecting”, which showcases the precious collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy generously donated to the Museum by the Wong Peng Cheong family over the years. The University is honoured to be entrusted with the heirloom collection of national renown by the Wong family, which has not only elevated the legacy of the Art Museum, but also demonstrates the family’s noble spirit of transforming private heritage into public treasure. Sponsored by the Lee Hysan Foundation and hosted in the Harold and Christina Lee Gallery, the exhibition extends the enduring friendship between the Wong and Lee families, which dates back a century. I was grateful to be joined by Mr Raistlin Lau Chun, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, representatives of the Wong and Lee families, partners and dignitaries at the ceremony. I sincerely invite art lovers from Hong Kong and beyond to seize the precious opportunity to visit this extraordinary exhibition, which runs until March 2026, to admire the beauty and depth of the historical treasures accumulated by the Wong family over generations, and gain insights from the compelling stories behind these fascinating artefacts.
It gave me great pleasure to deliver a vote of thanks to our esteemed donor, Mr Paul Ip, Director of Ming Kee Manufactory Limited, and his family, at the Inaugural Lecture by Professor Bryan Yan Ping-yen, Assistant Dean (External Affairs) of CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine, as the Ip’s Family Trust Professor of Cardiology, earlier this month. For many years, the Ip’s family has been carrying the torch of compassionate giving and showing their staunch support for CUHK. Our Faculty of Medicine is well blessed to have received a generous donation from Mr Ip in support of cutting-edge projects on the early diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary pancreatic cancers through the establishment of the Ip’s Family Trust Professorship in Clinical Oncology in 2021. This year, we are most grateful to Mr Ip for setting up an endowed professorship in cardiology, which is set to scale new heights for our pioneering research in interventional cardiology and vascular medicine and intervention. With a broad spectrum of diseases related to the heart constituting a large proportion of global mortality annually, it is essential for us to strive for transformative breakthroughs in related research to save more lives. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my warmest congratulations to Professor Yan on receiving this well-deserved honour, and thank Mr Ip once again for his kind support for CUHK’s medical education and research and his abiding interest in the University’s development as a civic institution.
Cultivating research talent
Last week, I was honoured to be the officiating guest at the inauguration ceremony of the Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences. Initiated by Professor Yau Shing-tung, Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dean of Qiuzhen College of Tsinghua University, who is also a Distinguished Visiting Professor-at-Large and an alumnus of CUHK, the Institute was unveiled in April this year at the Shenzhen Park of the Hetao Shenzhen–Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. It aims to become a globally influential platform for mathematical and interdisciplinary research, connecting the strengths of both Shenzhen and Hong Kong in science, education and entrepreneurship, while promoting the cultivation of mathematical talent and application of research outcomes.
In just a few months, the Institute has already attracted a group of top-tier researchers, demonstrating the immense potential of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in attracting innovative talent. CUHK is privileged to sign a cooperation agreement with the Institute in support of a staff exchange programme, which will facilitate the sharing of resources and integration of talent and research outcomes in alignment with our country’s long-term strategic direction by accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.
Promoting marine conservation
Since its inception in 2008, the National Marine Knowledge Competition has contributed significantly to the promotion of ocean literacy and public awareness of marine conservation. It has grown into one of the most influential marine education initiatives in our country. This year, the Competition extends to Hong Kong for the first time ever. With the approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and the Political Department of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, CUHK is proud to be the host of the Hong Kong regional contest. We are grateful for the sponsorship from the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the HKSAR government and the Swire Trust, which has enabled us to organise the inaugural Hong Kong contest of the 15th National Marine Knowledge Competition from September 2025 to January 2026 to select outstanding local tertiary students to participate in the nation-wide qualifying rounds and grand finals scheduled for April next year.
Last weekend, we were delighted to announce the launch of the Hong Kong contest, which comprises online preliminary rounds, offline semi-finals and live finals, at a ceremony attended by distinguished guests including Professor the Honourable Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Xia Jun, Director of the Publicity and Education Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Central People’s Government, who participated remotely from the mainland, the Honourable Ma Fung-kwok, Chairman of the Competition Organising Committee and member of the Legislative Council, Mr Chen Yulin, Director of the Office of Innovative Technology and Higher Education, Educational, Scientific and Technological Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, as well as representatives from partner institutions.
To promote marine knowledge education, CUHK also initiated a series of three Ocean Academy seminars during the month, inviting experts from various fields to deliver lectures on an array of themes, such as polar expeditions, marine policy and marine biodiversity.
Protecting the ocean and achieving sustainable use of natural resources is a shared vision for humanity. The ocean serves as a precious repository of knowledge, offering vast research opportunities for different fields of study including the environment, energy and health. Against the backdrop of our country’s accelerated maritime development, CUHK is dedicated to advancing talent cultivation and research in support of national progress. The Hong Kong contest and Ocean Academy seminars strengthen our collaboration with mainland partners on nurturing a deep understanding of the ocean among the youth and cultivating talent who can inject impetus into our country’s maritime industry. I would like to express my heartfelt wishes for the resounding success of the Competition in inspiring the next generation to take an active role in national development.
Engaging with the CUHK community
I was delighted to reunite with our alumni at the annual dinner of the Federation of Alumni Associations (FAA) of CUHK last weekend, during which I had the honour to officiate at the inauguration of the new cohort of Council and Executive Committee members who dedicate themselves to carrying forward the mission of FAA with passion and vision. Equally exciting was the opportunity for me to present FAA Scholarship certificates to a group of outstanding students from the six schools in Hong Kong established by the FAA Education Fund. The heartwarming evening reminded me of the strong camaraderie that defines our alumni community and enabled me to witness its enduring impact on the development of education and community service. Congratulations to Ms Daisy Lam Man-ha of the Federation of Graduate School Alumni Associations on her inauguration as the new FAA Chairperson. I am sure that her wise leadership will inspire the FAA to further engage our vibrant alumni community to serve the public. May I also express my gratitude to Mr Daniel Lee Chi-wo, the past Chairperson, for his tremendous contributions over the past year.
This week saw the successful conclusion of two face-to-face engagement sessions for CUHK alumni and staff to contribute their insights to facilitate the development of the CUHK Strategic Plan 2026–2030 (CUHK 2026–2030). I was pleased to see both sessions well attended by valued members of our passionate community, who shared thoughtful perspectives and visionary suggestions that will shed light on how the University should define its new directions to align with institutional aspirations, national strategies and global trends for the coming five years. I would like to thank all the alumni and colleagues who participated in the sessions for their time, wisdom, and genuine commitment to the University’s continued growth. Your input is vital for formulating a roadmap that reflects the collective vision of the CUHK community. For those who were unable to attend the sessions in person, you are sincerely invited to provide your feedback via the online platform to join us on this important journey of charting an ambitious course for CUHK’s next chapter.
I look forward to sharing more stories with you in our next edition.
Best wishes,
Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming
Vice-Chancellor and President
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
