Reaching new horizons
CUHK’s 95th Congregation marks an era of innovation and responsibility
19 November 2025
As crisp autumn breeze swept across the CUHK campus, the University Mall was transformed into a vibrant sea of black gowns, purple and gold sashes, and jubilant smiles. The campus buzzed with excitement for the 95th Congregation on 6 November, where undergraduates and postgraduates bid a fond farewell to their time as students.
Addressing the Congregation for the first time as Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming congratulated the Class of 2025 on their diligence and intellectual curiosity. He shared anecdotes about meeting demanding deadlines and failing in experiments during his research career, and explained that he saw obstacles as blessings in disguise that helped build adaptability.
He urged graduates to view global uncertainties – AI’s transformative power, geopolitical tensions and climate change – not as overwhelming burdens but as callings. “Ask yourself: are you ready to shoulder greater responsibilities for this world?” he remarked, adding that the University was in the process of drawing up its next five-year plan, CUHK 2026–2030, seeking to align institutional aspirations with national and global challenges.
He highlighted innovation’s role in the evolving landscape: “I have witnessed first-hand how groundbreaking solutions often emerge when we dare to view the world from a different perspective. Be open to novel ideas and have the courage to transform your visionary thoughts into realities that bring positive change to the world.”
He also reflected on a future closely linked with developments in AI, fraught with unknowns yet brimming with possibilities. “Although the road ahead may not be easy, I hope you can see the difficulties as a meaning in life and mission,” he said, emphasising resilience after setbacks and the creativity of complexity. He closed by wishing graduates a journey of meaningful impact, bound by CUHK’s alumni network and spirit of excellence.
The Vice-Chancellor also presided the doctoral and master’s degrees graduation ceremony of the Law Faculty two days later, with the presence of Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government as the guest of honour. Mr Lam noted that the Faculty, as the youngest in Hong Kong, enjoyed a strong reputation for its excellence in legal education and research.
Mr Lam called upon graduates to embrace their role in safeguarding Hong Kong’s legal legacy: “You are the torchbearers of our legal heritage. It is your responsibility to uphold the values of justice, fairness, equality, openness, and tolerance that define our legal system”.
This year, CUHK conferred 784 doctoral degrees, 9,238 master’s degrees and 5,553 bachelor’s degrees.
Representing the postgraduates, Li Jingxian, a PhD graduate from the Department of Geography and Resource Management, delivered the valedictory speech. Facing a competitive job market amid globalisation, he shared three principles with his peers: embrace opportunities amid uncertainties, contribute to society with responsibility, and dare to follow your passions. He spoke candidly about his own journey – how he had transitioned from finance to AI, and eventually pursued his real interest in geography.
Kwan Ching-tin, an undergraduate valedictorian from S.H. Ho College and Department of Mathematics, shared fond anecdotes from his past four years: stargazing on the University Mall, burning the midnight oil to go through a 900-page PowerPoint file for an exam and gobbling up a giant slice of toast in a campus restaurant during break time. He said that CUHK was a space for thinking, learning and growth, supported by dedicated teachers and peers. “University life is pieced together from these small events, small stories, small memories,” Ching-tin reflected. “We’ve laughed, cried, felt afraid and embarrassed, worked hard, and grown.”
The ceremony pulsed with energy as graduates in caps and gowns posed for photos
By Jenny Lau
