Welcome to the 83rd edition of CUHK in Focus.
We were delighted to mark the beginning of the new academic year earlier this week with a flag-raising ceremony. More than 130 distinguished guests, including The Honourable Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government; Ms Wan Ning, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Professor the Honourable Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, Honorary Professor of CUHK’s Faculty of Social Science; Dr Norman Chan Tak-lam, Vice-Chairman of the CUHK Council, alongside Legislative Council members, members of the University Council, staff, students and alumni, gathered on the main campus for this important occasion. I was pleased to see members of the CUHK Flag-guard Team carry out the ceremony with such precision and discipline, in a brand new uniform designed by their fellow students. This distinctive uniform was the winning entry in a uniform design competition organised by the Office of Student Affairs. The active involvement of students — as flag-guards, competition participants and attendees in this significant occasion — demonstrates their dedication to campus life as well as a deep sense of national identity. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to giving the new semester such a memorable start.
The flag-raising ceremony was followed by an inauguration ceremony in Sir Run Run Shaw Hall to welcome our new cohort of undergraduates. Among them, 2,855 students were admitted through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), including four “super top scorers”, who attained Level 5** in seven subjects, and eight top scorers, who attained Level 5** in six subjects, in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. Based on candidates’ best five-subject HKDSE results, CUHK attracted half of all top scorers in Hong Kong. Our Faculty of Medicine continues to be the top pick for students who wish to pursue medicine, with the Global Physician-Leadership Stream (GPS) remaining the top programme in the territory in terms of the median admission score for the 13th consecutive year since its launch in the 2013/14 academic year as Asia’s first programme of its kind.
In addition, CUHK has leveraged a range of admissions schemes and initiatives to admit HKDSE candidates who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and diverse talents beyond the classroom. We are pleased that the University remains a preferred choice among Hong Kong’s most outstanding students, reaffirming our long-standing reputation for nurturing future leaders with vision, integrity and a strong commitment to society. I hope our new students will contribute their curiosity, innovative ideas and passion to help shape the future of the University so that we can “Leap to Greatness” together with purpose and resolve and create lasting contributions to society.
Campus internationalisation plays an important part in enriching student experience. Last week, I attended the opening ceremony of the orientation week for incoming exchange students organised by the Office of Academic Links (Global). This year, we welcome around 650 exchange students from some 30 countries and regions to embark on a transformative learning journey at CUHK. The diverse range of orientation activities, including information sessions on university life and support services, one-on-one academic advising, networking and integration events, will enable our exchange students to settle in and develop a sense of belonging to the University. Their diverse backgrounds and vibrant energy will further enrich the multicultural tapestry of our campus.
Alongside new students, we also warmly welcomed a new cohort of faculty members at an orientation session organised by the Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research (CLEAR). The event gathered new teaching staff to familiarise them with university policies, services and resources, providing practical on-boarding support and opportunities to stay connected with the CUHK community. I would like to extend my gratitude to all new teaching staff for choosing CUHK and for their commitment to contributing their wealth of knowledge and expertise to the University’s mission of nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. I wish them a fulfilling and enjoyable journey ahead.
Across the border
I delivered a welcome address at the Inauguration Ceremony of CUHK–Shenzhen in my capacity as Chairman of the University Governing Board, where I was impressed by the vibrancy of more than 1,700 undergraduate students and approximately 3,400 postgraduate students coming from across the country and around the world. I hope that all new members of CUHK–Shenzhen community will embark on their journey on campus with purpose, equipping themselves as innovative talents with a global perspective, a profound understanding of Chinese cultural traditions, and a strong sense of social responsibility.
Before the commencement of the new academic year, the senior management teams of CUHK and CUHK–Shenzhen gathered at a strategic retreat on the Shenzhen campus to chart the course for future collaborative development. We conducted in-depth exchanges on educational cooperation, research synergy, joint brand building and knowledge transfer, and reached a broad consensus on a range of key priorities. Upholding the vision of “One Brand, Two Campuses”, CUHK and CUHK–Shenzhen will proactively align with the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the HKSAR Government’s forthcoming first five-year plan, while deepening collaboration on education, research, and other priority areas. The retreat marked an important new phase of comprehensive and strategic partnership between the two campuses. We aspire to shape a shared future, advance higher education collaboration in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and strengthen CUHK’s position as a world-class educational brand.
New frontier in innovation
I was honoured to officiate at the launch ceremony of the third InnoHK research cluster earlier this month. InnoHK is Hong Kong’s flagship innovation and technology initiative established to strengthen the city’s role as an international hub for research collaboration. The new cluster, SEAM@InnoHK focuses on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing and materials. With the approval from the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government, CUHK has established a new research centre, the Centre for Heterogeneous Integration and Production (CHIP) under the new cluster, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore. Together with CUHK’s six existing research centres, CHIP will advance world-class research discoveries to generate translational impact on a local, national and global scale.
I look forward to sharing more stories with you in our next edition.
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming
Vice-Chancellor and President
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
