Welcome to the 69th edition of CUHK in Focus.
I hope you have all enjoyed a refreshing summer break. With the 2025–2026 academic year starting last week, I am delighted to see our campus once again buzzing with the boundless energy of new faces and new beginnings. This year, CUHK has admitted 2,978 undergraduate students through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS), including seven top scorers in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) examination, the highest number among all tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. The Global Physician-Leadership Stream of our Faculty of Medicine continues to lead the territory in terms of the median admission scores, reaffirming its status as the top programme.
We commenced our new semester with a special flag-raising ceremony on the main campus attended by a record-breaking number of 260 guests, including The Honourable Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security, The Honourable Alice Mak Mei-kuen, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Joe Chow Yat-ming, Commissioner of Police, Mr Xie Zhixiang, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Mr Wang Xuanhua, Executive Director of the Liaison Office of the Leading Group for Beijing Talent Affairs in Hong Kong and Macao, Professor John Chai Yat-Chiu, Chairman of the CUHK Council, Council members, staff, students, alumni and friends of the University.
At the Inauguration Ceremony held in Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, I had the opportunity to greet our freshmen in person. While the interests and aspirations of individual students may differ, all the new members of the CUHK community are ready to embrace their exciting learning journey ahead with hope and passion. I extend my warm welcome to them and wish them the very best as they embark on this new chapter of their lives.
I was pleased to deliver a welcome address to new students at the Inauguration Ceremony of CUHK-Shenzhen in late August in my capacity as Chairman of the University Governing Board. This year, over 1,900 undergraduate students and more than 2,800 postgraduate students coming from across China and around the world have enrolled, reflecting the University’s commitment to internationalisation. I hope all new members of CUHK-Shenzhen will make the most of its bilingual and multicultural learning environment to gain a broad understanding of the global landscape, while cultivating deep respect for diverse cultures and seeking to exert a positive influence on society.
It gave me great pleasure to welcome all new teachers coming on board CUHK this year at an orientation activity organised by the Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research (CLEAR). I would like to thank our new faculty members for committing themselves to CUHK and for their readiness to contribute their expertise and innovative ideas to equip our students for a complex and rapidly changing world. I hope all of them will enjoy a highly successful and rewarding experience as they strive to create an enriching environment for students’ growth.
This semester, CUHK is glad to welcome approximately 600 incoming exchange students representing 54 nationalities and hailing from 35 countries and regions. I was pleased to meet them at the opening ceremony of the orientation week organised by the Office of Academic Links (OAL) two weeks ago. Our exchange students have impressed me with their eagerness to cultivate a global outlook and immerse themselves in a new culture. I am sure the wide range of orientation activities, which include information sessions on different aspects of university life and student support services, one-on-one academic advising sessions and other networking and integration opportunities, will help them settle in and build a sense of belonging to the University. I hope they will enjoy their time at CUHK and be inspired by our culturally diverse campus to broaden their horizons.
Strengthening collaborations
This summer has been a fruitful season for CUHK’s collaborations with mainland partners. In mid-July, we hosted the Presidents’ Forum 2025 of the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), bringing together leaders and experts from various sectors to explore how best to preserve the heritage of Chinese medicine while devising an actionable roadmap for its long-term development. We were graced by the presence of dignitaries including Dr the Honourable Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director and Advisor of the TCM All-sector Hong Kong Centre, and Director of the SC Chinese Medicine Trading Platform, and Professor the Honourable Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government. As the keynote speaker, Dr Leung shared his insights on how Hong Kong, as a super-connector between mainland China and the rest of the world, can help contribute to the inheritance, innovation and advancement of TCM. CUHK is proud to be the initiating organisation of the Belt and Road Alliance for TCM. Thanks to the support of all its member institutions, the Alliance has been able to deepen its impact on fostering partnerships in the region to enhance the continuous development of the TCM industry, thereby advancing human health in the long run. The Forum represents our joint commitment to propelling the industry towards a more sustainable future.
I also had the opportunity to meet with local and mainland government authorities at several occasions recently. The China Association of Higher Education and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology co-organised the Mainland–Hong Kong–Macao High-Level University Presidents Roundtable on 12 August 2025. The event was attended by Minister Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education, esteemed officials of the mainland and local governments, as well as delegates of top-tier universities and research institutions. We engaged in fruitful discussions on higher education development strategies and celebrated the inauguration of the Alliance of Open Life Science. This new initiative aims to pool resources from universities from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao to drive talent development, research innovation, and translational outcomes in life sciences, in partnership with global institutions. CUHK is proud to be a member of the Alliance, and we look forward to working together with our international partners to accelerate scientific and industrial innovation.
The University community was honoured to welcome a delegation led by Minister Huai for a visit to CUHK campus, during which I took the opportunity to share updates on key initiatives that the University has introduced in support of the national strategy of building an education powerhouse. We are grateful for Minister Huai’s recognition of the positive influence of CUHK in advancing global education and technological innovation.
The delegation also attended the Hong Kong and Macao regional contest of the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition. This important event is highly regarded for its significance in promoting an innovative spirit and fostering friendship among Chinese students and their peers from different regions. CUHK was privileged to serve as both the venue provider and a key participating institution of the Competition, with an impressive number of undergraduate and postgraduate students from different Faculties submitting a total of 33 innovative entries. The event was also officiated by The Honourable John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, who delivered the opening address. We were delighted that CUHK students achieved remarkable results in the Competition, coming first in both the Life Sciences and Smart Medicine categories. Their outstanding performance in the Competition will further strengthen our commitment to talent cultivation and cutting-edge scientific research so as to advance our country’s modernisation and high-quality development.
On 25 August 2025, the newly established CUHK’s State Key Laboratory of Quantum Information Technologies and Materials, and three existing laboratories, namely the State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and the State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, were presented with plaques by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China in the witness of Minister Yin Hejun, Minister of Science and Technology; Mr Zhou Ji, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR and The Honourable John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the HKSAR. I was honoured to attend the ceremony in my capacities as CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology. The establishment of the new State Key Laboratories marks a major milestone for CUHK’s institutional development and is a testament to our capabilities in scientific research. CUHK will continue to harness its unique strengths to integrate itself into national development and support our country’s progress in science and technology.
These coming few weeks mark a critical stage in the development of CUHK’s next road map, CUHK Strategic Plan 2026–2030 (CUHK 2026–2030), with engagement sessions for various groups of the University community. To facilitate broad participation, an online platform, launched in June 2025, remains available to gather ideas and feedback from the CUHK community. We warmly invite all members of CUHK to contribute their perspectives and help shape the future of the University.
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
