Welcome to the 71st edition of CUHK in Focus.
While Super Typhoon Ragasa affecting Hong Kong two weeks ago has left a clear trail of destruction in our city, the local community has once again demonstrated its strong sense of unity and altruism in the face of adversity by taking all necessary precautions ahead of the typhoon and participating in collective clean-up efforts to minimise chaos in its aftermath. Our solidarity and resilience have facilitated the city’s recovery and ensured that those affected receive the support they need. This reflects the true strength of the Hong Kong community and is something that we must carry forward.
National Day flag-raising ceremony
The Council Chairman, Professor John Chai Yat-chiu, hosted a flag-raising ceremony on campus to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 2025. The memorable event was graced by the presence of about 150 distinguished guests, including Mr Ye Shuiqiu, Deputy Director-General, Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office, Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong, Mr Tian Zhenfeng, Deputy Director-General, Consular Department, the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong, Council Chair and members, University staff, students and alumni. Our student flag-guard team, comprising undergraduate and postgraduate students, performed the ceremony by raising the national flag alongside the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and the University flag to a rendition of the national anthem. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in our country’s development and a year of historic importance, as we celebrated the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The event brought together members and friends of the University for a momentous occasion to foster our patriotic sentiment and promote peace.
Celebrating artistic excellence
The CUHK Art Museum was privileged to launch a special exhibition of national treasure-level Song dynasty rubbings, generously donated by the Bei Shan Tang, at a ceremony on 22 September, following the remarkable success of the Rare Rubbings of the Song Dynasty exhibition co-organised with the Palace Museum, Beijing in 2023. This much anticipated showcase was made possible by the Bei Shan Tang Foundation, founded by the late Dr Lee Jung-sen to institutionalise his commitment to promoting Chinese art and culture and safeguarding cultural treasures. CUHK is deeply thankful to the Foundation for donating these heirlooms of the Lee family to our Art Museum, allowing us to share the rich tapestry of Chinese history with the public. Furthermore, the publication of the exhibition catalogue in English is especially significant due to the scarcity of English-language works on rubbings. This innovative catalogue bridges a critical gap in Chinese art history, enabling international readers to appreciate the allure of ancient Chinese rubbings and ensuring the University amply fulfils its mission “to combine tradition with modernity and to bring together China and the West”.
Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship
The 2025 Policy Address sets out forward-looking strategies in support of the development of innovation and technology, as well as industry–academia–research collaboration, offering exciting opportunities for CUHK to harness its strengths as a comprehensive research university and contribute to the long-term development of the HKSAR. We were proud to launch two flagship events in late September to enrich the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the University.
The CUHK Entrepreneurship Day 2025, held in mid-September, promoted an entrepreneurial culture on campus through diverse activities, including exhibitions of innovative projects led by CUHK alumni, academics, and students, thematic talks and an Entrepreneurship Competition. I was delighted to join a keynote dialogue with our distinguished alumna, Ms Cindy Chow Lok Mei-ki, Executive Director and Chief Executive of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, to share experiences in translating innovative ideas into practical solutions and discuss the latest trends in entrepreneurship and investment. The event provided an excellent platform for entrepreneurial teams within the CUHK community to showcase their cutting-edge innovations to the public. It also served as a wonderful stage for emerging startup teams in the Entrepreneurship Competition to demonstrate their remarkable creativity and passion for making a difference. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the CUHK Alumni Torch Fund for its steadfast commitment to organising the CUHK Entrepreneur Day since 2015. Its dedicated support for building a network that fosters the sharing of expertise and insights among CUHK entrepreneurs and innovators is truly commendable. The continuous growth in scale and influence of the Entrepreneur Day over the years stands as a testament to its outstanding efforts in advancing entrepreneurship.
A week after the Entrepreneur Day, CUHK hosted the Innovation Day 2025, another signature event providing the University community with an opportunity to highlight the substantial impact of their innovative ideas on the real world. This year’s theme, “AI Empowerment”, is timely and significant, given how artificial intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in modern development, reshaping industries and unlocking boundless possibilities. In addition to an exhibition of groundbreaking research and successful innovative projects of over 20 startups founded by CUHK scholars, students, and alumni, the event also featured thematic talks and panel discussions, during which policymakers, industry leaders, and experts in the field discussed policies for Hong Kong’s AI ecosystem, the role of AI in education, and further integration of AI across industry and academia to drive social impact. With its strong tradition of AI research, CUHK continues to lead in digital transformation efforts that focus on AI. It was inspiring to see the CUHK Innovation Day participants engage directly with our innovators, utilising this dynamic platform to exchange knowledge and foster collaboration. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation and congratulations to the Knowledge Transfer Office for organising such a fruitful event, allowing everyone to discover the innovative potential of the University. We remain committed to working closely with the government and industry partners to build a vibrant ecosystem, driving the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area towards global leadership in innovation and knowledge.
Welcoming scholars from Stanford
CUHK welcomed a new cohort of students from Stanford University’s Bing Overseas Studies Programme (BOSP), a tailor-made overseas exchange programme that allows Stanford students to experience international education at one of its 13 study destinations worldwide. The class of Stanford students coming to CUHK this year will spend an entire semester from September to December at the University, taking Chinese language lessons and specially curated courses across China Studies and various disciplines, as well as participating in field trips and experiential learning activities to deepen their understanding of Chinese and Hong Kong culture. I was delighted to meet with the 17 students in Class 2025, and Professor Wendy Gu, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University and faculty-in-residence for this year’s BOSP, at a welcome dinner last month. CUHK cherishes this important partnership with Stanford University, and looks forward to its continued flourishing and creating an internationalised campus where students have ample opportunities for academic exchange and cross-cultural dialogue.
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
