Exciting new areas of potential collaboration featured at discussions between a delegation from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and senior leaders at Cornell University during a visit to Ithaca, New York, on 2 May.

Their discussions included the possibility of offering joint postgraduate offerings and digital health initiatives.

CityUHK and Cornell University have been collaborating over the past 15 years, developing together the first and only Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme (BVM) in Hong Kong. The BVM is now the flagship programme of the Jockey Club College for Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC) at CityUHK. One of our joint accomplishments was achieving dual international accreditation for the BVM in 2023.

President Freddy Boey led the CityUHK team, which included Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of JCC, and Professor Lu Jian, Dean of the College of Engineering.

Representing Cornell at the meeting were Professor Martha E Pollack, President, Professor Michael Kotlikoff, Provost, Professor Lorin Warnick, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Professor Lynden Archer, Dean of the College of Engineering.

The CityUHK/Cornell collaboration has produced a highly successful joint PhD programme with 44 matriculants and 29 PhD graduates since 2015. CityUHK students undertake the capstone element of their PhD programme during a 3- to 12-month internship at Cornell.

In addition, the BVM’s new Veterinary Enhanced Tutoring Scholarship for Training And Research (VET-STAR) Flagship Scholarships for the highest-ranking students admitted through JUPAS into the BVM will create opportunities for higher levels of engagement for CityUHK students with Cornell, including bespoke summer leadership, research and immersive business internships.