City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ghent University, a prestigious university in Belgium, to enhance academic and research collaboration. Named the world’s Most International University by Times Higher Education (THE) in 2024, CityUHK established this new partnership with Ghent University to align with its strategy of fostering global partnerships by providing more opportunities for students and faculty to engage in international experiences and enhance academic excellence.

The MoU was signed by Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor of CityUHK, and Professor Rik Van de Walle, Rector of Ghent University, on 15 January, to promote international academic, cultural and scientific exchange, and further develop the cooperative relationship between the two institutions in a spirit of mutual benefit.

Under the MoU, the two universities agreed to strengthen the bonds between their academic communities and to contribute to greater understanding and communication between the two cultures, including encouraging direct cooperation between faculty members, departments, institutes and centres of the two institutions in various academic and scientific programmes.

President Boey said, “Leveraging CityUHK’s academic and research excellence, we will contribute to bolstering Hong Kong as an international higher education hub and will continue to actively form academic partnerships with global universities. This collaboration between CityUHK and Ghent University will usher in exciting new possibilities not only for the two universities but also for our two societies and the world.”

Ghent University is one of the prestigious universities in Belgium, particularly known for its Veterinary Medicine programme, which ranked 1st in the ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects from 2017 to 2022 for six consecutive years. During this visit, the CityUHK delegation toured the animal clinic, labs, and other facilities of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University.

Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC), and the CityUHK delegation were warmly received by Professor Ann Martens, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University. Professor Barrs introduced the background of the JCC to Ghent University, while Professor Martens presented the history and structure of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to the CityUHK delegation. Both parties exchanged views on various issues related to veterinary medicine and explored opportunities for collaboration in student exchanges and research.

The CityUHK delegation included Professor Li Wen Jung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy); Professor Steven Wang, Associate Vice-President (Resources Planning); Professor Patrick Butaye, Associate Dean (Research) of JCC; Professor Bert George, Professor of Department of Public and International Affairs; Professor Yu Xinge, Associate Director of  the Institute of Digital Medicine; and Ms Pheck Choo Ng, Senior Director of the Office of the President and Director of Global Engagement Office.

CityUHK is committed to promoting academic and scientific research collaboration by establishing partnerships with esteemed universities and organisations worldwide.

Last year, CityUHK fostered new partnerships and expanded its existing collaboration with notable partners in Europe, including (in alphabetical order): CentraleSupélec, Paris-Saclay University in France; KU Leuven in Belgium; POLIMI Graduate School of Management in Milan; and University of Cambridge, University of Exeter, University of Glasgow and University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Please visit the thematic website for more information about CityUHK’s global partnerships.