A delegation of 23 Sham Shui Po District Council members and representatives from the District Office of the Home Affairs Department, HKSAR, visited CityU on 26 February. Both the University and the delegation expressed aspirations for closer links and more collaboration at the end of the visit.

Greeting the delegation, Vice President (Undergraduate Education), Professor Edmond Ko , said, "Being part of the community in the Sham Shui Po district, CityU plays the role of a good neighbor." The delegation was then led on a campus tour, visiting the School of Creative Media (SCM), the Wireless Communications Research Centre and the Centre for Super-Diamond and Advanced Films.

At the SCM, the delegation had the opportunity to view some award-winning student works. Among them was a documentary about an elderly rock band that enlivened a small street in Tsuen Wan. Delighted by the video, some district council members were even inspired to seek help from the SCM students to do something about promoting and preserving cultural heritage in the Sham Shui Po community.

At the Wireless Communications Research Centre, the delegation received a warm welcome from Professor Edward Yung , who introduced them to CityU's exceptional achievements in mobile communications and antenna technology. At the Centre for Super-Diamond and Advanced Films, Dr C S Lee highlighted CityU's three areas of excellence in super-hard thin films, nanotechnology, and organic light emitting devices. "The laboratory tour is really an eye-opener for me," said Ms Michelle Li , District Officer (Sham Shui Po), "CityU strikes me as an institution with particular strength in applied research. The projects are closely tied to the needs of the society in Hong Kong."

The visit concluded with a briefing by Professor Ko on CityU's campus development?Xsome of the facilities would be open to the use of the community on rental basis. Professor Ko urged the delegation to capitalize not only on the University's physical facilities, but also on its human resources. "We have 18,000 talented young people who are keen to serve the community," he noted.

Among the delegation was Associate Professor from CityU's Department of Management Science, Dr Y C Chan , who is also a Sham Shui Po District Council Member. He took the opportunity to voice the aspirations of many other staff members who would like to be of more service to the community. To this, Ms Li responded enthusiastically. The IT expertise of CityU staff and students is a much needed asset in a community like Sham Shui Po, where there is a substantial population who are computer-illiterate . "There is vast scope for collaboration in this area," she said.