CityU held the milestone groundbreaking ceremony  for the Shenzhen Outpost on 13 October in the Shenzhen Virtual University Science Park (SZVUP), symbolizing another leap forward in the University’s contribution to advancing the economic development of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta through R & D and quality education services. 

 

CityU signed an agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government earlier to acquire a 6,000 square metre site within the “Incubation-Education-Research base for Hong Kong universities” in the SZVUP to establish a 12,500 square metre Shenzhen Outpost. The Outpost will be a base for CityU’s applied research, incubation and teaching activities on the mainland.

 

The University is preparing to invite tenders for the project management and initial architectural design of the Outpost, which is scheduled for completion within 24 months.

 

The groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Mr Liu Yingli, Deputy Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government; Mr Lin Bo, Vice Director General, Administrative Office of Shenzhen High-tech Industrial Park; Mr Li Zhenping, Director of Administrative Centre of Shenzhen Virtual University; Mr Hong Hailing, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Town Planning Bureau; and from CityU, Professor David Tong, Deputy President; Professor Y S Wong, Vice-President (Administration); Professor Roderick Wong, Dean (Research and Graduate Studies); and Mr James Ng, Executive Director of CityU Extension.

 

Other members of the CityU delegation attending the ceremony included Professor Matthew Li, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Business; Dr Zhu Guobin, Director of External Liaison and Cooperation Office; Mr Arthur Leung, Director of Campus Planning Office; Mr H Y Wong, Director of Technology Transfer Office; Ms Shirley Lam, Associate Director, City University Extension; and Mr Victor Fung, Director of Communications Office.

 

“Shenzhen has rich land resources and a vast pool of talents,” said Professor Tong at the ceremony. “As early as 2000, CityU established research centres in the Shenzhen Virtual University Park and has achieved very encouraging results in the past few years.”

 

He said there had been over 200 consultancy and testing services for corporations in the Pearl River Delta, over 40 R&D projects commissioned or collaborated with corporations in or outside the city, and 10 patent applications.

 

“The Outpost will enable CityU to further expand our R & D activities and education services on the mainland,” he said.

 

Professor Tong said he expected closer collaboration between CityU and its Shenzhen partners in nurturing more talented professionals and developing new technologies for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta region, as well as the whole country.

 

Mr Liu Yingli commended CityU’s outstanding applied research development in Shenzhen in the past few years. He said that the establishment of the CityU Shenzhen Outpost represented a milestone in the University’s development in Shenzhen.

 

CityU has a successful track record in applied research and the commercialization of technology startup companies on the mainland. Since 2000, CityU has established the Shenzhen Research Institute and three applied research centres—the Biotech Research Centre, the Environmental Mangrove Research Centre, and the Industrial Technology Research Centre—in the Shenzhen Virtual University Park.

 

A number of companies established under CityU Enterprises Ltd to promote the University’s research and technologies to industry have made an impact in the Pearl River Delta region with successful incubation activities.

 

Upon completion of the Shenzhen Outpost, the University will relocate the existing establishments in the Shenzhen Virtual University Park to the new building and establish two new research centres—the Information Technology Research Centre and the Applied Mathematics Research Centre—to further develop its applied research in related areas.

 

CityU will also cooperate with the member mainland universities in the Park to nurture research and professional talents, and to turn the University’s applied research results into products.