One hundred and forty students from 30 renowned universities worldwide gathered at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 25 July for the opening ceremony of the Student Leadership Conference 2006 that runs from 23 to 31 July.

CityU launched the first Student Leadership Conference in 2000 and this is the second year running that CityU has teamed up with Shenzhen University to co-host the event. During the week-long event, participants will travel between the two campuses to explore what it takes to be a leader of tomorrow.

The Conference demonstrates CityU’s commitment to nurturing future leaders of society and broadening students’ global network and horizons.

The opening ceremony was officiated by Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, Vice-President (Undergraduate Education), CityU; Professor Lilian Vrijmoed, Dean of Student Learning, CityU; Mr Yang Guohong, Director of Student Affairs, Shenzhen University; and Ms Chiang Lai-yuen, Chief Executive Officer, Chen Hsong Holdings Limited. The sponsor of the conference is Chiang Chen Industrial Charity Foundation.

“As competent leaders of the future, students must develop a global vision and enhance their capability to deal with the ever-changing global environment,” Professor Ho said. “A promising leader must demonstrate competence in a global context.”

Under the theme “Leadership for a Changing World”, distinguished leaders shared their knowledge on the sub-themes of “managing global problems”, “l(fā)eaders of tomorrow” and “cultivating leadership potential” during workshops, forums, talks and at a Leader Sharing Dinner. The Conference attendees will have an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge on issues related to the conference themes by visiting selected companies and organizations in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

In addition to bringing together creative young minds, the Conference encourages students to apply their leadership potential. For example, an Organizing Committee comprising students from CityU and Shenzhen University has organized the conference from scratch, deciding everything from the overall theme to inviting distinguished guest speakers.

“We found that working with students who are knowledgeable and experienced in different areas to us is very productive,” said Karen Lo Tsz-yan, External Vice-Chairperson of CityU’s Student Organizing Committee. “We believe a leader of the future should have a clear vision, an open mind to new ideas and opinions plus flexibility in action to achieve the final goals.”

Hu Fangzhou, Chairperson of the Student Organizing Committee of Shenzhen University, said good leadership inspired teamwork. “A leader should be a confident and determined individual who can motivate and guide the team towards success.”