Inventive ideas generated by students at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) for a new slogan competition were honoured at a prize presentation ceremony on 24 January.

CityU had set a competition to find a slogan that could be aligned with the theme “Discover & Innovate@CityU”, which has been incorporated into the University’s strategic plan.

The aim was to encourage students to explore their potential, in particular their language acumen, and enhance their sense of belonging to the University’s future development.

Henry Kwan Him-pok, a Year 3 student in the Department of Electronic Engineering, won the contest with his slogan 研創於城大，成就於世界, which emphasises CityU’s world-class research achievements.

“CityU is committed to nurturing professionals for the benefit of society and the world,” said Henry, adding that he never thought he could win against such strong competition.

“As the theme of the competition suggests, I believe we can definitely achieve more if we explore new ideas and put them into practice,” said Henry, a frequent participant in slogan competitions while at secondary school. He was attracted to the idea of using language in a concise way for maximum effect.

Kalvin Ho Kai-ming, a Year 2 student in the Department of Public and Social Administration, came second with his slogan 城市凝聚創意，大學成就革新, which highlights the convergence of creative forces at CityU. Hui Tak-yin, a PhD candidate in the Department of Management, came third with創新之源，滙才之「城」, which conveys the idea of a “fountain of innovation” on campus.

Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Vice President (Student Affairs) and one of the adjudicators, said the event was meaningful because it helped establish a sense of belonging among participants. He also commended the high quality of the entries.

“I encourage students to explore their creativity while they are at University because these memories will stay with them long after they have graduated,” he said.

The panel of adjudicators also included Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, Director of the Communications and Public Relations Office, Professor Zhou Nan, Professor of the Department of Marketing, and Dr Cheung Ho-ming, Assistant Professor of the Department of Media and Communication.

The competition, organised by the Communications and Public Relations Office last November, received more than 200 entries in just one month. The top three winners were selected by the panel of adjudicators after two rounds of screening and careful discussion.