The CityU Industrial and Business Leaders Circle (Leaders Circle) will strengthen communication between industry, business leaders and City University of Hong Kong (CityU).

The Leader Circle, which will also help in soliciting support for the development of the University and making contributions to society, has been endorsed by the Board of Governors of the CityU Foundation. It was formed by a group of prominent industry and business leaders.

Guests attending the inauguration ceremony on 19 January included Professor Way Kuo, CityU President; Professor Jian Lu, Vice-President (Research and Technology); Professor Horace Ip Ho-shing, Vice-President (Student Affairs); Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, Vice-President (Development and External Relations); Mr Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, Vice-President (Administration); Dr John Chan Chun-tung and Dr Jacky Cheung Wah-keung, Co-convenors of the Steering Committee of the Leaders Circle.

In his welcome address, Professor Kuo said the establishment of the Leaders Circle marked a milestone in the history of partnerships between the University and the industrial and business sectors.

“As CityU has outstanding faculties and students and allocates resources appropriately, industry and business leaders will have the best returns on their investments in CityU,” he said, adding that CityU would make the best use of resources offered by various sectors for students.

Professor Kuo pointed out that CityU’s position in world university rankings had continued to rise steadily, noting that CityU had broken into the top 140 places in the world for graduate employability. He thanked all stakeholders in society for their support.

On the day of the inauguration ceremony, the Leaders Circle organised a forum titled “University-Industry Partnership and the Way Forward”. Speakers included Professor Ip, concurrently Chair Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the founding director of CityU’s Centre for Innovative Applications of Internet and Multimedia Technologies; Dr Tsang Kim-fung, Associate Professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering; and Mr Cheng Koon-wai, industry representative.

They shared the experience of university-industry partnerships and explored how CityU could use its research achievements to contribute to the future advancement of industry and society.

The forum was facilitated by Dr Ray Cheung Chak-chung, Associate Professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering and Director of CityU Apps Lab.  

Professor Ip pointed out that university-industry partnerships could enable students to acquire soft skills such as communication skills, teamwork and diverse cultures. Also, they could help convert the university’s research results into applications for the market.

“Corporations can develop a forward-looking vision through the introduction of CityU’s latest research results and development,” he said.

Mr Cheng said that his corporation was currently working with CityU on applying research results to energy management. He agreed that industrial and business sectors should have more communications with the University.

“We may consider how technology developed by CityU can become more ‘down-to-earth’ to meet market needs more precisely,” he said. 

Dr Tsang suggested that corporations could invite PhD students to participate in their development projects to achieve a win-win situation.

Dr Cheung said that one example of a university-industry partnership was CityU’s use of virtual reality technology to help the MTR Corporation train drivers. 

In his vote of thanks, Professor Lee thanked industry and business leaders for joining hands in nurturing the younger generation. He said that the inauguration ceremony signified only a start and that the Leaders Circle would foster communication and exchange between the University and the industry in the near future.

“The Leaders Circle will be a platform to promote collaboration between the University and industry, such as providing more internship opportunities for students to enrich their learning experience,” he said.

The forum on “University-Industry Partnership and the Way Forward” shares the experience of collaboration.

Guests witness the establishment of the CityU Industrial and Business Leaders Circle.

For more event photos and highlights video, please click the corresponding links.