The contributions that President Way Kuo of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has made over the last 15 years were fully applauded by the Chairman and all members of the Council at a meeting on 23 March. Attending the Council for the last time as President, Professor Kuo gave a brief presentation on the University’s substantial achievements during his highly successful tenure.

President Kuo will retire from the presidency at the end of his third term in May 2023. At the Council meeting, he expressed his gratitude to current and former Council Chairmen and Council members, especially Mr Lester Garson Huang, the current Council Chairman, for their trust and support and for leading CityU to become one of the fastest-growing universities in the world.

At the Council meeting, Mr Huang and Council members commended personally President Kuo for his outstanding leadership and his commitment to achieving excellence over the past 15 years. In particular, he led CityU to establish the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences and offer the first 6-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme in Asia designed to meet strenuous international accreditation standards. Members heaped praise on President Kuo, commenting on his warmth and friendliness, and the reputation he has built for mixing with students and alumni. They also praised President Kuo for his dedication and outstanding ability in fundraising over the years and launching HK Tech 300, a large-scale innovation and entrepreneurship programme, supporting the development of CityU and its community.

The integration of teaching and research and the separation of politics and education are two core values that President Kuo has promoted throughout his leadership. He also thanked the CityU management team and all CityU staff for their united efforts, particularly CityU faculty for demonstrating CityU’s strengths in teaching and research and propelling CityU to become a truly world-class university.

At the end of the meeting, Council Secretariat presented a cake and champagne to thank President Kuo for his contributions over the last 15 years. In addition, at their meetings on 21 March and 24 March respectively, over 100 Senate members and all members of the Management Board stood and applauded for a long time, thanking President Kuo for his contributions over the years.

President Kuo expressed his belief that CityU would continue to scale new heights under the leadership of the new President, Professor Freddy Boey.