Members of the Court were presented with an extensive update on the recent developments and achievements of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) at its 19th meeting, held on 17 November.

Dr Chung Shui-ming, Pro-Chancellor, extended a warm welcome to new CityU President Professor Freddy Boey before acknowledging the University’s success in all aspects of its operations, in particular, the dual accreditation of our Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) programme.

“This is an exceptional achievement. No other comparable programme in Asia holds two such accreditation standards,” said Dr Chung.

Dr Chung also commented on CityU’s improvement in the world university rankings and expressed his gratitude to the University for launching the Pro-Chancellor’s Seminar Series.

Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman, also praised the dual accreditation of the BVM programme. “This attests to our commitment to providing students with a world-class education and ensuring they are well-prepared to meet global standards,” he said.

In addition, Mr Huang talked about the progress of the HK Tech 300 programme, highlighting Memoranda of Understanding signed between CityU and six venture capital and investment funds from the mainland, which would provide about RMB 1 billion to promising HK Tech 300 start-ups. The first-ever HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition was launched in Kuala Lumpur earlier in the year.

On the arts and exhibitions, Mr Huang highlighted the success of “The Grand Gathering of the Century: Zodiac Heads from the Yuanmingyuan and Important Treasures” exhibition.

“CityU scored another hit at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery this year,” said Mr Huang.

Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityU started by giving the Court members a brief introduction of himself. In his address, President Boey explained that he wants to redefine the narrative of CityU to give students the hope that everyone can be a hero and that CityU is here to help. 

President Boey also stressed the importance of a learning-centric education via inspirational, interactive and innovative learning.

Other updates provided by the President included CityU’s development in the mainland, HK Tech 300’s extended programme, plans to strengthen community engagement, campus expansion, and the increase in the number of postgraduate students.

Next, Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise), briefed the Court on the new HK Tech 300 initiatives, Professor Lu Chun, Vice-President (Mainland Strategy), explained the progress of the CityU (Dongguan) project, and Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, provided an update on CityU Farm.

At the start of the meeting, members of the Court were asked to stand for a moment of silence to pay respect to former Court member Dr Peter Ho Ka-nam, who passed away in October 2023.