Members of the Court were presented with an extensive update on the recent developments and achievements of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) at its 20th meeting on 22 November.

Dr Chung Shui-ming, Pro-Chancellor, began by acknowledging the University’s successful developments and initiatives, expressing his thanks for the hard work of the Court and the senior leadership team.

Dr Chung then extended his warmest gratitude to Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman, who will step down from his role at the end of this year.

“Lester has been a rock for CityUHK, leading us through many challenges, like the impact of COVID-19,” said Dr Chung. He added that Mr Huang will always be welcome at CityUHK and wished him the best on his future endeavours.

Mr Huang received resounding applause during his presentation, first acknowledging the support he has been given during his term of office.

“I have had the honour of working with many exceptional individuals, who have impacted our reputation positively through their hard work,” praised Mr Huang.

Mr Huang also gave updates on key initiatives such as the establishment of CityUHK (Dongguan), the Ma On Shan student hostel, and the Jockey Club One Health Tower. He promised that CityUHK (Dongguan) will become a hub for top-notch research in the Greater Bay Area and will cultivate future leaders and change-makers.

“I hope I will be handing over CityUHK in better shape than when I first started my time here, and I look forward to seeing many more wonderful developments at CityUHK,” he concluded.

Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK, thanked Mr Huang for his diligence over the years, highlighting his dedication, passion, humour and tireless efforts.

In addition, the President gave a summary of the new initiatives launched by CityUHK this year, including the Academy of Innovation, the Institute of Digital Medicine, the Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science, as well as the establishment of the College of Computing.

He also cited the Distinguished Visiting Professors Scheme, the Presidential Assistant Professors Scheme, and the Global Research Assistant Professors Scheme as great successes, bringing a surge of interest from scholars across the globe.

Next, Professor Lu Chun, Vice-President (Mainland Strategy), gave updates on CityUHK (Dongguan), presenting the admission results for the first batch of students in the 2024/25 academic year. Professor Rebecca Traub, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, provided an update on the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences.