Creative Thinking in Crisis Management a Healthy Development Leading the Way in Testing Times Springboard to the Future from the Editor
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Creative thinking in crisis management A healthy development Leading the way in testing times Springboard to the future From the Editor A year into the Covid-19 crisis, the theme for our 2021 edition of City AlumNet is “Energising Opportunities, Rising Above Challenges”, highlighting how members of CityU have met and overcome difficulties during the pandemic. Despite different experiences, our alumni interviewees share a similar attitude demonstrating a spirit of resilience and resolve to turn testing situations around. Be it by smart automated equipment or digital transformation of staff training, preparations 2 for the coming Summer Olympics or keeping up teaching quality, all cope with the challenges and look forward optimistically to 1 From the Editor/ Advisory Committee tomorrow. 2 Interview with the President Such a spirit reflects that of the entire CityU community. As President Professor Way Kuo notes in his interview, the pandemic has showcased CityU’s creative energy in a host of ways in Special Feature 4 4 education and research, for example, our pioneering “One Health” endeavours, and through initiatives including the “United, 6 Alumni in Conversation We Soar” fundraising campaign, HK Tech 300, and launch of the CityU Anthem. 12 CityU Pride CityU is certainly a special place for me, as an alumnus, faculty member, and since April 2021, Director of the Alumni Relations Events Roundup 18 Office. In my new role and with the CityU community’s support, we will continue to unite alumni in support of University 19 Global Horizons 6 development and to nurture alumni bonds, positivity, and growth. 22 Alumni Associations Updates Wishing you all a year of health and soaring achievement! 28 Giving Back Dr Ron Kwok Director (Alumni Relations Office) 30 Class Notes 32 Get Connected 8 the dedicated team of City AlumNet advisors, who have contributed their expertise to this year's edition of the magazine. City AlumNet Advisory Committee (In alphabetical order of surnames) Ms Karina Fan (MA Translation & Interpretation) Mr Robert Lui (BBA Finance) Director, Rhombus Capital Limited Partner, Audit - Financial Services, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CPA Limited Mr Ho Lai-chuen (EMBA) Chief Executive Officer, The Voice Entertainment Group Mr Hinz Pak (MFA Creative Media) 10 (A member of Television Broadcasts Limited) Founding Designer, Hinz & Kunz Ms Elsa Kwok (EMBA) Associate Wealth Management Director, AIA Company Limited Alumni Relations Office Members Dr Ron Kwok Ms Joyce Siu Ms Christine Liu Mr Tony Chan Director Alumni Relations Manager Alumni Relations Officer Alumni Relations Officer Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor Editorial Team Member Editorial Team Member CityAlumNet 2021 01 Interview with Interview with the President the President Fund under the Food and Health have transformational power and Bureau, while new programmes such every gift is invaluable, enabling CityU as a Bachelor of Science degree with to nurture future generations of a stream option in Global Research professionals, problem solvers and Enrichment and Technopreneurship, a leaders, and allowing more time and law–math double degree programme, space to improve people’s lives.” and joint bachelor’s degree programmes in partnership with To this end, the public phase of a the University of Edinburgh and the comprehensive fundraising campaign University of Manchester in the UK, titled “United, We Soar” launched in emphasised our capacity to evolve and President Kuo thanked for donors’ support December 2020 after a long period of strengthen during tough times. in his remarks at the launching ceremony preparation aims to raise somewhere of “United, We Soar” campaign. in the region of HK$2.5 billion. The Our Strategic Plan for 2020–2025 campaign will facilitate breakthroughs provides a clear vision for the next 25 in strategic initiatives, education and years and details key areas of research, research, student development, and i.e. Smart City, Digital Society, One campus development, and especially Health, Matter and Brain, critical areas in research to tackle Covid-19. for encouraging greater prosperity and well-being.” And finally, we are very excited that our newly written and composed One Health, one community CityU Anthem (https://www.cityu.edu. hk/cpro/cityu-brand/cityu-anthem) A key element in this vision is the has been introduced to the campus Creative thinking in development of the One Health and the general public. Themed principle at CityU. In recent months, “Beyond Boundaries”, the song aims to President Kuo thanked the CityU community several developments have taken encourage students, faculty, and staff for working so hard to enable CityU to to pursue excellence whilst capturing Jobs boost place. Work has started on CityU’s crisis management become a leading university in veterinary veterinary teaching farm in Lam Tsuen, our special characteristics, values and education and life sciences at the Later in the year, when the global groundbreaking ceremony for its veterinary Tai Po in November 2020. The farm mission. The song is unique to CityU impact of the pandemic became teaching farm locating in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po. will be equipped with international and will be played at University events. clearer, an enormous effort was standard facilities and is formulating and the consummate professionalism Rapidly rising President Professor Way Kuo invested in providing our Class of 2020 plans to supply high-quality CityU milk “I hope to encourage our alumni to of the CityU community have been and ice-cream. support CityU as much as possible reflects on the University’s with a range of support for securing “Last year was definitely challenging critical to supporting safety. and thereby let the world know that fast-paced responses to jobs. The CityU Career Launch Scheme but it was meaningful, too,” says (CARLS) encouraged employers to The CityU community has been a our passion for creating a better “Our bold character was evident President Kuo. “We performed strongly the Covid-19 crisis, the hire CityU students by offering financial huge contributor to these successes tomorrow is stronger than ever,” says when CityU rolled out its online in international rankings and our highly incentives, and extra career coaching and will continue to be an integral part the President. interdisciplinary research platform CityU-Learning in record qualified academics helped to further and job talks with major global players of our plans moving forwards, adds platforms generating time after campus was temporarily establish our identity as a world-class helped offset the impact of the job President Kuo. closed in late January 2020 because university.” high-impact research for market crunch. of Covid-19,” explains President Kuo. “We welcome the support of our CityU better health outcomes, “We wanted to minimise disruption to In fact, rankings indicate that CityU is Anthem It also became evident that the public friends and stakeholders. Donations and the CityU Anthem. students’ learning so as not to delay one of the fastest rising universities wished to know more about how graduation and progress, and thus in the world. We are placed #48 in universities were responding to the ensure a seamless provision of high- the world, according to the latest virus. Consequently, the President quality professional education.” Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) data, hosted the inaugural BOLD Forum in while metrics compiled by Stanford araphrasing comments by Robert F. April 2020 and also delivered a talk University reveal that over 140 CityU PKennedy in 1966, uncertain times on “Data-Driven Global Pandemic faculty members are listed among open up opportunities for creativity, Management” as part of the HKIAS the top 2% of the world's most highly says President Way Kuo. In periods Distinguished Lecture Series in cited scientists. In fact, in terms of of trouble, people often unleash their September 2020, explaining the role of research quality as measured by drive to solve problems and help data-driven management in preventing citations per faculty member, CityU is others. delays in, and streamlining responses ranked top in the QS World University to, crises. Ranking averaged over a 5-year period CityU’s response to the pandemic has from 2017 to 2021 in Hong Kong. shone the spotlight on the creative In addition, recognition for our research energy of faculty members, staff contributions to fighting Covid-19 “A big part of our success in areas and students, and highlighted the was seen when three CityU projects such as rankings is our visionary President Kuo hosted the inaugural BOLD were granted $8.3 million in funding University’s capacity to adapt to critical Forum to explore how data science can outlook. We look to the future and The CityU Anthem, themed “Beyond Boundaries” with lyrics written by President Kuo, captures circumstances. Exemplary leadership drive the management of societal health. by the Health and Medical Research anticipate trends, changes and needs. CityU’s special features, expectations, and encouragement. 02 CityAlumNet 2021 CityAlumNet 2021 03 Special Special Feature Feature such as zoonotic diseases, food safety of antibiotics, and studies indicate that and production, aquaculture, and it could lead to 50 million deaths by animal welfare. 2050, according to WHO figures. JCC obtained funding to the tune of $35 The Covid-19 pandemic has rapidly million from the Sustainable Agriculture brought to the fore the importance and Aquaculture Funds for the creation of One Health to everyone around of pig, poultry, and aquatic teams the globe. Never in our lifetimes whose aim is to improve animal health, have we seen such a consensus as welfare, productivity, food safety, and the need to have healthy human sustainability on Hong Kong farms. By and animal populations as well as to working closely with local farmers, and Professor Osterrieder (fourth from left), together with President Professor Way Kuo (fifth from preserve our environment and strive left), senior management, and staff from the JCC participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for as the only locally available veterinary to minimise the effects of pandemics the CityU teaching farm in the New Territories.