Global recognition
CityU ranked 12th in the 2012 Asian university rankings, rising three places on last year, and 9th among the world’s top 50 young universities that are less than 50 years old, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). In addition, CityU has been placed 18th in the inaugural Times Higher Education (THE) 100 Under 50 ranking exercise of the world’s best young universities.

Distinguished lecture
Professor Jochen Feldmann, Chair Professor of Photonics and Optoelectronics at Ludwig- Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany, has pioneered work in Bloch oscillations in semiconductor superlattices; a bendable optically pumped polymer laser; recording light scattering spectra from individual gold nanoparticles; a single gold nanoparticle biosensor; laser printing; and listening with single gold nanoparticles, the so-called nano ear. He will deliver a City University Distinguished Lecture titled "The Nano-Gold Rush" on 12 June at CityU.

GE conference
The University will host a major international conference titled "General Education and University Curriculum Reform: An International Conference in Hong Kong" on 12–14 June for academic leaders, innovative teachers, and advocates for reform and quality improvement in higher education in Asia, North America and Europe to discuss university curriculum reform and the enhancement of undergraduate education. The event is co-organised by CityU, the Hong Kong-America Center, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the ASIA Network, the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, and the Fulbright Programme in Hong Kong.

Art exhibition
The Chinese Civilisation Centre is holding an exhibition called "The Art of Contemporary Jingdezhen Ceramics" at the CityU Gallery from 13 June to 22 July. An opening ceremony will be held at the venue on 12 June.

Kudos
Professor Zhang Longxi, Chair Professor of Comparative Literature and Translation, has been invited to be one of two Honorary Presidents of the International Association for East-West Studies (IAES), a non-profit academic organisation established to promote intellectual exchange, cooperation and amity among East-West scholars in North America and the rest of the world; contribute to the development of higher education in East-West countries; enhance East-West friendship and mutual understanding; and enhance academic freedom, due process and collegiality.

Dr Wang Wen, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public and Social Administration, has received the 2011 Richard Musgrave Prize for his paper "School District Responses to Matching Aid Programs for Capital Facilities: A Case Study of New York's Building Aid Program" co-authored with Professor William Duncombe and Professor John Yinger from the Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, US. The Richard Musgrave Prize has been presented since 1999 annually to the author(s) of the most outstanding paper published in the National Tax Journal.

Five students from the Division of Building Science and Technology at CityU have won the Platinum Award of the BEC Low-carbon Home–Green Residential Development Design Competition. They outperformed around 30 teams from nine local tertiary institutions with their innovative design for a green housing estate in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province. The five students are Charlotte Chu Tin-lok, Andrew Hung Siu-chau, Charlie Ip Kwok-wai, Gladys Mak Wai-lok and Jeff Tse To-ming. They are all Year 2 students on the Associate of Science in Architectural Studies programme.