Frequently Asked Questions

Annual Register of External Associations

• University policy on registration of external associations
  According to the University Policy and Regulations on Outside Practice and Outside Work, staff are required to register on an annual basis their association with organizations outside the University, including private and public bodies. (Clause 15 of the Policy).
• Information to be reported in the registration on external associations
  External associations which have to be covered in the registration include all forms of company directorship, outside practice and outside work as defined in the relevant University Policy and Regulations.
  Directorship of companies undertaken during the year should be listed in the annual register as required under Clause 15 of the Policy. This includes executive or non-executive directorship, and regardless of whether the company is for running business or for deriving passive income or for holding investments. (footnote 1 to Clause 1 of the Policy)
  For academic-related non-teaching activities which are part of the usual milieu of academic life undertaken by faculty and teaching staff as listed in Appendix III to the Regulations on Outside Practice and Outside Work, they are not treated as outside practice or outside work, and are not required in the register. However, such activities undertaken during the year should be listed in the Annual Activity Report by staff.
• Who have to register their external associations?
  All full-time faculty, academic and teaching staff, and other full-time staff at Band 5 or above are required to register their association with organizations outside the University.
• How would the information in the registration be used?
  According to the University Regulations, in the course of administering the Outside Practice cases, the OPAU (Outside Practice Administrative Unit) will check against the annual register of associations with external organizations to facilitate proper processing of the case. OPAU may also conduct random checking to ensure that the associated promotional activities, where the name of the University is involved, are within the bounds of good communication practice. (Clause 11c of the Regulations)
  The personal data collected from staff will be kept confidential; they might be transferred among different units within the University for processing and use, under a duty of confidentiality to the University.
• How and when to register my external associations?
  For the reporting year from 1 July of last year to 30 June of current year, registration should be done via CityU AIMS system in early July. Staff who are required to make the registration will receive an email in early July from OPAU in which a link is provided to access the on-line registration page. You can also find this link on AIMS under the following two pages:
  
  1. Staff Services - Annual Register of External Association
  2. Staff Services - Outside Practice, Outside Work and External Associations - Annual Register of External Association
  All your submitted outside practice and outside work applications with the work period falling within the reporting period will be automatically displayed on the on-line registration page. Staff simply have to check and confirm, or contact OPAU for update.
• I have already reported it to the Central Knowledge Transfer Data Repository (CKTDR) system, do I need to declare this Annual Register?
  With the launch of the Central Knowledge Transfer Data Repository (CKTDR) for reporting your external associations (external advisory appointments and community engagements), you are required to report in the Annual Register system the following three items only:
  
  1. Outside practice, outside work and external academic appointment activities as defined in the University Policy and Regulations on Outside Practice and Outside Work and the University Policy on External Academic Appointments;
  2. Company directorship (including those officially assigned by CityU as duty and those for passive income); and
  3. Other associations not being reported in the CKTDR system.
• Do I have to register if I have no outside practice or outside work for the reporting period?
  Yes, you still have to confirm nil association via the on-line system. There will be an option in the on-line registration page for this purpose.
• Where to find my past annual register records?
  You may find your registered records in AIMS under Staff Services - Annual Register of External Associations.

(Last Updated in June 2023)