18 December 2020

Dear alumni,

Despite the unprecedented challenges that Covid-19 has presented throughout 2020, CityU has maintained operations as usual thanks to the excellent commitment of the CityU community.

To further advance our professional education and overall development, we are delighted that our new fundraising campaign “United, We Soar” is taking to the skies. The HK$2.5 billion that we plan to raise will boost our strategic initiatives, education and research, as well as student and campus development .

This 10-year comprehensive fundraising campaign commenced in 2014 and is the first of its kind for CityU. The public phase was launched on 1 December 2020 after a long period of preparation. I hope that your amazing dedication will support us to reach our fundraising targets. Please share my recent appeal with your alumni friends and CityU supporters. To make a donation, please click here.

The funds raised will also contribute to advancing the well-being of society, including research tackling Covid-19. Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge about the One Health concept has contributed to the impact of the virus all around the world. Not many people know this but around 70% of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans are closely related to animals.

As early as 2008, CityU realised that the One Health concept was not well known. To address this situation, we proposed establishing a veterinary medicine and life sciences school that could promote scientific research into food safety and zoonotic diseases. After pursuing for ten years, and overcoming a significant number of hurdles and a certain amount of resistance, we finally received government support in 2019 for Hong Kong’s first-ever six-year Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme. The programme, which will be internationally accredited, represents a milestone for teaching and research into animal medicine in the region.

Another recent step forward for One Health at CityU was the ground-breaking ceremony on 19 November for our veterinary teaching farm in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po. The farm’s international standard facilities will enable teaching staff and students to perform the relevant activities required for veterinary training. In addition, high-quality CityU milk and ice-cream can be expected within next year.

I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to the CityU community for its incredible support, team work and perseverance. Your efforts are helping CityU to become a leading university in veterinary medicine and life sciences.

Another encouraging piece of news is that CityU is now ranked #18, a rise of one place, among some 600 universities, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds Asia University rankings.

Finally, you may remember the late alumna Ms Kiki Hung Mei-ki who was mentioned in my previous newsletter. Despite suffering from a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder, Kiki worked very hard and submitted her graduation thesis earlier this year before she was admitted into intensive care. In memory of Kiki and her exemplary personal qualities, including a positive mind and great perseverance in the face of difficulties, a generous donation from the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation will fund the establishment of a special Kiki Hung Scholarship. Thanks to the donor’s goodwill, Kiki’s spirit of persistence will continue to inspire others.

Let’s cherish our health and our loved ones. In this festive season, I wish you and your families good health and a fruitful year ahead!