CityUHK cooperates with first-class academic and industrial institutions. Jointly promote scientific research transformation and innovation to meet global challenges

 

CityUHK launched the Institute of Digital Medicine in April this year. Officiating at the launch ceremony were (from left) Professor Michael Yang, CityUHK Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise); Professor Lee Chun-sing, CityUHK Provost and Deputy President; Mr Lester Garson Huang, CityUHK Council Chairman; Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Professor Freddy Boey, CityUHK President; Professor Ma Weiying, Huiyan Chair Professor and Chief Scientist of the Institute for AI Industry Research at Tsinghua University; Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Director of the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology at the National University of Singapore; and Mr Ray Yang, Partner of Marathon Venture Partners.

Hong Kong is committed to promoting innovation and technology (I&T) development, and talent development and deep-tech start-ups are key elements in achieving success in the I&T industry. City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), ranked as one of the world’s most international universities and one of the top 10 young universities globally, has gained international recognition for its academic, research and teaching standards. With a strong focus on innovative education, CityUHK nurtures deep-tech start-ups through its innovation and entrepreneurship programme, HK Tech 300, and this year, established the CityU Academy of Innovation (CAI) and the Institute of Digital Medicine (IDM). CityUHK is actively expanding its strategic partnerships with various government, industry and academic institutions at home and abroad to further develop its I&T landscape and promote the development of I&T ecosystems in Hong Kong, mainland China and globally.

Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK, said, “As a leading university in fostering innovation, CityUHK is committed to creating an inspiring, interactive and innovative learning environment. We actively collaborate with government, industry, academia and research institutions at home and abroad to create broader international perspectives and development opportunities for researchers. This promotes the transformation of research findings and innovative inventions into practical applications, bringing CityUHK’s cutting-edge research to the international stage to address global challenges and help Hong Kong develop into an international I&T hub.”

Over the past year, CityUHK’s academic and research standards have continued to gain international recognition. CityUHK was ranked 4th in the latest Times Higher Education (THE) Young University Rankings 2024, placing it among the world’s top 10 for the eighth consecutive year, and it was ranked 70th in the QS World University Rankings 2024 and 82nd in the THE World University Rankings. THE also ranked CityUHK as the most international university in the world.

In addition, 28 CityUHK academics were named in Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers 2023, placing CityUHK 44th globally and 10th in Asia. The University also won 36 awards at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva and was again selected as one of the top 100 universities in the world for being granted the most US patents, ranking first among local universities for the eighth year in a row.

Partnering with domestic and international universities and industry leaders to foster innovation and entrepreneurship

Building on its solid academic and research foundation, CityUHK is committed to empowering the younger generation to venture beyond the campus and address global issues, such as population ageing and climate change, through innovative technologies. Moving away from traditional teaching and learning models, CityUHK established the CAI and IDM this year, with a focus on cross-disciplinary, cross-sector and cross-regional collaboration.

Launched in January this year, the CAI offers a range of innovation and entrepreneurship courses suitable for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students. Its PhD by Innovation programme requires students to develop innovation and market-driven research projects under the guidance of industry professionals, submit business plans, apply for patents and transform their research into practical applications. It also offers an Overseas Start-up Technology Entrepreneur Programme for undergraduate students, enabling them to intern at some of the world’s leading science and technology companies and institutions.

The CityUHK Institute of Digital Medicine has signed collaboration agreements with several academic and research partners.

Since its launch in April, the IDM has established collaboration with at least 10 world-renowned universities and medical schools, as well as clinical and industry partners. These include the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore, Tsinghua University, Southern Medical University, the University of Exeter, the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research, and industry leaders and investment institutions, such as JD Health, Yidu Tech, the China Resources Research Institute of Science and Technology, and Marathon Venture Partners. Its long-term goal is to promote research and development that integrates life and health technology, data science and artificial intelligence with medical science and public health, and to explore digital medical solutions that safeguard the long-term interests of patients. CityUHK is also exploring the possibility of developing digital healthcare projects with Cornell University in the United States.

HK Tech 300 nurtures start-ups and is expanding into mainland China and Southeast Asia

CityUHK’s innovative research has repeatedly gained international recognition, winning 36 awards at the recent 49th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva.

CityUHK’s nurturing of I&T talent goes beyond academic programmes, encouraging researchers to set up start-ups and commercialise research by providing comprehensive support. Its HK Tech 300 programme provides aspiring young entrepreneurs with professional training, funding, business and industry networks, and investment opportunities. To date, it has nurtured over 850 start-up teams, more than 140 of which have received HK$1 million in angel fund investment. The programme has over 180 experienced business professionals and entrepreneurs as mentors, and over 90 public and private organisations as strategic partners, co-investment partners and support organisations.

CityUHK is also looking to the international stage. It launched the second HK Tech 300 National Start-up Competition last year, partnering with nine mainland cities, and forming co-investment partnerships worth about RMB1 billion with six mainland venture capital funds, including Lenovo Capital. In May 2023, it launched the first HK Tech 300 Southeast Asia Start-up Competition, in collaboration with several universities and incubators in the region, attracting more than 100 start-ups from Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited three ASEAN countries in July last year. During his visit, he witnessed CityUHK’s collaboration with the National University of Singapore and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation to jointly promote the development of scientific and technological innovation. Recently, CityUHK signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to support the development of start-ups from both universities in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Professor Michael Yang, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, said, “One of the roles of a university is to transform laboratory research into practical applications through technology licensing or the creation of start-ups to benefit society. HK Tech 300, the CAI and the IDM are closely linked. Through the global partnership network established by these three entities, we will promote the development of the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong, mainland China, Southeast Asia and globally.”