Strategic partnerships with universities in Türkiye advance Belt & Road academic and research innovation

Michael Gibb, Poying Hung

17 Jun 2025

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has established comprehensive new partnerships with Sabanci University and Koç University in Istanbul, combining complementary strengths and collaborative innovation to address real-world challenges. They will leverage the strengths of all parties to advance academic exchange and research innovation under the Belt and Road Initiative, nurturing talent in the region.

“These two Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs) are more than academic agreements,” said Mr Michael Ngai, Council Chairman at CityUHK. “They serve as a bridge connecting CityUHK with higher education in Türkiye.”

main — (Back row, from left) Witnessed by Ms Güler Sabanci, Chair of the Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees, and Mr Ngai, (front row, from left) Professor Yusuf Leblebici, President of Sabanci University, and President Boey sign an MoU in Istanbul during the GSDC 2025.

The MoUs signed by CityUHK with both universities cover several key areas, including reciprocal visits by academic, research, and administrative staff; exchange of research postgraduate students; joint supervision of PhD students and co-authored publications; and the sharing of joint research outcomes.

Both partner universities bring unique strengths to the collaboration. Sabanci University possesses extensive experience and expertise in advanced materials, digital transformation, and sustainable development. Koç University, on the other hand, is renowned for its excellent research capabilities, international environment, and interdisciplinary education, with its College of Engineering being top-tier in Europe and the Americas, showing outstanding performance in computer science and information systems.

second — Witnessed by Mr Ngai (centre), President Boey (left) signs an MoU with Professor Metin Sitti, President of Koç University.

“Working alongside Sabanci University, we will co-create green technologies and smart city solutions that can transform Istanbul and Hong Kong into models of urban resilience. Simultaneously, CityUHK’s recently established College of Computing and College of Biomedicine can combine their strengths with Koç University to leverage innovative technologies, drive economic development, and make greater contributions to society,” said Mr Ngai.

Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor at CityUHK, said the new collaboration would harness complementary strengths through ambitious joint research projects and digitally enabled academic dialogue.

“This partnership embodies a long-term commitment to co-creating knowledge, driving innovation, and amplifying our global contributions to society,” he said.

Both MoUs were signed during the Global Sustainable Development Summit (GSDC) 2025, co-hosted by Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education and convened by Times Higher Education with a firm focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainability.

CityUHK is committed to promoting academic and scientific research collaboration by establishing partnerships with esteemed universities and organisations worldwide. Please visit the thematic website for more information about CityUHK’s global partnerships.