CityUHK deepens partnership with Cambridge through senior leadership visit

Venus Doon, Bianca Yau

19 Aug 2026

Representatives from CityUHK visit the University of Cambridge to foster academic exchange and collaboration.

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) reinforced its longstanding ties with the University of Cambridge through a recent senior leadership visit. The visit expands existing joint initiatives, opening new avenues for joint research, talent development, and global student exchange.

Led by Professor the Honourable Michael Ngai, Chairman of the Council, the CityUHK delegation included Mr Charles Chin Ying-on, Treasurer of the Council; Professor Chun-Sing Lee, Acting President; Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee, Vice-President (Research); Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences; and Professor Shirley Chong, Chief Communications and Global Affairs Officer.

During the visit, Professor Ngai, Mr Chin and Professor Lee met with Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, to hold in-depth discussions on deepening institutional synergies and identifying opportunities for future collaboration. The delegation also met with Professor Sir John Aston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Cambridge, to exchange views on research areas of mutual interest and explore enhancing research collaboration between the two universities.

Building on the strong and long-term partnership between CityUHK and Lucy Cavendish College (LCC), University of Cambridge—for which CityUHK serves as the inaugural global partner of LCC’s Future Global Leaders Programme (FGLP)—the University delegation paid a special visit to LCC and met with its President, Mr Girish Menon. Both sides explored joint PhD supervision and scaling up the FGLP. The meeting reaffirmed their evolving partnership, laying the groundwork for expanded scholarships, joint research, and academic exchanges to foster global talent development.

Professor Ngai meets with Mr Menon.

Professor Ngai meets with Professor Tasioulas.

The delegation also took the opportunity to meet with Professor Jacqueline Tasioulas, the incoming Principal of Newnham College, to discuss higher education developments and international talent cultivation. CityUHK and Newnham College have jointly established a Research Master Scholarship Programme last year that annually supports two female CityUHK Research Master students to study at Newnham College. Upon completion, they return to CityUHK to pursue PhD degrees under the joint supervision of academics from both universities. Among them, the inaugural recipient, Carol Wong Wai-kun, a Master of Science in Energy and Environment graduate from CityUHK, is completing her studies at Newnham College. Meanwhile, Yui Yeung Yeuk-yee, awarded the 2026/27 scholarship, will also join Newnham to pursue an MPhil in Physics this September.

Through the various CityUHK-Cambridge scholarships, over 40 CityUHK students have been supported to date to pursue master’s studies at Cambridge, with more than 20 joining this year alone. With the first batch of participants graduating this year, CityUHK welcomes its inaugural "CityUHK–Cambridge Alumni" cohort. This marks a major milestone in the two universities' collaboration, highlighting their mutual commitment to cultivating international talent and fostering educational excellence.

Professor Ngai remarked, “CityUHK has built a solid and ongoing partnership with the Cambridge. Moving forward, we will keep exploring new areas of collaboration to expand frontier research and cultivate top-tier talent, jointly promoting academic excellence.”

Named the Most International University in the World for three consecutive years (2024, 2025 and 2026), CityUHK is committed to broadening its global network and creating cross-regional, interdisciplinary collaborations to empower higher education worldwide.