“Hong Kong needs to provide its students with ample exposure to the international society, so that it can continue to call itself Asia’s World City,” said President
Professor H K Chang, in greeting a delegation of Hong Kong-based Consuls-General representing five countries and the representative of
the European Union on 21 June.
Professor Chang organized the afternoon meeting to promote CityU among the international community. “Hong Kong’s
Consulates General are bridges between
Hong Kong and the world,” said Professor Chang. “CityU can enhance ties with other countries by keeping close links with Consulates General. It will certainly help us in our efforts to pursue internationalization.”
The delegation praised CityU’s rapid development as a young and dynamic university and its achievements in advanced applied research, particularly its efforts in providing an internationalized education to broaden students’ horizons.
“We’re trying our best to give our students an internationalized learning environment, by offering world-class teachers and programmes, and attracting students from all over the world,” Professor Chang told the delegates.
The delegation included
Mr Murray Alexander Cobban, Consul-Genera of Australia;
Mr Gerald Kenneth Campbell, Consul-General of Canada;
Mr Basant K Gupta, Consul-General of India;
Mrs Boel Evander, Consul-General of Sweden;
Mr Vichai Varasirikul, Consul-General, and
Miss Waramon Waruttama, Consul,
Royal Thai Consulate-General; and
Mr Andrew Thomas Roe, Head of
Office of the European Commission in Hong Kong and Macau, European Union.
After the 30-minute introduction delivered by the President, the delegation took part in a campus tour, visiting the
Centre of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF) and the
School of Creative Media (SCM). COSDAF Director
Professor Lee Shuit Tong and
Professor Liu Zhi-Qiang from SCM welcomed the delegation, introducing them to CityU’s achievements in nanotechnology research and creative media education, respectively. The visitors were impressed by COSDAF and SCM. “Something very pioneering is happening at CityU,” commented
Sweden’s Consul-General Mrs Evander.
“As the head of the representative office for the European Union in Hong Kong, I’m most interested in CityU’s international components, including its faculty, students, medium of instruction and tuition,” said Mr Roe. He was also enthusiastic about COSDAF and the University’s research work in general. “The European Union has huge funding for basic research. We’re keen to learn more about research projects that are undertaken by local institutions,” he added.
Canada’s Consul-General Mr Campbell, who enjoyed COSDAF’s laboratory tour, was also impressed with SCM’s unique positioning. “I have visited CityU once before and had only a general impression about the university. This tour, however, gives me the opportunity to learn about the university in a more focused and in-depth way. I hope next time I can visit the Chinese Civilisation Centre.”
Like many other members of the delegation, Mr Campbell was excited to learn from the President that CityU also recruits international students. “I believe CityU’s internationalized learning environment and programmes will attract many young people from Canada and the rest of the world.”
