CityUHK partners with the China CDC and medical schools in Hong Kong to protect public health
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has identified sustainability as a key strategic area across the entire institution. Reflecting this commitment, the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC) at CityUHK recently partnered with the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and two medical schools at local universities. This collaboration aims to promote sustainability and enhance public health through pandemic preparedness, underscoring CityUHK's dedication to fostering sustainable practices and improving health outcomes through local, mainland and global partnerships.
On 9 September, CityUHK attended the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum 2024, hosted by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with the China CDC, the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The MoC was signed by Mr Li Qun, Deputy Director General of the China CDC, Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of the JCC at CityUHK, Professor Philip Chiu Wai-yan, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK, and Professor Lau Chak-sing, Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at HKU. The signing was witnessed by Mr Michael Lee Tze-hau, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Lester Garson Huang, Chairman of Institute of Philanthropy and Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Director of Institute of Philanthropy; and Dr Ronald Lam, Director of Health, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The China CDC and the three university partners are committed to protecting and improving public health through the joint conduct of cutting-edge scientific research cooperation, education and training, and the application of public science. Under the MoC, CityUHK will further expand and strengthen cooperation in the field of public health on the basis of technical exchanges and cooperation established with the China CDC and two local medical schools to promote the One-Health approach.
The four departments under the JCC, namely Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience, are underpinned by a One-Health approach, which recognises that the health of animals, humans and the environment is inextricably linked together. In collaboration with Cornell University, the Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme (BVM) is one of CityUHK’s flagship programmes and was the first in Asia to achieve dual accreditation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council.
CityUHK’s veterinary expertise is developing rapidly. In addition to CityUHK Farm, a centre of dairy excellence, which opened in 2022, the new Jockey Club One Health Tower will provide state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities for the JCC.