CityUHK and GX Foundation forge partnership to advance global “One Health” and humanitarian initiatives
On 22 June, the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences (JCC) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the GX Foundation. The strategic partnership addresses complex “One Health” challenges and offers students hands-on humanitarian experiences across Belt and Road countries. The ceremony was witnessed by Dr the Honourable Leung Chun-ying, Chairman of GX Foundation; and Professor the Honourable Michael Ngai, Council Chairman of CityUHK. The MoU was officially signed by Professor Chun-Sing Lee, Acting President of CityUHK; Professor Vanessa Barrs, Dean of the JCC; and Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, CEO of GX Foundation.
CityUHK has been the first university in Hong Kong to champion the pioneering concept of “One Health,” underscoring its leadership in advancing this interdisciplinary vision. This foundation makes the collaboration with GX Foundation a natural extension of CityUHK’s commitment to global impact.
Professor Ngai congratulated GX Foundation on its global impact since 2018, noting how CityUHK’s research infrastructure will support field operations. “The JCC Research Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice (OHRP), established in 2016, is well placed to contribute to GX Foundation’s programmes and has a complementary mission—to generate new knowledge leading to evidence-led regional and international policies for the prevention and control of diseases affecting human and animal health and welfare,” he noted.
Professor Lee emphasised the academic and practical synergies the partnership brings to CityUHK’s expanding veterinary and public health programmes: “JCC established Hong Kong’s first and only veterinary school, with its Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme grounded in ‘One Health’, which connects human, animal and environmental health. GX Foundation’s impactful programmes in sight-restoring surgeries, vector-borne disease control, disaster resilience and youth humanitarian talent development offer valuable platforms for our students to learn, serve, strengthen cross-cultural collaboration, and apply ‘One Health’ principles in real-world contexts.”
Dr Leung reflected on conceptualising the first veterinary school in Hong Kong during his tenure as CityUHK Council Chairman, stating that “a vet school is not a pet school,” as veterinarians are vital defenders of both animal and human health. He described GX Foundation as an outward-facing “knowledge organisation” operating across Belt and Road countries in West Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Central America. Its international networks serve as live field laboratories to study vector-borne diseases and zoonotic threats, such as the sudden re-emergence of the screw-worm fly in Honduras that causes infections in humans and livestock, as well as rabies concerns in Timor-Leste.
The newly signed MoU establishes a platform for experiential learning and research collaborations. Through this partnership, JCC students and faculty will gain unprecedented access to international humanitarian deployments and field placements across GX Foundation’s global networks. By participating in vital vector-borne and zoonotic disease control initiatives, CityUHK researchers and students will work hand-in-hand with GX teams to translate “One Health” principles into field-based solutions—safeguarding human, animal, and environmental health while advancing cross-cultural public health administration on a global scale.
