Another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and the University of Cambridge on 3 July will further foster our global academic and research collaborations.

This MoU will continue to enhance our research and educational excellence through dynamic alliances with elite universities worldwide, in keeping with our reputation as the Most International University in the World by Times Higher Education in 2024.

Building on the academic partnerships established with the University of Cambridge in May this year, the MoU was signed by Professor Ren Yang, Head of the Department of Physics at CityUHK, and Professor Jason Robinson, Joint Head of the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. The signing was witnessed by Professor Kevin Downing, Secretary to the Council at CityUHK, and Professor Dame Madeleine Atkins, President of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.

The MoU will facilitate collaborative education, research development and commercialisation opportunities between the Department of Physics at CityUHK and the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge.

Additionally, CityUHK and the University of Cambridge’s Lucy Cavendish College have made significant progress in advancing their collaboration. The two parties discussed further details of the Future Global Leaders Programme, a joint initiative targeting Masters students at both institutions. CityUHK is proud to be the first international partner of Lucy Cavendish College for this programme. The programme is set to launch in the academic year 2025/26, with applications for admission and scholarship opening by the end of this year.

The Programme aims to cultivate sustainability leaders equipped with the environmental, social, and governance skills and mindset needed to drive positive change globally. Participating students will engage in online training sessions and an exchange programme at the partner institution, gaining inter-cultural perspectives and connecting with industry experts.

Students will benefit from a unique learning experience in both the UK and Hong Kong, enhancing their employability prospects in a globally competitive market and expanding their international networks.

CityUHK will also establish a scholarship programme at Lucy Cavendish College to enable elite students from CityUHK who have been accepted for a Master’s Degree across all disciplines to study at the College. Additionally, the scholarships will enable the College to support several top students from other universities who come from diverse, under-represented backgrounds with accompanying financial needs, thus enabling them to take up their place at the University.

CityUHK is honoured to welcome three distinguished faculty members from the University of Cambridge as Distinguished Visiting Professors: Professor Colm Durkan, Professor of Nanoengineering Science in the Department of Engineering; Professor Hans van de Ven, Professor of Modern Chinese History in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; and Professor Clare Bryant, Professor of Innate Immunity. They will collaborate with CityUHK faculty and students to promote interdisciplinary scientific and academic research.

Moreover, the CityUHK delegation is privileged to visit the prestigious Fitzwilliam Museum of Cambridge University. The Fitzwilliam houses a world-renowned collection of over half a million beautiful works of art, masterpiece paintings and historical artefacts. CityUHK and the Fitzwilliam Museum have also started exploratory talks around future collaborations.