The China Synergy Programme for Outstanding Youth kicked off on 2 July with outstanding students from 101 universities worldwide participating in the 17-day Chinese cultural pilgrimage.

The Programme, now into its seventh year, was co-organized by CityU and the University of Hong Kong. It sponsors outstanding ethnic Chinese students from universities worldwide to journey to China and learn more about Chinese culture and contemporary China.

Part of the Programme was a seminar at CityU on 4 July at which Professor H K Chang, CityU President, gave a speech entitled “The Succession and Development of Chinese Culture” in which he discussed how Chinese culture has evolved through continual interaction with many other cultures over hundreds of years.

He said all major civilizations had borrowed from and lent to other cultures as they developed, a process that has intensified in recent years. “The advance of information technology and new ways of communication means borrowing ideas and adapting social institutions will become more frequent and easy,” Professor Chang said.

“So, in the 21st century, the definition of Chinese culture and for that matter, Chinese civilization, is an especially thought provoking question,” he said.

Before ending his speech, Professor Chang asked participants to play a more active role. “What do Chinese culture and Chinese civilization mean for the 21st century? It depends on you and me. We have the opportunity as well as the responsibility to inherit and pass on, and to refine and develop, the culture that we cherish so much.”

Following Professor Chang’s speech, Professor Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, President of Lingnan University, spoke on “The Role of Chinese Culture in the Development of World Economy,” emphasizing the importance of culture in the economy. Professor Chen discussed some common stereotypes about Chinese culture and compared them to other cultures. He then invited students to consider urgent issues of today such as globalization and the emergence of the new economy.

In the afternoon, participants attended a Commissioning Ceremony officiated by the Honourable Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Chief Executive of HKSAR, at the University of Hong Kong. The group later set off for Macau to begin their cultural pilgrimage.

The idea for the Programme was initiated by Professor Chang. CityU organized the first Programme in 1999 and subsequent Programmes have been hosted by each of Hong Kong’s eight universities on a rotational basis.

Wang Yichuan, a student from the Department of Economics at Canada’s University of Victoria, said the activities offered by the Programme were rich in content. “I believe they will enable me to gain a deeper understanding of China within a short time and I am confident I will benefit a lot from meeting so many participants from so many different countries and regions in Europe, America and Asia.” Yichuan said she was very proud of being Chinese, Canadian and a world citizen.

The packed Programme this year included exploring Chinese history and culture and visiting state-owned and private enterprises in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Xian, Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou. Participants met university students from the mainland, government leaders and had a taste of local life. The Programme will end on July 18