City University of Hong Kong (CityU) invited top experts from some of the world’s most renowned universities to provide advice on establishing energy and environment related academic programmes. This is in response to the strategic plan outlined by the University President, Professor Way Kuo, to develop programmes in these areas.

Initiating the development of these programmes is the Committee on Establishing Energy and Environment Related Academic Programmes, which consists of advisors from the US, mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The committee is led by Professor Robert C Armstrong, Chevron Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Co-Director, MIT Energy Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other advisors include Professor Cen Kefa, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Dean of the College of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, and Director of the Institute for Thermal Power Engineering, Zhejiang University; Professor William Lloyd Chameides, Dean of the Nicolas School of Environmental and Earth Sciences, Duke University; Professor Chan Kei-biu, Chairman and Senior Managing Director, Surface Mount Technology (Holdings) Ltd; and Professor Yang Jing-tang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University.

Sharing their expansive knowledge on energy and environment programmes on offer in the international arena, the assembled experts met at CityU from 11 August to 15 August. They exchanged ideas with CityU’s senior management personnel, including Professor Way Kuo, Professor David Tong Shuk-yin, Deputy President, Professor Richard Ho Yan-ki, Special Advisor to the President, Professor Roderick Wong Sue-cheun, Vice-President (Research) and Dean of Graduate Studies, and Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Acting Vice-President (Undergraduate Education).

With so few institutions working on this kind of programme worldwide, members of the committee said they were pleased CityU was taking the initiative to establish these cross-departmental programmes. They also praised CityU’s achievements in this area.

Professor Kuo is optimistic about the contribution these programmes can make to society. “We are happy to take the lead in developing energy and environment related research and education programmes as it is not just beneficial to CityU but also to southern China as a whole,” he said.

Among the deans, heads and faculty academics attending the meeting to present their related academic and research programmes to the advisors were Professor Chan Chi-hou, Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Professor Stephen M. Hsu, Head of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, Professor Graeme Lang, Head of the Department of Asian and International Studies, Professor Eden Yu, Head of the Department of Economics and Finance and Professor Luk Kwai-man, Head of Department of Electronic Engineering, and others.

The committee members also visited related public utilities, trade organisations and government officials in Hong Kong. The five-day meeting concluded with an excursion to Lamma Island.

The committee reached a consensus following its inaugural meeting and has presented a detailed recommendation report to CityU on the steps required to implement the programmes.

In addition to energy and environment, Professor Kuo has also indicated the University is looking at similar programmes in the field of biomedical research.