Council Chairman leads delegation to forge stronger ties with Cambridge

Julian Ng

17 Mar 2025

A high-level City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) delegation led by Mr Michael Ngai, Council Chairman, and Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor, discussed multidisciplinary cooperation with prominent academic and administrative leaders at the University of Cambridge during their visit on 11 to 12 March.

(From left) Professor Wang; Dr Nan Ma, Head of Development - International (Asia), University of Cambridge; Mr Tony McNiff, Bursar, Lucy Cavendish College; Professor Henriëtte Hendriks, Vice-President of Lucy Cavendish College; Dame Madeleine; Mr Ngai; President Boey; Professor Downing; Professor Shum; Professor Li; and Professor Chong.

A University of Cambridge graduate on his first trip back to Cambridge since becoming CityUHK Council Chairman, Mr Ngai expressed considerable pride in the robust relationship between the two universities. At the same time, President Boey emphasised the immense potential for exciting collaborations.

CityUHK and the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge form a partnership to explore collaboration opportunities.

Mr Ngai (right) and President Boey (left) call on Professor Sir Aston.

The significance of the visit was highlighted by the newly formed partnership between the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry at Cambridge and the College of Science at CityUHK. This partnership will facilitate fresh opportunities for collaboration in science education and research for undergraduate students, PhD students, and post-docs and facilitate global academic exchange.

The CityUHK delegation visits a laboratory at the University of Cambridge to learn about the latest scientific research developments at the University.

The senior Cambridge leaders that the CityUHK delegation met with included such luminaries as Professor Sir Mark Welland, FRS, FREng, FIET, FInstP, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on China, and Director of Research in Nanoscience, Professor Sir John Aston, FRS, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Dame Madeleine Atkins, President of Lucy Cavendish College, Ms Alison Rose, Principal of Newnham College, and Professor Alan Short, President of Clare Hall, where Mr Ngai holds the prestigious title of Fellow Commoner.

In addition to Mr Ngai and President Boey, the CityUHK delegation comprised Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung, Vice-President (Research); Professor Kevin Downing, Secretary to Council; Professor Li Wen Jung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy); Professor Steven Wang, Associate Vice-President (Resources Planning); and Professor Shirley Chong, Director of Communications and Institutional Research and a Visiting Fellow at Lucy Cavendish College.