The Convocation’s green-related activities gained pace over the past year. As part of its organic farming programme for alumni, running from April to September 2022, the Convocation organised a visit to Au Law Organic Farm in Tai Kong Po Tsuen, Kam Tin, in the New Territories, on 7 August 2022. Participants enjoyed an informative guided tour led by organic farm staff as well as helping out on the farm.
Later in August, programme participants also harvested fresh organic vegetables in the green zones of the roof garden on CityU’s Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Academic Building. The produce was donated to charity organisation Food Angel to prepare meals for underprivileged communities in Hong Kong. The activity was supported by “GROW” participants and their families, a cross-disciplinary project introducing permaculture to CityU.
Spring 2023 saw over 20 members of the organic farming programme and GROW join a Convocation eco-cultural tour to Nam Chung in the New Territories. Those participating were able to learn more about the ecology, history and culture of this Hong Kong natural treasure.
The Convocation held its Annual General Meeting on 6 December 2022, presided over by Mr William Khoo, Chairman of the Standing Committee, together with Vice-Chairmen Mr Danny Chow, Mr Gabriel Ho and Mr James Kong. At the meeting, Mr Khoo reported Convocation news and thanked alumni for supporting the Convocation’s activities and projects throughout the year.
A dinner meeting organised for the Convocation’s Standing Committee in September 2022 brought together members to exchange ideas for further alumni engagement plans with Dr Ron Kwok, Director of the Alumni Relations Office. The meeting, held in the CityU Faculty Lounge, proved a fruitful evening for all in attendance.
To celebrate Chinese New Year, the Convocation arranged a narcissus bulb carving workshop on 1 January 2023. Around 20 alumni, family members and friends spent a creative afternoon on CityU campus learning how to craft their own narcissus bulbs. Mr Gabriel Ho, Convocation Vice-Chairman and a registered horticultural therapist, led the session while Mr William Khoo, Convocation Chairman, welcomed those attending the event.
Members of the Convocation enjoyed an exuberant day on 12 February 2023 when they joined the support team cheering on CityU Delegation runners at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Around 500 alumni, staff and students took part, led by then President Professor Way Kuo.
Convocation representative Ms Vera Kong receives a certificate of appreciation from the CityU Delegation in recognition of members’ support at the February 2023 marathon at a reunion on 1 April 2023.
Over the past year, CityU Eminence Society (ES) has actively encouraged senior alumni to utilise their resources, networks and expertise to assist HK Tech 300, the University’s flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme, delivering indispensable support. In addition to donations, ES members have served as mentors, providing professional services and consultancy to HK Tech 300 teams. They have also contributed as key members of the Seed Fund and Angel Fund selection panels.
ES members were delighted to visit CityU Farm in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po, on 20 May 2023. Those taking part had a great time learning about sustainable farming as well as exploring the countryside. The outing also provided a much-appreciated opportunity to connect up with each other again.
In September 2022, ES members organised a group visit to the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery at CityU to view the Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China exhibition and discover more about the creative legacy of the area’s ancient wandering tribes.
Meanwhile, a Christmas party on 16 December 2022 brought together alumni and friends to strengthen bonds with the University and each other.
A webinar about the petroleum industry organised by ES was held on 22 November 2022. Guest speaker Ms Mabel Leung (second right), Director, Asia Pacific Retail Sales, ExxonMobil, shared her insights on the development of the petroleum economy, with Dr Wilson Chan (third left), ES Honorary Secretary, as facilitator. Mr Dennis Leung (third right), ES Executive Committee member, Dr Ron Kwok (first right), Director, Alumni Relations Office (ARO), and Ms Pheony Tsang (first left), Associate Director, ARO, also assisted with the event.
Alumni groups hosted an array of activities over the year, including seminars, annual meetings, and gatherings.
A group of MSocSc Counselling graduates arranged a hybrid meeting on 10 June 2022 to share their ideas and views about building a new alumni platform for future collaboration. More than 130 alumni in total attended in person or via Zoom. With the support of Dr Annis Fung, Associate Professor, Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 12 alumni have worked together to set up an alumni association that will build a network for continuous development and contribute to the development of the counselling profession in Hong Kong.
More than 80 alumni joined an online sharing session on “Local Further Studies? Where Should I Start?”, held by the CityU Counselling Graduates Association on 12 September 2022. Ms Jacqueline Yiu (first row, second left), MSocSc Counselling alumna and now a practitioner, shared her perspective on local and overseas professional development opportunities, outlining prospects and career pathways in the counselling profession.
CityU-FudanU Doctor of Business Administration Alumni Chapter organised its annual meeting in Shanghai on 4 March 2022. The hybrid gathering drew around 30 participants, including University representatives from CityU and Fudan University, Chairman, Vice-Chairmen, Executive Committee members of the Alumni Chapter, and alumni. During the meeting, the third Executive Committee, led by Dr Dai Jun, was elected. The Chapter is seeking to foster alumni networks and bonds with the CityU alumni community to spur University development.
CityU EMBA (Chinese) Alumni Association held its annual meeting and annual dinner in Shanghai on 30 December 2022. Over 70 participants attended, with ARO representatives’ video greetings thanking the continuous support of the Association under the impact of Covid.
The Alumni Association of Management Sciences (MSAA); conducted its Annual General Meeting in hybrid mode on 3 December 2022, followed by the election of the Eighth Council Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Ms Lilian Au Yeung.
CityU EMBA Association organised a variety of activities as 2023 kicked off. On 3 February 2023, a Spring Reception took place, drawing over 30 EMBA alumni. Other guests joining the event included: Dr Ron Kwok, ARO Director; Dr Michael Wong, EMBA Programme Director; Dr John Leung, Director of the School of Continuing and Professional Education; and other ARO representatives. During the dinner, Professor Oliver Yau and EMBA alumnus Mr Gilmen Yue shared forecasts for the Year of the Rabbit, adding to the engaging and enjoyable evening.
An EMBA Open Class cum Dinner for the new cohort was held on 17 February 2023. At the gathering, Mr Teck Kong, a retired partner of MBK Partners, shared his experience of management buyouts. More than 35 participants joined the informative event.
EMBA Association ExCo members, led by Chairman Mr Banny Yu, visited Lions Kidney Educational Centre and Research Foundation, a local charitable organisation, on 25 February 2023. During the visit, the Association donated 300 sets of anti-epidemic items to patients.
The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Alumni Association organised a get-together on 27 June 2022 to recruit new members. Around 40 final-year students gathered to learn about career prospects and job interview tips from alumni leaders and to share their views on future alumni events.
On 9 August 2022, the Association held a seminar on operating a chemical pathology laboratory to help equip students and alumni to pursue careers in related fields. The event was attended by around 20 final-year students and new graduates.
The Department of Media and Communication held a thought-provoking forum on the mass adoption of Web3 technologies on 14 April 2023, co-hosted by ChainIDE, a leading integrated development environment platform for blockchain technology. The University-industry event brought together more than 30 CityU alumni and distinguished guests from the Web3 sector to share ideas, experiences, and best practices from both academic and practical perspectives. Alumnus Professor Yan Jiaqi (PhD in Information Systems) was among the speakers.
To foster business knowledge among its students, the College of Engineering (CENG) has been inviting College of Business (CB) graduates to become mentors since 2017. Twelve business graduates joined CENG’s 2022-2023 mentorship programme, holding a virtual gathering with mentees in December 2022. Since then, close ties have developed, with mentees receiving great support and advice.
CB graduates Ms Ada Wong (left photo, centre) and Mr Vincent Wu (right photo, centre) meet their CENG mentees.
The opening ceremony for the Information Systems (IS) Industrial Mentorship Programme took place on 7 October 2022, bringing together around 70 alumni mentors and student mentees in person for the first time in the 2022-23 academic year. The programme sets out to build a channel for IS alumni and business professionals to share their experience and offer advice to current students.
More than 50 students and alumni from the Department of Systems Engineering enjoyed a relaxed, informal gathering with faculty members on campus on 23 March 2023. The occasion enabled participants to share their latest updates, creating a memorable evening for all.
The CityU Alumni Ambassador Scheme provides a conduit for alumni to support the development of the University through voluntary service, creates a strong network of alumni support, and nurtures a caring culture in the University community.
An enjoyable gathering welcoming Class Liaison Ambassadors (CLAs) from 2020 to 2023 was held on 15 April 2023 at CityU Faculty Lounge. More than 60 CLA participants spent a great afternoon with alumni leaders and Departmental Alumni Coordinators. Alumni guest speakers included Mr CY Chan, Mr Spencer Fung, Mr Samuel Lau, Ms Roberta Lee, Mr Roland Leung and Ms Paula Yang. During the event, alumni shared their insights into the current job market in light of the rapid development of AI and big data technologies, and offered exclusive career tips on planning and job hunting.
A similarly warm welcome was held for 2022 CityU CLAs in April 2022, with the event taking place online due to the pandemic. Six alumni leaders participated as speakers or mentors, namely (top row, from left) Mr Alvin Leung, Ms Helen Lo, Mr Vincent Wu; (bottom row, from left) Mr Camroo Ahmed, Ms Cissy Wong and Mr Terry Au. The alumni leaders shared their insights on developing essential competencies for the challenging job market.
Eight alumni ambassadors from diverse academic and career backgrounds have shared their memories, career stories, and enthusiasm for contributing to CityU and society in an inspiring new video series entitled M21 x CityU Alumni Ambassadors Series – City of Stars. The series, launched in November 2022, was produced in collaboration with the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Jockey Club Media 21 (M21).
Among the interviewees is Mr Robert Lui, Vice-Chairman of Eminence Society (ES), who relates anecdotes of his student days and talks about his passion for nurturing future students.
Prominent alumni Dr Raymond Leung, Chairman of ES, and Mr William Khoo, Chairman of CityU Convocation, also deliver opening remarks for the series.
