15 Sep 2025
Dear Students and Colleagues,
I hope all of you have had a nice break and enjoyed the summer. To our staff and students, my best wishes to you for an even more fruitful year ahead. To our new joiners, welcome to the HKBU community and I hope you look forward to starting an exciting and promising journey here.
This summer, many of us experienced a season of intense heat, heavy rainfall, and frequent tropical storms, reflecting the broader impact of climate change worldwide. Cities around the world have been confronted with extreme weather and widespread proliferation of infectious diseases, a tangible sign that global climate change is affecting us all. Social and political landscapes have been equally volatile, with turmoil reported in different parts of the world almost every day.
Our global interconnectedness makes us more vulnerable to what is happening on the other side of the world, but at the same time, it also gives us an opportunity to rally behind a common cause, creating comprehensive and transdisciplinary solutions as we tackle these challenges together, and build a more sustainable future.
As we are at the beginning of a new semester, it is an ideal and also critical moment for us, as global citizens, to examine these global challenges more closely, think deeply about how we should respond, and devote ourselves to their mitigation.
At HKBU, grounded in our transdisciplinary approach and versatile use of technology, we are uniquely positioned to drive innovations and nurture future leaders to tackle pressing global issues. I will highlight some key initiatives below.
The University has been dedicated to promoting transdisciplinary education in recent years to nurture future-shaping students. This transdisciplinary approach took shape in 2022/23 when we launched four transdisciplinary/individualised undergraduate programmes. In this academic year we are proud to take this further and have introduced a series of related curriculum reforms.
Among the new initiatives are the launch of a new transdisciplinary undergraduate programme on Digital Futures and Humanities, and the offering of seven Transdisciplinary Second Majors and two Second Majors. This flexible and adaptive curriculum structure allows students to “mix-and-match” different curricular components, majors, and second majors according to their personal and career aspirations. The aim is to empower students to integrate knowledge and perspectives of different disciplines, leverage transsectoral collaboration to tackle real-life issues, and respond to the professional needs of society.
We also witnessed the blossoming of technology, in particular artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years and how it impacts our daily lives. Technology has made the creation of innovative, out-of-the-box solutions to global challenges possible. To ensure our community is well-versed in emerging technologies, starting this academic year, every HKBU student will attain foundational AI literacy through our General Education Programme. The University sees AI as a partner for human ingenuity, not a replacement, and I am confident the HKBU community will exercise ethical reasoning and critical thinking as you harness the perks of this revolutionary technology.
Guided by the University’s vision on transdisciplinarity and technology, I strongly encourage you to look far and think big, devote yourself to collaboration with your peers, channel your creativity and knowledge you have gained or generated at HKBU to create a better world for humanity.
Apart from our ongoing efforts in education and knowledge exploration, this academic year will also be remembered for several key milestones. The Hong Kong Baptist University (Amendment) Bill 2025 is in the final stage of examination by the Legislative Council. The Bill responds to the broadened missions expected of a university at the academic frontier, with knowledge transfer and services to the community clearly recognised as HKBU’s objectives. It also provides an enhanced governance framework characterised by public accountability and broad representation. These are essential in supporting HKBU’s pursuit of a higher level of excellence after almost 70 years of remarkable growth and achievement.
By the end of this year, Hong Kong's first Chinese medicine hospital, The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK), will commence service in phases. HKBU was selected by the Government as the contractor for the service deed of the CMHHK, and has incorporated the HKBU Chinese Medicine Hospital Company Limited to operate the hospital. As a flagship in Chinese medicine clinical service, education and research, CMHHK is set to address the public health needs and enhance the well-being of the Hong Kong community. It will also be a watershed milestone in the standardisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine, leveraging technology and digitalisation to the fullest. I am extremely proud to see HKBU playing a pivotal role in helping Hong Kong reach a new level of excellence in Chinese medicine.
Last but not least, we have one of the most meaningful milestones to look forward to, which is the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the University's founding in 2026. To honour HKBU’s heritage and seven decades of excellence in higher education, we will be unveiling a series of events to celebrate the University’s eminent history shaped by our educators, researchers, staff, generations of students and alumni, supporters and friends. I hope you will be proud to inherit HKBU’s legacy and carry its values wherever you go, and as BUers, I have no doubt you will go far.
With the right mindset, people and strategy in place, we have every reason to be optimistic about HKBU’s development in the new year. Alongside your academic and professional achievements, I wish you a year filled with joy and fulfillment as you pursue your personal goals and passions on and off campus!
President and Vice-Chancellor
Chair Professor of Photonics