Global reach, local impact

From Boey's understanding, the word "university" originates from "universe" and, therefore, a good university should function as a universe that's well connected with the outside world. CityUHK cannot be a top university without establishing strong global links and collaboration. Boey has visited France, Switzerland, South Africa and Kazakhstan to attract local students. He plans to raise the number of exchange students at CityUHK and provide more scholarships for international students.

Boey believes Hong Kong retains strong appeal to students worldwide. The city's trilingual environment fosters greater acceptance among students from diverse backgrounds, and its reputation for higher education is a magnet for students from abroad.

He's committed to fostering closer collaboration with well-known foreign universities. Last month, CityUHK signed a memorandum of understanding with the Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge. The agreement is to bolster collaboration between the two institutions through more visits by students and scholars. CityUHK students will have the opportunity to study at Lucy Cavendish College for a year as part of their undergraduate programs.

According to the 2024 Times Higher Education World University rankings, CityUHK was recognized as the "most international university" among 1,900 institutions of higher learning worldwide. So far, CityUHK has admitted students from more than 80 countries and regions and has established exchange programs with educational institutions in over 40 countries or regions. Up to 65 percent of the university's undergraduates have joined these exchange programs. Apart from having an international outlook, maintaining strong ties with local communities has a positive effect on CityUHK too, says Boey.

He created the Office of the Vice-President (Community Engagement) - a dedicated unit to strengthen CityUHK's interaction with different sectors of the city, particularly primary and secondary schools, young people and the elderly in neighborhoods. The university also launched the Veterinary Community Outreach Programme, deploying a mobile veterinary unit and dedicated professionals to support the pet welfare of disadvantaged communities.

The focus of academic pursuits, such as publishing one's works in world-class journals or developing innovative ideas, says Boey, should be on how these ideas and inventions can be implemented in society to benefit the people. "I want to educate my students to be excellent, yet relevant."

Contact the writer at oasishu@chinadailyhk.com