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To celebrate its 60th anniversary, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is partnering with Times Higher Education (THE) to host the THE Asia Universities Summit on 21-23 June 2023. The three-day summit is themed “The Asian University in 2050”.

The opening ceremony of the summit was successfully held today (21 June). Officiating guests included Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuk-lin, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Rocky S. Tuan, and THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Mr Phil Baty.

At the opening ceremony, Dr Choi said, “The world economy and the landscape of the higher education are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly interconnected, which accelerate the flow of capital, investment and talents between East and West.  Looking ahead, to remain competitive and maximise the growth prospects, universities should break down traditional silos and foster cross-boundary collaborations to expand their presence in the fastest-growing economies in Asia, particularly in the major cities on the Mainland. Our strong ties with the Mainland enable our universities’ closer collaboration with business and industry partners, providing not only funding for research and development, but also expertise, technologies and business networks which are key to achieving impactful research.”

Professor Tuan gave a welcome address at the ceremony, saying, “The Asia Universities Summit is a signature global engagement event for our diamond jubilee year, and we jumped at the opportunity to host this critical conversation at a momentous occasion for CUHK and an exciting time for higher education across Asia. Universities have a unique convening power to bring together people from different cultures, countries, languages, systems and economies – and I believe this Summit represents the very best of what we all stand for and who we aspire to be. CUHK is a longstanding supporter of Times Higher Education. I would like to pay tribute to Phil Baty, Times Higher Education’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, and thank his team for their unwavering support in making this event possible.”

Mr Baty remarked, “The phenomenal rise of dynamic and innovative Asian universities up the world university rankings has been epitomised by universities like CUHK – which has surged up from outside the world top 150 into a top-50 position in just a decade – and East Asian institutions across mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore. This summit, Times Higher Education’s first event in Hong Kong since 2019, presents a vital opportunity for senior university leaders across the continent to meet face to face, collaborate to harness the exciting innovation in the sector and ensure continued success amid great global uncertainty. We’ll be asking what the Asian university will look like in 2050, in the face of digital transformation, the rise of artificial intelligence, inequalities across the diverse continent and increased geopolitical challenges. I’d like to thank CUHK for hosting these vital conversations.”

Around 70 speakers from top universities around the globe provide expert opinions on higher education in the new age

Asian universities now constitute a third of the THE World University Rankings, a figure that has increased from a quarter over the past five years. The development and future of Asian universities will be the focus of this year’s summit. Each day has a different agenda: “Partnerships and alliances” on the first day, “Research strategies and emerging megatrends” on day two and “Internationalisation and the student experience” on day three.

Around 70 speakers include presidents, vice-presidents and university leaders from 140 top universities in 29 nations and regions including mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, the Middle East and Oceania. The University of Auckland’s Vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater will offer insights into the importance of partnerships. Harvard University’s Professor of China Studies William Kirby will discuss his thoughts on the megatrends driving US-China relations until 2050. The summit will be attended by more than 500 participants.