City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is committed to expanding its innovation and technology collaboration with mainland China. The University has deepened cooperation with several renowned mainland universities and established innovation research centres in Qingdao and Changsha, actively promoting academic exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland China.

Professor Freddy Boey, President and University Distinguished Professor of CityUHK, led a delegation to Hangzhou on 28 April to engage with local innovation and technology enterprises and gain insights into Hangzhou’s strengths in innovation technology. On the same day, President Boey attended the “Big Whale AI Summit”, where he delivered the opening address.

In his address, titled "The AI Revolution and the Global Innovation Race: Integrating Innovation and Reshaping the Future", President Boey underscored AI's position as a global trend, playing a major role - no longer just a supporting role - across all disciplines.

He mentioned that Hangzhou has seen rapid development in innovation and technology in recent years, achieving great success in industry-university-research collaboration. He added that last year, CityUHK started two new institutes, namely the CityUHK Academy of Innovation and Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science, bringing together investors and industry partners with University researchers, enhancing the industry-university-research cooperation ecosystem.

He explained that by collaborating with renowned academic and industry partners from mainland China and around the world, CityUHK aims to create a world-class platform for industry-university-research collaboration, translating research into practical applications that have a positive impact on society.

President Boey also discussed the impact and opportunities of AI in education, adding that the convergence of interdisciplinary fields has become increasingly important to the future of education, with AI playing a crucial role.

He emphasised that higher education institutions must embrace innovation, facilitate the translation of research into practical applications, and nurture innovative and entrepreneurial talents with a global perspective. He highlighted that CityUHK also places great emphasis on developing students' innovative thinking and practical skills, with the help of AI.

Drawing from his experience in Singapore, President Boey said CityUHK encourages faculty and students to become learning-centric rather than teaching-centric, and has moved from lectureship to mentorship. He explained that AI and other innovative and breakthrough technologies can help students learn better and faster and spark their curiosity. 

President Boey noted Hangzhou's innovative spirit and expressed strong confidence in the future of Hangzhou and Hong Kong as they collaborate more deeply to promote the next generation of innovation and technology.

Professor Wang Jianping, Dean of the College of Computing, participated in a roundtable at the summit titled "Integration of Generative AI in Industry and Research: From Technology to Practical Scenarios". She and representatives from several well-known mainland Chinese enterprises discussed the impact of generative AI on education, research and business.

During the visit, the delegation toured the Alibaba Cloud Valley Campus in Hangzhou and engaged with various local tech companies to learn about Hangzhou's innovation and technology developments and achievements. They also explored future collaboration opportunities between CityUHK and local academic and research institutions.