Promoting sustainable development with newly signed UNCTAD partnership

Sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific Region received a significant boost following a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) and the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The MoU was signed at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from?14 to?16 November 2024. The new agreement establishes a framework for both parties to explore cooperation and produce constructive collaboration in investment, finance and sustainable development.

CityUHK stood as the sole University Partner for the Trade and Investment House at COP 29. Professor Freddy Boey, CityUHK President, delivered a keynote speech, “Innovation and Cross-Disciplinary Research in Accelerating Climate Action,” on the role of pioneering research in addressing sustainability challenges. Professor Anderson Shum, Vice-President (Research), presented on “Pioneering Sustainability, Empowering Change and Shaping a Greener Future.”

CityUHK’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences organised the CityUHK-COP29 Transformational Leadership Programme, which provided participants with essential skills and knowledge to drive impactful changes. Professor Ilex Lam, Programme Director, moderated and chaired panels at COP29 on sustainable education and collaborative climate actions for inclusive solutions.

Here are the two articles by Paul Mackintosh featured in Asia Asset Management:

• Hong Kong talks innovation and collaboration
  City University of Hong Kong’s COP29 contingent includes representatives from academia, government and business
• New approach to innovation
  Asian academic likens his way of getting quick results to working on several jigsaw puzzles simultaneously

CityUHK’s team wins at THE Awards Asia 2024

City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) won the Research Project of the Year: STEM at Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2024, the only university in Hong Kong to win this prestigious award this year.

Competing with seven other nominees from other prestigious universities in Asia in this category, the research aims to help solve the twin crises of freshwater and electricity production shortages. The project was led by Professor Steven Wang, Associate Vice-President (Resources Planning) and Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and School of Energy and Environment, and Professor Li Wen Jung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy) and Chair Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Systems Engineering. The project showcased a remarkable convergence of expertise -- their collaborative efforts and unwavering dedication have paved the way for innovative solutions that hold great promise for tackling these critical issues head-on.

• CityUHK’s team wins at THE Awards Asia 2024
  CityU NewsCentre | 30 APR 2024
• 城大研水滴式納米發電機揚威國際
  文匯報 | 1 MAY 2023
• 泰晤士高等教育亞洲獎 城大揚威
  香港經濟日報 | 1 MAY 2023

Mitigating global warming with CityU research students’ award-winning Camel-Fur-Inspired Cooler System

A CityU research team supervised by Professor Steven Wang, Associate Vice-President (Resources Planning) and Professor from Department of Mechanical Engineering, won a Silver Award and the Best Sustainable Solution Award at the 3rd Chun Wo Innovation Student Awards with their novel Camel-Fur-Inspired Passive Sorbent Cooler System (CPSC system). The team strives its best to work on sustainable development and expects the CPSC system to provide cooling for buildings, electronic devices and food preservation, providing an effective way to reduce energy consumption for cooling and reduce carbon emissions.

• Mitigating global warming with CityU research students’ award-winning Camel-Fur-Inspired Cooler System
  CityU NewsCentre | 04 JAN 2024

Record-breaking nanogenerator for renewable energy

A device that exploits wind flow created by moving vehicles on highways and in tunnels has produced a record-breaking 1,000 volts of renewable energy. Led by Professor Steven Wang, Department of Mechanical Engineering and the School of Energy and Environment, the research team has created a small, easy-to-install wind turbine with fan blades that can be adjusted to match wind behaviour. Installed at the roadside, the technology generates power from the movement of vehicles. In addition, Professor Wang's group has produced related technology that can generate sustainable energy from the pressure of people's footsteps on special flooring where sensors are installed.

• HK's first powerful nanogenerator with ultrahigh power density showcased at CityU STEM Carnival cum Student Project Exhibition 2023
  CityU NewsCentre | 11 Jul 2023
• 城大團隊研發適合本港使用納米發電機
  冀廣泛應用為上萬戶家庭供電
  無線新聞 | 6 Jul 2023