A pioneering information day launched in Shanghai by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) drew a packed-house of more than 300 high school teachers, students and their parents from Shanghai and neighbouring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

The event on February 18 was the first large-scale enrollment campaign ever conducted in the mainland by any higher education institution in Hong Kong. It was organised by CityU’s Mainland and External Affairs Office (MEAO) together with CityU’s Liaison Office in Shanghai.

The aim was to showcase CityU’s professional education, its cutting-edge academic disciplines under the new 4-year curriculum, its research achievements, its internationalised faculty, and its advanced teaching methodologies.

Scholars from CityU’s various schools and the Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies held formal and informal discussions with mainland students and their parents, and offered advice on enrollment for graduate and undergraduate programmes.

Staff from MEAO undertook a comprehensive promotion campaign for the Information Day. They mailed posters and invitations to key high schools in Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu; sent invitations to the offices of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Affairs of all the 211-Project and 985-Project universities in the region; put up posters in student residence halls, academic buildings and the main campus paths in these universities; and posted enrollment information on the websites of the universities concerned.

A day before the Information Day, Dr David Cheng Xing, Associate Vice-President for Mainland and External Affairs, invited the principals of 16 key high schools in Shanghai to an informal meeting and thanked longtime partners for their continued support. Mr Liu Yuxiang, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Educational Examinations Authority, came to the event, recommending CityU with his endorsement of CityU’s Information Day in Shanghai.

CityU places great importance on the enrollment of bright students from the mainland. Since 2004, the University has participated in the China International Education Exhibition Tour sponsored by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange under the Ministry of Education, achieving remarkable success each year.

In the past few years, its growing academic strength, outstanding faculty and rising international reputation have helped boost the number of students applying for admission to CityU.

“This year’s Information Day is our first attempt at promoting CityU by ourselves,” said Dr Cheng. “On one hand, we can focus on promoting CityU and building our brand image; on the other, CityU’s scholars can provide high school students and their parents with face-to-face consultations.”

CityU’s liaison office in Shanghai, which was set up early last year, made organising the Information Day possible.

Talks included “The policy for the enrollment of undergraduate students and its implementation rules and regulations”, “On the way to graduate studies at CityU”, “Innovation and pursuit of knowledge: a globalised university in Hong Kong”, “The ABC of CityU’s business administration programme”, “Cultivating a new-generation of professionals in science and engineering”, “Exploring the creative media”, and “Challenges in the new century: energy resources and environment”.

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File name:Dr Cheng:Caption: Dr Cheng explains the enrolment policy and regulations.

File name:information dayCaption: CityU organised an information day in Shanghai on 18 February.

File name: audience Caption: More than 300 students and parents came to CityU’s Information Day.

Media enquiries: Karen Cheng, Communications and Public Relations Office (Tel: 3442 6805 or 9201 8895)