'United in one heart and of one mind'

Eunice Lam

A university's senior management and council should be "united in one heart and of one mind" to achieve good governance, according to Michael Ngai Ming-tak, the chairman of City University's governing council, who took up office on January 1.

Ngai, who has a robust financial background, articulated in an interview with The Standard that he perceives striking similarities between university and corporate governance.

His comments followed insights from Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin, who described the council chairman as akin to "a boss" of a university.

"University governance and corporate governance are closely related in that both rely on the division of work between organizations," Ngai said.

He explained that the council is responsible for audit and financial matters, while the senate and the management board oversee the university's academic development.

Emphasizing cooperation among university stakeholders, Ngai said: "I believe that, as long as we are united in one heart and of one mind and make good use of every resource, it will definitely bring benefits to the university."

Enhancing CityU's governance is a key goal for Ngai during his three-year term, especially as the university prepares its five-year plan for 2026 to 2030.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining transparency and openness, saying that a determined approach would strengthen governance while improving auditing, recruitment and internal training.

With more than a decade of involvement in university mentorship programs, Ngai aims to expand students' social circles and global perspectives during their time at CityU.

He envisions transforming the university into a "world-leading innovative institution" and increasing its international influence.

CityU recently earned recognition as the "Most International University in the World" in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking in January 2024.

During the 2023/24 academic year, the university welcomed students from more than 90 countries and regions.

In the upcoming Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025, CityU is positioned 78th among the top 100 universities globally.

Asked about his views on university rankings, Ngai said: "It's not the most important - but, still, it's very important." He added that a better international ranking could attract top students, as well as academic and business partners for collaborations.

Ngai said CityU's advantage is in offering practical programs that equip students to contribute to the local economy.

For instance, the Institute of Digital Medicine, established in April last year, aims to promote interdisciplinary research between engineering, data science and life sciences to develop innovative health-care technologies.

Ngai said a goal for the institute is to evolve into a "research-based medical school."

Also, CityU's innovation and entrepreneurship program, HK Tech 300, has incubated more than 900 startups since its inception in 2021, with more than 190 startups receiving angel funds and venture capital investment. Notably, 20 percent of these startups focus on biotech and health-care technology.

Ng said the university's Dongguan campus, which opened last September, could serve as a collaborative base for researchers in Hong Kong to partner with organizations in the mainland, facilitating the commercialization of knowledge within the expansive Greater Bay Area market.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com