SKKU Signs MOU with City University of Hong Kong to Strengthen International Collaboration and Joint Research

– Establishing a foundation for diverse partnerships including faculty and student exchange, joint research, and academic information sharing
– Enhancing cooperation in advanced fields such as energy, environment, and healthcare through the 1st SKKU-CityU Joint Workshop

▲ SKKU President Ji-Beom Yoo (left) and CityU Vice President Chun Sing LEE (right)

On April 7, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with City University of Hong Kong (CityU) to promote academic and research collaboration. This agreement aims to enhance international exchanges and expand joint research initiatives between the two institutions. Key areas of cooperation include faculty, staff, and student exchange programs, joint research projects, sharing of academic information and publications, and other mutually beneficial activities.

Representing CityU at the MOU signing ceremony were Professor Chun Sing LEE (Vice President), Professor Anderson SHUM (Vice-President for Research), Ms. Shirley Chong (Director of Institutional Research and External Engagement), and Professors Patrick BUTAYE, Hua ZHANG, and Edwin Chi-Yan TSO.

▲ Professor Edwin TSO of City University of Hong Kong presents his research on carbon neutrality and environmental technology at the 1st SKKU-CityU Joint Workshop, held at the Live Virtual Studio.

On the following day, April 8, the 1st CityU-SKKU Workshop on Innovative Research Advances was held at SKKU's Natural Sciences Campus, bringing together researchers from both institutions to explore collaboration opportunities in cutting-edge fields. The workshop featured three sessions: ▲Advanced Medicine, ▲Future Materials/Nanochemistry, ▲Carbon Neutrality/Environmental Technologies.

In the Advanced Medicine session, Professor Kyungkyu Kim (SKKU School of Medicine / Director of BICs) and Professor Patrick BUTAYE (CityU Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences) discussed potential collaborations in structural biology and genomic sequencing.

In the Future Materials/Nanochemistry session, Professor Hyun Seok Shin (SKKU Department of Energy Science / Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics, IBS) and Professor Hua ZHANG (CityU Department of Chemistry / Director of the Center for Clean Energy) shared the latest advancements in nanomaterials research.

In the Carbon Neutrality/Environmental Technologies session, Professor Seunghyun Baek (SKKU School of Mechanical Engineering / Director of the Center for Nanotubes and Nanocomposites) and Professor Edwin Chi-Yan TSO (CityU Associate Vice-President for Institutional Advancement / School of Energy and Environment) presented on sustainable energy technologies and environmental applications.

The event was also attended by key university leaders, including Vice President Young Wook Kwon (SKKU Natural Sciences Campus), Planning and Coordination Officer Pil Jin Yoo, Dean Doo Sun Park (College of Science), and Department Chair Jinwoong Kim (Chemical Engineering), who discussed long-term strategies for meaningful and sustainable collaboration between the two universities.

This MOU builds on a previous agreement signed on March 18 between SKKU’s Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Sciences & Technology (SAIHST) and CityU’s IDM Research Center, focusing on digital health. With the new university-level partnership, the scope of collaboration is expected to expand further into energy, environment, and materials research.

SKKU remains committed to strengthening its global partnerships and aims to become a leading hub for world-class research and international education.