Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) and the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong (CMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday (2 February) to foster close collaboration between academia and industry. The two parties aim to nurture professional talents tailored to industry needs and to drive the integration of industry, academia and research, aligning with the country's development goal of establishing Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talent.
The MoU was witnessed by Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing, HKMU President, and Dr Wingco Lo Kam-wing, President of the CMA, and was signed by Prof. Alan Au Kai-ming, HKMU Vice President (Strategic Initiatives), and Dr Ma Kai-yum, Executive Vice President of the CMA.
Prof. Lam highlighted that HKMU, leveraging its self-accrediting status and its role as Hong Kong's first university of applied sciences (UAS), offers flexible learning pathways to cultivate top talent that can swiftly respond to market pulses. “The partnership between HKMU and CMA will facilitate regular dialogues, meaningful exchange and deep collaboration. With all of that, I am sure that we can make a real contribution to Hong Kong through talent cultivation and will be able to face all the challenges across different sectors that are coming our way.”
Dr Lo remarked that building lasting bridges between industry and academia is crucial for nurturing the next generation of change-makers in today's complex global technology landscape. He stated, “The MoU sets the stage for uniting our strengths around shared goals. We can co-develop practical, cross-industry enabling technologies, promote research outcomes to strengthen their market impact.”
To align with market trends and industry demands, HKMU continues to offer programmes that balance theoretical foundations with practical applications, elevating the quality of talent and providing broader and more diverse development pathways for students. Under this MoU, HKMU and the CMA will establish a regular and close communication mechanism, allowing the University to keep abreast of the dynamic business landscape and corporate challenges. This will enable precise alignment between talent cultivation and industry development needs.
The collaboration aims to further catalyse applied research, initiate internship programmes, and promote industry engagement, all closely aligned with current industry developments. By fostering the robust integration of industry, education, and research, the two parties aim to generate powerful synergies that will contribute to Hong Kong's economic prosperity.
