On August 25, a delegation from the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) visited the Gongchenqiao Campus of our university for exchanges and discussions. This marked the HKIE’s second delegation visit to the university following its first group visit in December 2023. Both parties visited the campus and held discussions on joint engineering talent development, educational and research collaboration, university-enterprise cooperation, and support for young entrepreneurs, with the aim of promoting the sharing of educational resources and complementary strengths in engineering between Zhejiang and Hong Kong. Fu Pengpeng, Level I Division Rank Official of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, accompanied the delegation to visit our university. President Li Lu, Vice President Yu Haibiao, and heads of relevant university departments also attended the exchange activities.
The delegation visited the Ho Tin Library and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, where members learned about the campus environment and the development of the university’s research platforms. They spoke positively of the university’s distinctive development path, which is characterized by its reliance on social forces for educational funding and operation.
At the meeting, Fu Pengpeng recalled the close ties President Li Lu had established with the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers during his tenure at the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR, and expressed the hope that this visit would serve as an opportunity to further build a bridge for communication.
President Li Lu highlighted that, leveraging the unique advantages of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework, the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers serves as a vital window for the Chinese mainland to connect with the international engineering system and has long played a significant role in advancing the high-quality development of higher engineering education on the mainland. He introduced the university from three perspectives: the university’s development, its historical ties with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in education, and its achievements in exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong. He noted that the university, founded with strong support from non-governmental sectors, was approved as a master’s degree-granting institution in 2024, and had ranked first among China's private universities in the ShanghaiRanking for two consecutive years. He also acknowledged the contributions made by distinguished Hong Kong and Macao figures with ancestral roots in Zhejiang, including Cha Chi Ming, Ho Tin and Wang Kuancheng, who had supported the university through donations to education. Looking ahead, he stated that the university would encourage its schools to proactively communicate with the HKIE, invite the Institution to provide guidance on discipline development, and explore collaborative models such as joint discipline development and collaborative talent cultivation.
Jiang Dongqiang, Vice President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, introduced the Institution’s major functions, including professional qualification accreditation for engineers, improvement of practitioners’ capabilities, social public services, guiding young people to pursue careers in engineering, and promoting integration among industry, university and research. He also expressed the hope of establishing a long-term communication mechanism with the university.
Both parties engaged in discussions on engineering talent cultivation, mutual recognition of international qualifications, industry-academia-research innovation, and youth entrepreneurship support. The delegation comprised professionals from more than a dozen specialized engineering disciplines, including aviation, civil, electrical, environmental, geotechnical, and electronic engineering.
The university has always attached great importance to educational exchanges and cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao. It has established partnerships with many universities in Hong Kong and Macao, including Hong Kong Shue Yan University and Hong Kong Baptist University, and initiated the establishment of the Alliance for Private Education Research across the Taiwan Strait and in Hong Kong and Macao. This visit marked an important step in deepening exchanges between the university and professional organizations in Hong Kong. Moving forward, the university will continue to expand cooperation between Zhejiang and Hong Kong in engineering education, technological innovation, and youth talent cultivation, striving to leverage complementary strengths and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
