Group photo of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance Annual Meeting Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK delevers a speech at the Presidents' Forum Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK chairs the Session Two of the Presidents' Forum

The 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Alliance (GHMUA) Annual Meeting and Presidents Forum was held on 11 July at the University of Macau. With the theme “Tri-regional Synergy for Global Connectivity: Innovation through Higher Education Integration”, the event brought together over 180 representatives from member institutions and supporting organizations across the three regions. Professor Dennis Lo, Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), joined the Alliance Board Meeting as the Vice Chairperson and participated in the activities with fellow university leaders to exchange views on collaboration in science, education, and international engagement.

During the Presidents Forum, Professor Gao Song, President of Sun Yat-sen University, along with Professor Lo and Prof. Yonghua Song, President of the University of Macau, chaired 3 thematic sessions addressing key strategic priorities: integrating regional resources to expand global engagement; mobilizing tri-regional momentum to drive innovation; and leveraging shared strengths to explore new paradigms in talent development. Leaders of member institutions actively shared insights, collectively charting pathways for integrated growth across the Greater Bay Area. Prof. Lo said, “The regional science and technology innovation engine can use Hong Kong as a base to collaborate with mainland universities, enterprises, and research institutions, covering a related achievements transformation network across the Greater Bay Area and the whole country, thereby promoting the integration of Hong Kong’s innovation system with that of the mainland.”

Initiated by CUHK, SYSU, and the University of Macau, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Alliance was established in November 2016 as a higher education platform that aspires to extend the current efforts of elite universities in promoting academic cooperation in the three regions. The alliance currently comprises 49 member institutions.

Professor Lo Chung-mau, Secretary of Health of the Government of Hong Kong, gives a speech Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President and Chairperson of the Alliance, delivers a welcome remark Dr Ivana Vukašinović, Assistant Minister, Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration, Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, The Government of the Republic of Serbia, gives a speech Professor Zhou Ying, President of the Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Representative of the Alliance, gives a speech Professor Ye Yang, Secretary of Party Committee, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice-Chairperson of the Alliance, gives a speech A plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research A plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research Mr Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director and Advisor of the TCM All-sector Hong Kong Centre, and Director of the SC Chinese Medicine Trading Platform, gives a keynote speech Group photo of officiating guests, and presidents and representatives from institutions

The Presidents’ Forum 2025 of the Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was held on 18 July at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Presidents and representatives from 30 institutions across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, as well as the Belt and Road countries, gathered in CUHK to explore strategies for advancing the internationalisation and modernisation of traditional Chinese medicine. With over 400 participants from more than 60 organisations in attendance, the event demonstrated strong support from various sectors for the innovative development of Chinese medicine and its contribution to global health and well-being.

Distinguished guests joining the Forum included Professor John Chai Yat-chiu, Chairman of the CUHK Council; Mr Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Director and Advisor of the TCM All-sector Hong Kong Centre, and Director of the SC Chinese Medicine Trading Platform; Professor Lo Chung-mau, Secretary for Health in the Hong Kong government; Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President and Chairperson of the Alliance; Ms Li Ling, Deputy Director-General for the Coordination Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR; Counsellor Wang Jian, Director for the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR; Mr Nicholas Ho Lik-chi, Commissioner for Belt & Road in the Hong Kong government; Dr Ivana Vukašinović, Assistant Minister, Sector for International Cooperation and European Integration, Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, The Government of the Republic of Serbia, and Dr Vincent Chung Chi-ho, Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development in the Hong Kong government. Also in attendance were representatives from government departments, ambassadors and consuls-general from various countries in Hong Kong.

Attendees witnessed a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Belt and Road International Laboratory for Innovative Traditional Medicine Research, and the welcome ceremony for those universities from mainland China, Macao, Laos, New Zealand, and Serbia joining the Alliance as new founding members. Three round-table sessions were held involving presidents and representatives in discussing topics: “The Development of Traditional Medicine under the Belt and Road Initiative: Current Status and Future Prospects”, “Artificial Intelligence and Traditional Chinese Medicine: Opportunities and Challenges”, and “Bridging Boundaries: The Future of Integrating Traditional and Western Medicine”. Speakers shared insightful perspectives and forward-looking ideas, laying a strong foundation for the future of traditional medicine in advancing global health.

The Belt and Road Alliance for Traditional Chinese Medicine was proposed by CUHK. It is a non-profit cooperative organization formed in 2023 by uniting over 20 government, industry, academic, and research institutions related to traditional medicine across the BeClt and Road countries and regions. Currently, the Alliance includes over 40 provincial-level universities and colleges specializing in traditional medicine as founding members from the academic and research sectors, as well as renowned medical institutions, associations, and enterprises in the field as founding members from the medical and corporate sectors.