Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityU (second from right) and Dr Sujuan Ba (second from left) signed the MoU, witnessed by Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman of CityU (first from right), and Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, HKSAR Government (first from left). (Photo:CityU)

City University of Hong Kong (CityU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today (12 September) with the Asian Fund for Cancer Research (AFCR) to establish a closer collaboration between both parties and jointly promote cutting-edge cancer-related innovative inventions and commercialisation. The inaugural forum of the “AFCR-CityU Innovation Series in Biomedicine” (Innovation Series in Biomedicine) invited world-leading scholars from Harvard Medical School and other guest speakers to talk about the advances in biomedicine and innovation and entrepreneurship, and exchange views with representatives from industry, venture investors and start-up teams, and explore related commercialisation models and opportunities.

The first forum of the “AFCR-CityU Innovation Series in Biomedicine” was held successfully today at CityU, Professor Bruce Johnson of Harvard Medical School and the Senior Advisor to the President of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Professor Raju Kucherlapati of Harvard Medical School and the first Scientific Director of the Harvard-Partners Healthcare Center for Genetics and Genomics gave keynote speeches on the topics of “Precision Medicine Applied in Lung Cancer” and “Genetics in Medicine”, respectively, and Dr Sujuan Ba, President and CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research and the Founder and CEO of the Asian Fund for Cancer Research, delivered a speech on “Bridging Research from Academia to Cancer Entrepreneurship”.

Guests, together with over 200 scientific researchers specialising in the related field of biomedicine plus industry experts, venture investors, and representatives from the start-up teams incubated by CityU’s innovation and entrepreneurship programme HK Tech 300 exchanged ideas on biomedicine and related innovation and entrepreneurship, exploring the opportunities for the translation of biomedical research achievements and commercialisation.

CityU signed a MoU with AFCR  at the same event. Witnessed by Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, HKSAR Government and Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman of CityU, the MoU was signed by Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityU, and Dr Ba.

The MoU signifies closer ties between CityU and AFCR. Both parties will join to promote academic and innovation and entrepreneurship activities, including the forum  “AFCR-CityU Innovation Series in Biomedicine”. World-leading scholars and entrepreneurs in biomedicine will be invited as speakers to promote cutting-edge cancer research, innovation and commercialisation, and to provide the wider public knowledge on cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

“CityU is committed to promoting innovation and technological development. I’m glad to witness the MoU signing between CityU and AFCR. It represents our unwavering determination to foster the development of biomedicine and related innovation and entrepreneurship. We look forward to enhancing international knowledge exchange and collaboration under the MoU,” said Mr Huang in his welcome remarks.

Professor Freddy Boey Yin Chiang, President of CityU, said he appreciated the support and cooperation of the AFCR, adding that he looked forward to the fruitful results in promoting biomedical research and innovation.

Ms Cheong said, “The National 14th Five-Year Plan indicates clear support for Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre and puts emphasis on frontier fields such as life and health disciplines. The HKSAR Government has promulgated the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint and placed special emphasis on life and health technology in recognition of its potential. By signing the MoU, the closer partnership between CityU and AFCR is conducive to promoting innovation. I look forward to joining hands with you all to make full use of Hong Kong’s advantages in the field of life and health technology and to fully seize the golden development opportunities ahead.”

Dr Ba said, “AFCR is dedicated to funding cancer research and promoting global collaborations to save lives. We also provide critical funding and resources to early-stage biotechs, connecting them with leading experts and angel investors within our global network. Through our partnership with CityU, we look forward to contributing to anticancer innovations, benefiting the wider public and patients.”

Professor Yang added that the MoU and organising the “Innovation Series in Biomedicine” forum would enable and foster the exchange and collaboration between CityU’s research teams and international medical experts and the nurturing of innovative and entrepreneurial talents in biomedicine. In the long run, he said it would help CityU leverage its innovation achievements in the international arena.