Happenings

You are cordially invited to the seventh Knowledge Primer (KP) titled “Enabling the Ecosystem for Resource Circularity in the MICE Industry” under the “Partnership for Sustainability Leadership in Business” (PSLB) project, initiated by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) of HKU with full support from the Hongkong Bank Foundation. Hong Kong is a bustling city that hosts a wide range of business events and exhibitions throughout the year. While they provide valuable market information, knowledge, networks and opportunities for professionals from businesses, government, and the non-profit sector, the cost of organising these events often comes at the expense of the environment, which contravenes the ideals of low-carbon and sustainable future that many businesses uphold. Therefore, it is imperative to transform the traditional ‘linear’ nature of these events into a ‘circular’ and more sustainable model. Leveraging the knowledge and practical experience of speakers from the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry, this Knowledge Primer will take a close look into the necessary conditions–be they infrastructure, policy change, industry support or innovative collaboration models–for resource circularity to take root in business events. Two keynote speakers will shed light on the following topics: Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau will discuss the role of Government policy, infrastructures and capacity building in guiding the trajectory of circularity and sustainability advancement in MICE industry; Macau Fair & Trade Association will present on sustainable initiatives that incentivise the practitioners to adopt more circular and sustainable practices to achieve net zero goals. A moderated discussion featuring industry practitioners from Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, Informa Markets, KPMG, New World Corporate Services Limited and ReThink Hong Kong will follow to cascade the industry’s best practices. The panellists will share views on the collaboration needed to catalyse circularity practices and innovation in the MICE industry. The event will also celebrate the launch of “A Practical Guidebook to Circular Economy (Volume 2): Collaborating with Value Chain Partners for Organising Circular Events and Exhibitions”. The Guidebook is a consolidated self-learning resource for the MICE industry practitioners to integrate resource circularity principles in business operations through the value chain-based event frameworks. A well-thought step-by-step guidance and templates are made available to help readers putting ideas into action.   The event details are as follows: Date: 6 June 2024 (Thursday) Time: 2:30pm – 5:30pm (4:30pm – 5:30pm will be the networking session) Venue: Rayson Huang Theatre, The University of Hong Kong Format: Physical and Online via Zoom* Language: Mainly English and Cantonese (with bi-lingual simultaneous interpretation) *A participant limit will be in place for physical and online attendance to cater to the maximum capacity of the venue and online streaming platform. Please sign up to reserve your space.   Should you be interested in participating, please register HERE on or before 5 June 2024. You are welcome to contact Mr. Woody Cheng at Telephone: 3910-2463 / Email: pslb@hku.hk for queries.   PSLB Team

Seminar - Leadership and Governance for Co-creating Sustainable Solutions The limitations of governments and markets in tackling multi-faceted problems has led to the advocacy of co-creation as a collaborative form of governance, which facilitates mutual learning and bottom-up innovation, to address wicked problems. However, leveraging actors across organisational and sectoral boundaries to engage in co-creating innovative solutions is immensely complex. Speakers will share their research on the characteristics of leadership within the co-creation process. The discussions will focus on how governance robustness can be built as well as the eligibility and capacity of the public sector to provide supportive leadership. Panelists will exchange their insights on more creative and evolving forms of leadership played by combinations of public, private or non-profit organisations and community actors. Date: Friday, 22 March 2024 Time: 4:00 – 5:30pm Venue: Social Sciences Chamber Registration link: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=93100 Speakers: Professor Jacob Torfing, Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde School of Governance Professor Eva Sørensen, Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde School of Governance Professor Rosemary O’Leary, School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Kansas Discussants: Professor He Shenjing, Department of Urban Planning and Design, HKU Professor Andrew Wong, Department of Politics and Public Administration, HKU Moderator: Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Department of Politics and Public Administration, and Centre of Civil Society and Governance, HKU All are welcome!

Come find us at LG/F Centennial Campus, HKU on 16 March (Sat) to reconnect, learn, and celebrate HKU Foundation Day and Alumni Day! We will be showcasing startups and initiatives founded by our MSocSc Sustainability Leadership and Governance alumni and students under the theme of sustainable consumption and production (SDG12). The event will feature: EATcofriendly Instagram / Linkedin Enid.scents* website Genuinely not leather Facebook / Instagram Hole Foods website LoCoFARM Instagram (in Chinese) Pinkoi (in English) Purebamboo website (in Chinese) description on google doc (bilingual) A large variety of activities will be offered by other departments and units to cater for all ages and interests so feel free to bring your family and friends along. Check out the HKU Alumni Day website. Dr. Margaret Burnett (Director of SLGP) and Dr. Vivian Chu (Deputy Director of SLGP) will be there to reconnect with our alumni and meet anyone who is interested in being a more sustainable consumer!

Join us for a discussion with our alumni who will share with us their pathway to empowering themselves with the skills to make a difference. As we experience climate change anxiety, and a weakened sense of hope, we can share how to regain a sense of agency and become positive changemakers for a sustainable today and the future.  

Many governments around the world have now considered rural revitalisation an important strategic policy measure to combat global challenges such as urban-rural divide, climate change, and the degradation of natural resources and cultural heritage. So far, most rural revitalisation efforts have focused on disparate challenges faced by rural communities, including the demographic, socio-economic and environmental ones. A more integrated approach which emphasizes the importance of developing long-term resilience and robustness of local communities in dealing with external shocks and disturbances is key to successful rural revitalisation. This regional forum provides a platform for academics and practitioners to share and discuss how innovation and collaboration can help build robustness and resilience of rural communities. Distinguished keynote speakers from Asia-Pacific, who are experts in the academia, nonprofits, social enterprises, and food conglomerates, will share their insights and perspectives on the topic.

The “Forest Village Fest” will be organised annually towards the year-end to provide fun-filled events for the general public to appreciate the nature and rural beauty of Hong Kong. The festival will combine art, nature and village life, featuring harvesting, ecotours and cultural activities, as well as overnight camping. The “Forest Village Fest” will be conducted in Chinese and details are only available in Chinese.

This course focuses on introducing the basic concept and understanding of sustainable agriculture for pursuing economically viable, environmentally sound and socially responsible agriculture.

The demand for sustainability professionals as an “add-on” in the organization and seen primarily as a compliance activity, to communications and image initiatives for competitive advantage, is old news. We now see a greater understanding that sustainability is everything the organization does and to be an element of governance. With the conversation shifting from purely reactive measures focusing on risk to a growing recognition that opportunity seeking is where solutions lie, we see the concurrent demand for deep-seated knowledge, and expertise in new hires and for upskilling of existing employees in order to embed sustainability-based approaches across the organization. Join us for a discussion with our alumni who will share their experience of how sustainability knowledge is being actioned to address systemic change. Regardless of which discipline or role they play, we will discuss how sustainability-based learning must be central to how we make decisions.

With a distinctive interdisciplinary approach we prepare you for a role in the business, public or social sectors, to address sustainability challenges. Join us to advance your professional education and engage in creative problem-solving so you can be the changemaker you aspire to be. By studying sustainability you can not only follow your professional interests but build a career that satisfies you personally. It’s a fast growing job requirement, you can make a difference in social and environmental issues, and so in combination you can build a personally rewarding career. Join us for the next intake, September 2024 and enhance your changemaker skills.