Happenings

Our Highlight
Event
The Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment Launching Ceremony cum Market Fair 2025

The Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment Launching Ceremony cum Market Fair 2025 will be composed of Project Launching Ceremony, Market Booth Fair, Interactive Workshops, Thematic Exhibition, Inclusive Performance and Sharing Sessions. It aims to serve as an essential platform, for members from all walks of life to discover and learn about the potential and […]

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Event
Diversity and Inclusion Arts Festival and Diverse Abilities · Inclusive Workplace Recognition Scheme

The Centre for Civil Society and Governance is invited to attend the Opening ceremony of Diversity and Inclusion Arts Festival and Diverse Abilities · Inclusive Workplace Recognition Scheme co-organised by Labour and Welfare Bureau and Arts With the Disabled Association Hong Kong. Under the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment, we are pleased to […]

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Admission
Career Talk cum admission Briefing for Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance

There is growing recognition that sustainability is necessary in everything we do, and more examples of various functional roles integrating accountability into organizational systems are becoming evident. The SLG Programme offers you multiple ways to integrate sustainability into your career path empowering you to make a difference on bigger, critical issues our communities face. Join […]

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Event
Survey: “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) in the Workplace and Disability Employment in Hong Kong

The Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong would like to invite your company to participate in a questionnaire survey to gauge Hong Kong corporations’ DEI policies and practices, as well as inclusive employment for people with disabilities. The survey is part of the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive […]

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Event
Forest Village Festival 2024

The “Forest Village Festival” is an annual celebration organised towards the year-end to provide fun-filled events for the public to appreciate the revitalisation effort of Mui Tsz Lam and Kop Tong. The festival offers visitors the unique experience of living with nature and culture through various thematic workshops, ecotours, and overnight camping. By featuring the […]

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Admission
Career Talk cum admission Briefing for Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance

The demand for sustainability professionals keeps growing! There’s increasing pressure on individuals and organisations to make informed decisions and take action, both individually and collectively to attain the positive impact our society and planet needs. No matter what field or discipline your training and expertise lies, you can advance policy, build capacity, mobilise and empower […]

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Admission
Master of Social Sciences in Sustainability Leadership and Governance 2025/2026 – Open for Admission

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 follow your professional interests and build […]

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Event
Kick-off Meeting: Structured Review and Formulation of Sustainable Village Revitalisation Model – A Case Study on the Experience in Lai Chi Wo

The Centre for Civil Society and Governance is appointed by the Countryside Conservation Office under the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the HKSAR Government for a sustainable village revitalisation study. This study aims to formulate the necessary building blocks for a sustainable village revitalisation model (SVRM) for Lai Chi Wo and Yan Chau Tong villages […]

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Research

HKU and Facebook jointly launched “Tech for Good Initiative” to strengthen public policy research on new technologies

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) announced the launch of the “Tech for Good Initiative” today (September 17), at the Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with Facebook Hong Kong. In collaboration with Facebook, Tech for Good Initiative” promises to strengthen institutional innovations with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in governance and public policy in a manner that is socially embedded, conducive to sustainability, and compatible with inclusive growth. Professor Wai-Fung Lam, Director of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance of HKU, and Mr. George Chen, Director of Public Policy for Greater China, Mongolia, and Central Asia of Facebook represented the two parties in signing the MoU. It was witnessed by Professor Paul Yip, Acting Dean of Social Sciences of HKU, and Ms. Jayne Leung, Vice President and Head of Greater China of Facebook. As part of the“Tech for Good Initiative” framework, HKU and Facebook have co-designed a new course “AI Policy Lab – Opportunities and Challenges in Digital Governance” (POLI8023 / SLGP7104), which will be taught by HKU scholars from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Facebook experts from different fields including Public Policy, Corporate Sustainability, Data Privacy, Automation, Misinformation, Legal and Content Regulations. The course will be open to students of HKU’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of International and Public Affairs (MIPA) and Master of Social Sciences in the field of Sustainability Leadership and Governance (MSocSc SLG) programmes. Besides, HKU will collaborate with Facebook to launch the new “Facebook-HKU Scholarship in Public Policy” to support a number of students and young scholars every year to conduct public policy research projects focussing on AI, AR/VR, ethics, cybersecurity and public policy-related areas. Facebook will also make a donation to HKU as a research grant. “Tech for Good Initative” will be housed at the Centre for Civil Society and Governance, with two co-directors overseeing the initative: Professor Wai-Fung Lam, representing HKU and Mr. George Chen, representing Facebook. Professor Wai-Fung Lam said: “I’m glad to bring HKU and Facebook together to launch this meaningful initiative, which will be an exciting one where a slew of teaching, research and community outreach activities will follow. HKU students will have the opportunity to enroll in a field trip to Facebook’s headquarters in Silicon Valley and the new Facebook Scholarships in Public Policy will be set up soon, which will benefit many young scholars. We expect the research and community outreach programmes to further build up an enabling ecosystem for the ethical use of AI and Big Data in the attainment of a sustainable society.” Mr. George Chen added, “The collaboration with HKU complements Facebook’s existing partnerships with other renowned academic institutions internationally. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring many leading HKU scholars and Facebook experts together to jointly tackle some emerging challenges in the interplay between technology and policy and I also look forward to some high quality research papers to be published annually through the “Tech for Good Initiative” that will certainly bring policy implications to Hong Kong and beyond.” Three series of research papers, namely, Tech for Resilience, Tech for Commoning, and Tech for Public Governance will be published for three consective years under the “Tech for Good Initative” framework. As part of the community outreach programme, an action research with a focus on AI in commoning will be launched in 2022. The project will seek to engage keen stakeholders in the civil society as well as members of the wider community. More details will be announced later this year. To find out more, please visit https://ccsg.hku.hk/tgi-about/. Please find high-res photos here.

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Media

Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research for the Asia Pacific Roundtable

On September 10, 2021 (Friday), Facebook and the Centre for Civil Society and Governance (CCSG) of The University of Hong Kong hosted the Ethics in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Initiative for the Asia Pacific Roundtable. Over 100 experts, practitioners, and academia in the field of ethical use of AI have registered to attend. The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (Privacy Commissioner), Hong Kong, Ms Ada CHUNG Lai-ling, delivered the Keynote Address to open the Roundtable. In her speech, the Privacy Commissioner discussed the governance of artificial intelligence (AI) and elaborated on the “Guidance on the Ethical Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence” recently published by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD). Presenters, who are the awardees of the Request for Proposals for AI ethics research in the Asia Pacific region, shared their research progress, initial findings ,and lessons learnt to the international audience. Several rounds of fruitful discussion were conducted after the presentations moderated by members of the Vetting Committee and experts from the field who served as discussants. Session moderators and discussants offered invaluable and constructive feedback to the awardees. Early impact of the research works was highlighted in the discussions. The Roundtable was a success and all participants enjoyed the knowledge-sharing and exchange. New connections and networks were established between those who participated and are committed to contribute to the development of the ethical use of AI-driven technology. It is the shared goal of Facebook and CCSG to promote and support the work on using technology for social good, and these institutions are set to announce future collaborative initiatives soon.

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Media

Organic coffee grown and roasted in Hong Kong the fruit of a sustainable farming project in roadless corner of New Territories

(Copyright © 2021 South China Morning Post)

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Event

Social Innovations for Sustainable Communities – Cohort 2 is NOW open

The incubation and funding scheme (Cohort 2) of the Social Innovations for Sustainable Communities is now open for application till 28 June 2021. Besides interactive excursions to learn about different social innovation projects and community works, our Learning Programme aims to facilitate you to transform into sustainability catalysers. You will also get a chance to win a seed grant for putting your ideas into actions!

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Event

Different Paths to Sustainability: A Roundtable of UNESCO Award-winning Heritage Projects from Hong Kong

13:30 - 17:15

A total of 21 Hong Kong’s conservation projects has been awarded the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation since 2000. This Roundtable calls upon the awardees to review how they understand sustainability as the pathway to continue the conservation effort, and to reflect on their contribution to the building of a sustainable community since the receiving of the UNESCO award. Participating projects include: Award of Merit in 2007 – Little Hong Kong Award of Merit in 2013 – Tai O Heritage Hotel Award of Excellence in 2017 – The Blue House Cluster Award for New Design in Heritage Context in 2019 – The Mills Special Recognition for Sustainable Development in 2020 – Lai Chi Wo Rural Cultural Landscape Date｜June 26, 2021 Time｜13:30-17:15 Venue｜Atrium, The Mills Fabrica Format｜Join us at the venue (quota: 50) or via Zoom; Facebook live broadcast available Language｜Mainly Cantonese For registration and details, please visit us at https://ccsg.hku.hk/ruralsd/en/pages/academy/a-roundtable-of-unesco-award-winning-heritage-projects-from-hong-kong/?fbclid=IwAR0ZhxmvdbM0S2axBZSsE_C1IVNoC6Z-kqObFdzwTsWkCrVsoyNp32f5pyQ

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Event

Social Innovations for Sustainable Communities’ Learning Programme is re-launching!

Initiated by the Social Entrepreneurship and Civic Action Lab of the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong, the “Social Innovations for Sustainable Communities” Programme (the Programme) aims to enrich and expand the frontier of the ecosystem for social entrepreneurship in Hong Kong with a view to preparing the community for meeting long-term local sustainability challenges, and crowdsourcing ideas and actions through incubating a corps of intergenerational “sustainability catalysers” consisting of young professionals and young old. The Programme connects different sectors for collective action to encourage re-thinking of how existing processes of resource allocation and utilization can be reconfigured to create new possibilities and blended values. The Programme is supported by Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.   Apart from our incubation and funding scheme, our most popular Learning Programme series has invited numerous VIP speakers to have interactive dialogues with participants regarding the latest trend and happenings in the social innovation sector! We have included topics such as the latest trend of social innovation, how does the sector face challenges in the midst of challenging times, strategies for fund application, business modelling, design thinking, and blended values! You will undoubtedly be equipped as a social innovator after joining the Programme. Don’t miss the chance and join us now!   Programme Details: https://ccsg.hku.hk/sisc/incubation-lp.php#incubation-lp-cohort2 Application: https://ccsg-hku.surveycake.biz/s/NwVLL   Remark 1: Live streaming with limited face-to-face quotas on a first-come-first-served basis Remark 2: Learning Programme (3) Design Thinking in Action is themed “empathizing colour blinded people”. The session will be conducted face-to-face only

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Event

“Sustainability and the ‘New Normal’: Building Business Preparedness and Leveraging New Opportunities” Knowledge Primer

14:30 - 16:30

As ESG, Sustainable Investing and Business Sustainability are gaining momentum worldwide, what is the best way for businesses to progress from the global pandemic and build for a more resilient and sustainable growth? At the “Sustainability and the ‘New Normal’: Building Business Preparedness and Leveraging New Opportunities” Knowledge Primer, we bring together sustainability experts and industry practitioners to discuss how integrating ESG risks and opportunities into core business strategies can enhance their adaptiveness to the New Normal challenges, help attain long-term resilience in the value chains while contributing to a sustainable future. Join us on 11th June 2021 (14:30 – 16:30 GMT+8) for an eventful afternoon on Business Sustainability! Register here NOW: https://bit.ly/3uWfXKQ At the event, the programme also officially launches the Sustainable Value Chains (SVC) Commitment and SMEs Sustainability Leadership Recognition Scheme, which connect large corporates and SMEs and provide capacity building resources to co-create SVC in Hong Kong and the region.

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Event

The Future Belongs to You: Let’s make our Climate Actions count

10:30 - 00:00

The COP26 Summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The UK, in partnership with Italy, will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) this November in Glasgow. This represents a key moment globally to accelerate towards the Paris Agreement and a net-zero transition. The Centre for Civil Society and Governance and the School of Biological Sciences are pleased to invite Mrs. Tamsin Heath, Acting British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao, and Mr. Clemente Contestabile, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong, to talk about the goals that have been set out for COP26, how we move to a clean economy, and the role of young people in climate change action. Date 22 May 2021 (Saturday) Time 10:30am – 12nn Venue CPD-3.28, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong Format Face-to-face & Online streaming Speakers Mrs. Tamsin Heath (Acting British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao) & Mr. Clemente Contestabile (Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong) Moderator Dr Terry Van Gevelt (Assistant Professor in Environmental Sustainability, Department of Politics and Public Administration, HKU) Language English Organisers HKU Centre for Civil Society and Governance and Master of Social Sciences in Corporate Environmental Governance Programme HKU School of Biological Sciences and Master of Science in Environmental Management Programme British Consulate-General Hong Kong Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong

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Event

The International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) 2021: Urban Commons Virtual Conference

Commoning in the rural-urban interface Rapid urbanization has often taken place at the expense of rural resources and the communities in which these resources are embedded.  Urban development is often premised solely on generating economic returns, and is considered to be at loggerheads with the vibrancy of rural areas.  Rural ecological services, however, are important to sustainable cities; perhaps more importantly, the cultural heritage and social capital rooted in rural communities are a coherent part of a city’s identity.  How to manage and revitalize rural resources amid urbanization so as to attain a sustainable rural-urban interface is a major challenge for many big cities, particularly those in Asia.  To what extent a commoning approach can help manage and revitalize rural resources?  What are the opportunities and challenges for practicing commoning in the rural-urban interface? Convenor: Professor Wai-Fung Lam from the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong Register to participate, or Submit your Abstract!

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