Happenings

Under the Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance is delighted to participate in the Hong Kong Inclusion Summit 2026, hosted by @SCMP LIVE, together with all our project partners. Our project set up an exhibition booth to showcase our work and seize this valuable opportunity to connect with new potential partners. The Summit provided a vibrant platform to advance conversations on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in Hong Kong, highlighting how diverse and inclusive workforces drive business success. The event was a great success — let’s keep collaborating to build more inclusive workplaces and communities!

The workshop on the Special Issue in Voluntas: The Nonprofit Sector and ESG, organised by the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong, was successfully convened on January 8-9, 2026. This engaging two-day event brought together scholars, as well as professionals from the corporate and nonprofit sectors, to discuss the fascinating research conducted by international authors contributing to this special issue. Each presentation was followed by lively discussion and Q&A sessions, reflecting high engagement and diverse perspectives from participants. The workshop successfully fostered meaningful dialogue on the ways the nonprofit sector intersects with ESG. The workshop featured five comprehensive panels comprising a total of 12 insightful papers, addressing key themes across the ESG landscape: Philosophical and Cultural Perspectives on ESG Highlighted that ESG is not merely a technical framework, but also a deeply normative and culturally embedded concept Governance and Sustainability Examined how ESG is interpreted and implemented in concrete organizational and policy settings Public Perceptions of Nonprofits and ESG Explored how nonprofits are perceived, evaluated, and engaged by the public and other stakeholders: Trust, legitimacy, and participation Collaboration and Cross-Sector Partnerships in ESG Discussed the nuanced treatment of collaboration. Power asymmetries, strategic alignment, and the risks of mission drift. ESG Metrics, Reporting, and Evaluation in the Nonprofit Sector Addressed the need to balance standardization and comparability with contextual sensitivity and mission-specific goals Across these discussions, several cross-cutting themes emerged: ESG is not a one-size-fits all framework. Its meaning and implications vary across cultures, sectors, institutional contexts, and organizational forms Nonprofits are not passive recipients of ESG pressures. They actively interpret, adapt, and sometimes resist ESG frameworks Collaboration is central to advancing ESG for social good 🏬Field Visit to Nan Fung Group at AIRSIDE: Insights into Corporate Sustainability and NGO Collaboration Participants learned about Nan Fung’s sustainability framework, SEWIT, including management tools and impact measurement methods. SEWIT’s pillars: Social Cohesion, Environment, Wellness, Innovation, and Technology, guiding long-term business and community sustainability. Engaged in in-person exchanges with community stakeholders at Good Date Village, grounding the framework in real-world practice. A big thank you to the Nan Fung team for hosting us and for the insightful sharing. We also extend our gratitude to all participants for making this event a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. We look forward to further academic contributions in ESG within the nonprofit sector.  

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 countless natural, social and cultural capitals and assets at the two villages, we hope the public can be inspired and join us in protecting the valuable landscape of our countryside. This year, there will be a two-day carnival, the New Year's Sunrise Tour and the Winter Solstice Camping event to explore the rural treasures. Further details are only available in Chinese or you may send your enquiries to ruralsd@hku.hk