Happenings

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 through reviewing the rural revitalisation experience in LCW while considering ESG elements and the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. The study will make reference to case examples in Mainland China as well as other cities in the Asia-Pacific region. It is expected that the study’s recommendations will help build the eco-tourism pillar of the Northern Metropolis Action Agenda 2023.   Kick-off Project Meeting: Structured Review and Formulation of Sustainable Village Revitalisation Model - A Case Study on the Experience in Lai Chi Wo

Our Deputy Director Dr Winnie Law and Assistant Director Katie Chick participated at the Asia-Pacific Higher Education Network for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (APHEN-ICH) General Meeting and Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal between September 21-23, 2024. The conference theme for this year is “Intangible Cultural Heritage for Building Community Resilience: Contexts of Disasters and Climate Change” where presenters discussed the challenges and solutions for safeguarding ICH as the risks associated with earthquake, flooding, storm surge, etc. have significantly increased. Many scholars and practitioners at the conference have stressed on the importance of community involvement. The “Living Heritage” approach where the community is actively involved and interacted with the ICH is a key to building resilience against the climate’s impact on heritage.   Find out more from here.   Founding universities of APHEN-ICH Showcasing the Centre’s rural sustainability initiatives at the conference       Honorable Mayor Sunil Pajapati of Bhaktapur Municipality, Kathmandu greeted the delegation                       Citizens using the heritage as civic space for everyday living          

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!

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.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Centre for Civil Society and Governance at The University of Hong Kong (the Centre) collaborates with four key NGO partners – CareER, Heep Hong Society, SAHK and St. James’ Settlement; and implements Jockey Club Collaborative Project for Inclusive Employment. The three-year Project aims at encouraging members of the society to think outside the box in terms of job types for people with disabilities (PWD) and providing them with more suitable opportunities, so their talents and contributions can be fully acknowledged from multiple perspectives. The Project’s Inclusive Career Platform will organize “Inclusive Employment Fair cum Exhibition 2023 – Inclusive Education & Employment – Business and School Partnership Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony and Idea Exchange Session”. It aims at raising awareness of people from different sectors (especially the corporates and schools) on the potentials and value of PWD in different areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration, facilitating network building and action platform in order to create more opportunities for PWD. Through thematic knowledge exchange sessions, this event aspires to further promote inclusive employment development in Hong Kong and create a more inclusive and sustainable society. Discussion topics include the relationship between inclusive employment, corporate sustainability and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI); experience sharing of corporates; and the development of related vocational training.   Date: November 3, 2023 (Friday) Time: 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm (Registration starts at 2:00pm) Venue: Atrium, L1 D‧PARK, Tsuen Wan Language: Cantonese (Sign language is available. Please indicate in the registration) Main Target: Corporates, schools, NGOs and people who are interested in the agenda of inclusive employment for PWD Quota: Limited seats; first-come-first-served. Please registration in advance Fee: Free Sign-up Now: https://ccsg-hku.surveycake.biz/s/BVbzZ (Registration deadline: October 27, 2023) Rundown Event Summary: Opening Ceremony of Inclusive Employment Fair cum Exhibition 2023 Inclusive Education & Employment – Business and School Partnership Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony Idea Exchange Sessions Session (1): What Does Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Mean in a Corporate? Ms. Dorothy LAU (Senior Manager, Environment & Social Responsibility – Insights & Communications, MTR Corporation Limited) Session (2): Nurturing Local Talent Pool – Unlocking the Potential of PWD for Inclusive Growth Ms. YANG Shun-Lai (Senior Manager, Vocational Training for People with Disabilities Office (VTPDO), VTC) Refreshment and Networking Inclusive Employment Fair cum Exhibition Tour* *Remarks: Between November 3 and 5 (Friday to Sunday), there will also be a bazaar, an inclusive employment exhibition, art installations, and experiential workshops. All are welcome. For more details, please Contact: 3917 8638 Ms Renee LAW

Dubbed as a world-famous food paradise, Hong Kong has a vibrant foodservice landscape. The vibrancy, however, comes with a huge amount of waste generated throughout the operations. Not only is it a waste of resources but also increases the operating cost. As part of the government’s strategy to achieve “#WasteReduction．#ResourcesCirculation．#ZeroLandfill”, both the forthcoming #municipalsolidwastechargingscheme and single-use plastic ban call for the industry to actively work with different stakeholders to transition to a circular economy.   This Knowledge Primer will inquire into how the local foodservice industry can attain resource #circularity through collaboration with the government, businesses, consumers and culinary training institutes. The four individual presentations will shed light on the following topics: Invest Hong Kong will share the latest local trends of foodservice value chain’s innovation for circularity; The Institute of Dining Professionals will identify challenges involved in realising resource circularity, and discuss possible strategies for the industry to align the operations with resource circularity; Maxim’s Group will present practical insights of engaging consumers on circularity with the Circularity in Action projects’ experiences; The Principal of Hotel and Tourism Institute, Chinese Culinary Institute, and International Culinary Institute will bring in the perspective of instilling #circularthinking into the practitioners through refreshing curriculum and other learning experience.   A moderated discussion among the speakers will follow to exchange ideas on their different roles, and also potential synergy in the foodservice industry’s #valuechain to bring about circular transition.   The event will also celebrate the launch of the project’s A Practical Guidebook to a Circular Economy: Collaborating with Value Chain Partners for a Resilient Business. Designed as a go-to self-study resource particularly for foodservice business owners and managers to grasp and act on the idea of resource circularity, this Guidebook emphasises intellectual access, practicality, value chain-based problem-solving, and local relevance. The guidebook highlights exemplary circularity projects and best practices for reference, and also provides standard-aligned step-by-step guidance and readily available templates to help the readers translate commitment into action. Event details: Date: 17 October 2023 (Tuesday) Time: 2:30pm – 5:00pm (4:15pm to 5:00pm will be the networking session) Venue: HKU iCube, 4005-07, Two Exchange Square, Central, Hong Kong Format: Physical* Language: Cantonese and English (with SI) Programme website: https://bit.ly/KP6Event_eng For programme rundown: https://bit.ly/KP6Rundown For registration:  http://bit.ly/KP6_Registration (Deadline: 13 October 2023) For enquiry: Mr. Woody Cheng (Tel: 3910-2463 / Email: pslb@hku.hk)