Laurie Pearcey The Chinese University of Hong Kong

W100 Representative

Laurie PearceyAssociate Vice-President (External Engagement & Outreach)


Laurie Pearcey commenced his appointment at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in September 2021. Laurie is responsible for expanding CUHK’s external reputation and profile with media, public policy makers, industry partners, future students and alumni locally, nationally and overseas.

Prior to his appointment at CUHK, Laurie was Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) and served as Chief Executive Officer of Australia’s oldest pathways education provider, UNSW Global Pty Ltd. Before joining higher education, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Australia China Business Council. Laurie is a fluent Mandarin speaker and is learning Cantonese.

Laurie is a non-executive director of UCAS International in the United Kingdom.

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a unique mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West.

CUHK offers Hong Kong’s only collegiate system which provides students with an enriching experience to supplement their education provided by the University’s eight Faculties.

CUHK has a proud heritage of outstanding research addressing some of humanity’s major challenges with four areas of research focus spanning China studies, innovative biomedicine, information, and automation technologies, as well as environment and sustainability.

Its major research breakthroughs include liquid biopsy in prenatal testing and early cancer detection, biotechnological improvements in soybeans, molecular analysis for cancer and metabolic disease detection and treatment, drug development for rare neurodegenerative disease, network coding theory that has revolutionised data transmission and network applications, as well as artificial intelligence and robotics solutions for smart cities and biomedicine.

CUHK was the first Hong Kong university to establish a campus in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with its Shenzhen campus formally opening its doors in 2014.

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A bridge betweenChina and the West

CUHK responds to the fast-changing world by enhancing its reputation, presence, relevance, and impact globally as well as embracing cultural diversity and full inclusiveness. This is demonstrated in its efforts in teaching, research, and global engagement.

In a short span of 58 years, CUHK has become a leading institution of higher learning known internationally for its dedication to education, impactful research, and global engagement.

The rapid growth of China has created an abundance of opportunities for development in higher education and collaboration between the mainland and Hong Kong universities. During the past few years, CUHK has strengthened its presence in Shenzhen and collaborations with mainland institutions, capitalizing on opportunities arising from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development Plan and the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative.

Global engagement will continue to be a major focus of the University under ‘CUHK 2025’. The grand challenges facing the world require global collaboration. The jobs of the future will not be confined by borders.

Internationalization and engagement of mainland China will continue to be a priority in the University’s pursuit of excellence with purpose and responsibility.

Mission and vision

  • Mission: To assist in the preservation, creation, application and dissemination of knowledge by teaching, research and public service in a comprehensive range of disciplines, thereby serving the needs and enhancing the well-being of the citizens of Hong Kong, China as a whole, and the wider world community.
  • Vision: To be acknowledged locally, nationally and internationally as a first-class comprehensive research university whose bilingual and multicultural dimensions of student education, scholarly output and contribution to the community consistently meet standards of excellence.

From discovery to innovation

6,766

Total research output items

HK$1,245.24

Total research funding in 2021

Research lies at the heart of the vision and mission of CUHK. A champion of research and innovation that create value and bring benefits to society, CUHK is recognized today as a leading research university in Asia and among the best in the world. In the coming five years, CUHK will focus on integrating research, innovation and enterprise into a dynamic and productive continuum, a superhighway that enables the translation of research into tangible benefits and the delivery of innovation to the world.

With a clear and pronounced emphasis on interdisciplinary research that crosses the boundaries of individual academic units, the University seeks to optimize opportunities to generate impactful outcomes.

CUHK’s research strategies aim to realize its vision as a centre of excellence for developing cutting-edge research and emerging interdisciplinary strengths that have global impact and significant contributions to society, through translating research findings into practical applications. Riding on our current research strengths, four major research areas have been identified in the CUHK Strategic Plan 2021–2025:

  • Strategic Area 1 — China: Tradition and Modernity
  • Strategic Area 2 — Innovative Biomedicine
  • Strategic Area 3 — Information and Automation Technology
  • Strategic Area 4 — Environment and Sustainability

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