PolyU co-hosts The Third USR Summit in Beijing with PekingU

[Sponsored Article] The Third Summit on University Social Responsibility (USR), a key initiative of the University Social Responsibility Network (USR Network), kicked-off on 4 November 2016 in Beijing. Co-hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Peking University (Peking U), the Summit has attracted over 100 academia from around the world to gather together for a fruitful exchange on an important agenda: "Nurturing a Culture for University Social Responsibility".

The Opening Ceremony was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Addressing the Opening ceremony, Peking University President Professor Lin Jianhua said, "For universities in the Chinese mainland, we have a commitment to take on the responsibility for the society, the nation and the world. Peking University has inherited and has been diligently following this tradition. On the one hand, we teach students to bear social responsibility during their studies and after graduation. On the other hand, the Universities have to bear their responsibility for the community, the region, and the nation, during their course of development and advancement." Professor Lin added, "This is a difficult mission, and it calls for concerted efforts of higher education leaders."

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, PolyU President Professor Timothy W. Tong said, "Over the last few decades, global challenges such as economic development, environmental protection and technological innovation have driven universities worldwide to redefine their roles and responsibilities beyond traditional education and research in order to bolster their impact on society. Consequently, social responsibility has become a subject high on the agenda."

Professor Tong added, "The USR Network member universities sharing the same vision of making our world increasingly just, inclusive, peaceful and sustainable. With an emphasis on collaboration among members and with other networks and alliances, the Network has vigorously promoted USR by organizing a number of projects including this University Social Responsibility Summit."

This year, the Summit has brought together more than 50 speakers who are higher education leaders and scholars from over 10 countries and regions. They exchanged views at three Presidents' Roundtable sessions respectively themed "Social Responsibility: A Core Mission of Universities in 21st Century?", "USR: Translating Vision into Action and Impact", and "USR in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities".