The reception took place at the start of the official Swiss delegation visit of university and research representatives to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai, China led by State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), Prof. Martina Hirayama and introduced Swissnex – Hong Kong, strengthening the support for Swiss stakeholders engaging with Hong Kong and the wider Greater Bay Area.

State Secretary Martina Hirayama, Hong Kong Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong, and Swiss Consul General Daniel Freihofer opened the evening.

The evening also showcased two examples of research collaboration between Switzerland and Hong Kong. Professor David Atienza, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at EPFL, reflected on more than seven years of collaboration with partners in Hong Kong, including research through the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)-led ACCESS InnoHK center, while Professor Yi-Ru Regina Chen, Professor and Head of the Department of Communication Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), shared insights from an international research collaboration spanning Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Australia. Drawing on their projects, both shared perspectives on how international research partnerships develop and the value they bring.

Chen’s project, “Communicating Net-Zero Effectively: A Trilateral Research Network Across Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Australia,” is funded by the Leading House Asia Pacific. It illustrates how targeted funding can help initiate and strengthen international research networks across the Asia-Pacific region.

The introduction of Swissnex – Hong Kong as a specialized part of Swissnex in China follows the growing momentum of Switzerland’s research and innovation presence in the region. It contributes to the existing Swiss network and structures on the ground, providing Swiss stakeholders with local networks, ecosystem knowledge and access to opportunities in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and the wider Greater Bay Area.

The Leading House Asia Pacific, hosted by UZH on behalf of the Swiss higher education sector and mandated by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), complements this local presence by facilitating academic exchange and research cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region through funding, network-building, and outreach activities. Together, the two platforms provide complementary support for Swiss institutions seeking to develop and strengthen partnerships in the region.

The reception concluded with a networking dinner, offering further opportunities to strengthen connections between participants from Switzerland and Hong Kong. For UZH, the event reflected its broader commitment as Leading House Asia Pacific to fostering long-term research and innovation partnerships across the region.

[This press release is a shared communication together with the Leading House Asia Pacific, University of Zurich (UZH)]