[Company News] The founding ceremony and theme forum of East China Alumni Association of Business School of Hong Kong University was held in Shanghai on December 6, 2025. The event, with the theme of “Unite the Power of HKU, Open a New Chapter for East China”, brought together HKU leaders, academic experts, alumni entrepreneurs and guests from all walks of life to witness the establishment of East China Alumni Association and the mission of the new leadership. Dr. Su Ertian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global New Material International Holdings Limited, has been elected as the first president of East China Alumni Association of Business School of Hong Kong University, thanks to his deep industry experience, global vision and sense of responsibility.
At the opening event, Dr. Su Ertian presented the current situation and future prospects of East China Alumni Association. He noted that the establishment of the alumni association is a grand event and milestone for alumni in East China, marking an upgrade from “loose emotional connection” to “close value community”, and building a core platform for standardized operation to unite alumni strength, serve alumni development, and give back to the Alma mater and society. He stressed that the “HKU gene” nurtured by the university motto “Sapientia Et Virtus” and the educational philosophy “Integrating the East and the West” is the spiritual bond of the alumni, and the council will build a core team with warmth and combat effectiveness around the four missions of “inheriting the spirit of HKU, uniting the strength of alumni, empowering the development of alumni, and fulfilling social responsibilities”.
On idea-sharing session, Dr. Su Ertian shared the core content, action framework and breakthrough path for upgrading the alumni association to a “community of development” under the title “Smart Connection between Shanghai and Hong Kong, Co-creation and Co-development of Industrial Innovation”.
He explained that “Smart Connection between Shanghai and Hong Kong” encompasses three dimensions:
• The channel ensures the efficiency of the flow of people, goods and capital through “hardware connections” such as cross-border transportation and financial platforms;
• The rule breaks down barriers to cross-border flows of capital and innovation through institutional support such as regulatory coordination and intellectual property services;
• The scenario focuses on practical applications such as enterprise upgrading, technology transfer, and cross-border collaboration to bring synergy value to life.
“Co-creation of industrial innovation” focuses on three practical scenarios:
• Drive the digitalized and intelligent upgrading of manufacturing and turn factories into testing grounds for innovation;
• Build a system for the cross-border transformation of scientific and technological achievements to achieve the leap from “theory to industrialization”;
• Focus on new quality productivity and build an investment synergy model of “industrial innovation + funding + accompanying”.
To realize the vision, Dr. Su Ertian proposed an action framework of “one platform, two main lines, three mechanisms, four drivers” : build a Shanghai-Hong Kong industrial innovation collaboration platform and establish three ledgers of projects, capital, and experts; With alumni growth and brand enhancement as the dual mainlines; Build synergy through information sharing, peer assessment, and value sharing; With activities, projects, capital and think tanks as the driving force for implementation, the aim is to upgrade the alumni association from an “emotional community” to a “development community”.
The election of Dr.Su Ertian as the First President of East China Alumni Association of Business School of Hong Kong University is not only a high recognition of his personal ability and responsibility by alumni, but also a full affirmation of Global New Material International ‘global resource integration strength, industrial innovation ability and corporate mission responsibility! In the future, Global New Material International will continue to adhere to the development strategy of “materials + innovation + all scenarios”, with the alumni association as an important link, deepen school-enterprise cooperation, mobilize the strength of alumni, and continue to move forward on the road of empowering the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Delta and helping Chinese enterprises go global, jointly writing a wonderful chapter of industrial empowerment and win-win cooperation!
Zhou Hanmin, Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association, Zhao Zhen, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Xu Zhi, Member of the Standing Committee of Huangpu District Committee of the Communist Party of China and Deputy District Head, Professor Shen Zuojun, Vice President of Hong Kong University and foreign academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Cai Hongbin, Dean of Business School of Hong Kong University, Director of Research Institute of Chinese Economics of Business School, and Professor of Economics Lecture, Professor Lu Xiongwen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Management of Fudan University，alumni and students of Business School of Hong Kong University, as well as officials from Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government, Business School of Hong Kong University, East China Alumni Association of Business School of Hong Kong University, SOHO China and relevant departments of Huangpu District attended the event.