Research Lecture Series I, 2026/27
We are pleased to announce the first lecture of Research Lecture Series in 2026/27 which invites prominent EdUHK scholars to share their research experiences and new ideas with the EdUHK community. Invited speakers in the Series will not only disseminate their research works that position them to be highly cited researchers, but also share their experiences and strategies leading to their successes with audiences, particularly younger researchers.
It is our honour to have invited Professor Cai Yuzhuo, Professor of the Department of Education Policy and Leadership to be the speaker of the first lecture in the Series. Professor Cai, who has been listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists 2025 by Stanford University, will share his ideas and experiences on “From Innovation Systems to Ecosystems: Re-positioning Universities for Sustainable Impact”.
Academic and postgraduate students are cordially invited to join the research lecture series to ask questions and further strengthen our research development. Details of the lecture are as follows:
Please register from the following link for online participation!
Date | 4 March 2026 (Wednesday)
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Time | 10:00 am - 11:30 am
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| Speaker | Professor Cai Yuzhuo Professor of the Department of Education Policy and Leadership (EPL), Co-Director of Global Research Institute for Finnish, European and Global South Education (GRIFE) |
| Moderator | Professor Chetwyn Chan, VP(RD) |
| Topic | From Innovation Systems to Ecosystems: Re-positioning Universities for Sustainable Impact Drawing on Prof Yuzhuo Cai’s cross-disciplinary, high-impact scholarship at the intersection of higher education, innovation studies, organisational theory and sustainability, this lecture explains how—and why—universities must be re-positioned as innovation thinking moves from planned innovation “systems” to more fluid innovation “ecosystems”. It advances an outside-in lens that starts from societal challenges and stakeholder expectations, and then traces how universities adapt their roles, partnerships and governance to create sustainable impact. The lecture contrasts innovation systems, typically geared towards technological competitiveness and relatively bounded policy architectures, with innovation ecosystems characterised by interdependence, co-creation and shared-value generation across universities, industry, government and civil society. It argues that this shift is reconfiguring the university itself: from the ivory-tower ideal, through the entrepreneurial university, towards the Sustainable Entrepreneurial University. As an ideal type, the Sustainable Entrepreneurial University aligns economic, social and environmental responsibilities for the SDGs across teaching, research and engagement—providing a coherent framework for understanding universities’ evolving contribution to sustainable transformation. |
| Target Participants | 1. Academic Staff; and 2. Postgraduate (RPg) Students |
| Venue | A-G/F-08 |
| Language | English |
| Registration | https://intapp.eduhk.hk/enroll/course1.php?groupid=RDO001 Registration deadline: 3 March 2026 (If you are outside the campus, please access the registration link with the University’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.) |
