University social responsibility—or USR for short—is the promotion by tertiary education institutions of a set of values and principles that will help us resolve and overcome the grand challenges we face. The human race is facing an existential threat in global warming with its concomitant scourges of hunger, increasing inequality, and the tragic depletion of natural, social and cultural resources. We urgently need to build a more sustainable world, and universities have a responsibility to initiate and realize sustainable development—a culture and a set of practices that allow us to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs....

CUHK aims to be a civic university, namely its actions and activities must positively impact society. Our devotion to this cause springs from our recognition that, as one of Hong Kong's leading universities, we have local, national and global social responsibilities. We are committed to translating our social responsibility into action, by empowering and transcending our core functions—teaching, research and engagement—to tackle various pressing social issues and sustainability challenges.

It is action, not words, that will make a real difference. USR will be at the forefront of our strategic development agenda. We have built into our education curriculum contents that present relevant and actionable knowledge for our students, to ensure that the essence and spirit of USR can be cultivated and amplified. Our professors and investigators are actively generating innovative and constructive knowledge for sustainable development through their research. We have set for ourselves concrete sustainable development targets, in alignment with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations. Our determination to discharge our wider social responsibilities will translate into achievements we can all be proud of, and we will also be setting a fine example for others to follow, both here in Hong Kong and in the wider regional and global community.