Saint Francis University (SFU) in Hong Kong has signed its first formal agreements with a fellow Catholic institution, entering into two memoranda of understanding with Fu Jen Catholic University (FJCU) in Taiwan.
The agreements were signed in March during a ceremony at SFU’s Tiu Keng Leng campus, marking a milestone in the university’s ongoing internationalisation drive and deepening its commitment to Catholic higher education.
According to Sunday Examiner, the official news site of the Diocese of Hong Kong, the memoranda aimed to enhance institutional and health sciences cooperation between the two universities, with a focus on life education, Catholic doctrinal studies, and interdisciplinary research.
“The memoranda with FJCU are especially meaningful, as they are the first agreements the university has signed with another Catholic university,” said Professor Lo Tit-wing, acting president of SFU.
Lo said he hopes the partnership will pave the way for joint degree programs and research projects, as well as student and faculty exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The signing coincided with the 40th anniversary of SFU and the 100th anniversary of FJCU. Professor Yip Ping-keung, who represented FJCU at the ceremony, described the occasion as a “centennial gift,” reflecting the university’s enduring mission in Catholic education.
“The agreements demonstrate the two Catholic universities’ shared dedication to advancing life education and exchanging teaching methodologies across various fields,” said Yip.
FJCU’s College of Medicine, despite being established only 35 years ago, has become a central component of the university’s academic offerings. Its dean, Professor Liao Chun-hou, expressed hope for increased student exchanges and collaborative academic research between the two institutions.
Jesuit Father Philip Fung Hon-chung, head of the Jesuit Mission Office at FJCU and a former neurologist, said the Taiwanese university’s life education curriculum incorporates Catholic ethical teachings into academic life. He hoped the model would be of value to SFU as it develops its own programs.
Father Fung also expressed interest in learning from SFU’s nursing education. “We want to strengthen educational methods inspired by SFU’s nursing programmes,” he said.
Professor Eric Chan, dean of SFU’s S.K. Yee School of Health Sciences, welcomed the collaboration, noting that while SFU already emphasizes compassion in its nursing training, there is room for growth through exposure to FJCU’s creative teaching practices, such as the use of films to explore life values.
“One of the key objectives of the memoranda is to deepen the integration of compassion and service into our educational practices,” Chan said. “We want our students to understand the broader impact of their roles in society.”
After the ceremony, delegates from both universities toured SFU’s health sciences facilities, including home care training areas, VR simulation labs, and infection control rooms. The event concluded with a blessing led by Guadalupe Father Arturo De La Torre at the university’s chapel.
In remarks to the Sunday Examiner ahead of the ceremony, Lo said SFU has been actively seeking collaborations with Catholic institutions since it was officially designated as a university of applied sciences in November 2023.
The university recently hosted delegations from the University of Dayton and the Catholic University of Uruguay, and is scheduled to visit Boston College in the United States and the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany.
SFU has also joined the Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASEACCU) to expand its engagement with regional Catholic higher education networks.
In addition to Catholic university partnerships, SFU has signed agreements with institutions in mainland China, Russia, the UK, Finland, and Singapore. It is also strengthening relationships with Catholic secondary schools and plans to offer tuition waivers and studentships to attract learners from Southeast Asia.
