The Faculty of Business at Lingnan University joins other top institutions showcasing their commitment to sustainable development

On 26 June, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the publication of the Charter of the United Nations, an international conference, Arts for Sustainable Development: Advancing the SDGs Through Cultural Collaboration was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Lingnan University, which has come first worldwide for SDG 4: Quality Education in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, attended the conference as one of the supporting institutions, alongside Tsinghua University, the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and other regional alumni associations. Together, they explored how integrating the arts, technology, and business can drive innovative solutions for global sustainability.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration: highlighting the strengths of business Innovation

Prof Ma Lijun, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Business of Lingnan University, told the conference about Lingnan’s Master of Science in Arts Technology and Business programme, which emphasises a dynamic interdisciplinary model of Arts-Technology-Business, leveraging the valuable resources of Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts & Design together with Lingnan’s business expertise. By integrating design into management, the programme fosters innovative talents focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Student projects encompass fields ranging from finance, healthcare and tourism to rural revitalisation, and draw attention to the cross-disciplinary potential of business and arts technology.

Young pioneers: AI empowers social innovation 

In the One Time, One Future exhibition, student teams from Lingnan and Tsinghua Universities had the opportunity to display their Arts + AI social innovation projects, which demonstrate the ability of the youth of the Greater Bay Area to use technology to solve real-world problems. The artworks were much admired by visitors.

Policy empowerment: building a global education brand

This trip to the United Nations highlights an important initiative by the Faculty of Business at Lingnan University, aligning with the Hong Kong SAR Government's strategic positioning as an East-meets-West Centre for International Cultural Exchange and an International Innovation and Technology Centre. By making the most of the unique advantages of One Country, Two Systems and the resources of the Greater Bay Area, the faculty is actively encouraging collaboration between industry, academia, and researchers to establish Hong Kong as a global leader in sustainable development education.

"Our involvement in this UN conference signifies an important milestone for the Faculty of Business at Lingnan University in promoting the integration of art, technology, and business,” said Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business at Lingnan University. “We will continue to strengthen our relationships with leading institutions around the world to achieve the global implementation of our interdisciplinary model so as to produce more socially responsible business leaders who think creatively."

For the UN conference replay, please visit: https://webtv.un.org/en