Lingnan University signs MoU with 10 universities in the Philippines to promote inclusive business for sustainable impact in Asia

To promote inter-university cooperation between Hong Kong and the Philippines, Lingnan University (LU)’s Office of Service-Learning (OSL) and 10 universities in the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today (9 February).

Lingnan University in Hong Kong and 10 universities in the Philippines sign a MoU today.

To promote inter-university cooperation between Hong Kong and the Philippines, Lingnan University (LU)’s Office of Service-Learning (OSL) and 10 universities in the Philippines signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today (9 February).

 

At the signing ceremony, Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President of LU, and 10 representatives from the participating universities signed the MoU, which aims to frame a partnership building a collaborative platform for academics, social innovators, and small business owners to learn and apply the Inclusive Business (IB) framework to overcome scalability challenges and achieve financial sustainability. The platform will also accelerate IB research, education and implantation in Asia, and generate novel case studies enriching the global IB community. The MoU will last for a period of two years from 2023 to 2025.

 

In his address, Prof Joshua Mok Ka-ho, Vice-President of LU, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the partner institutions for their unfailing support. He said, “Collaborating under the MoU, participating universities will join hands to help small business owners develop innovative business solutions that improve livelihood and resilience. Independent farmers, fishermen and local retailers will learn and practise the IB framework with the support of university staff and students. In return, university members will gain invaluable learning and research opportunities that continue to benefit social innovators in other Asian countries. We are certain that this agreement will create win-win cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership between Hong Kong and the Philippines.”

 

As well as signing the agreement, LU co-organised an inaugural workshop on “Building Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Asia” with the BoP Innovation Center (Bopinc) on campus from 6 to 10 February. The five-day workshop focused on topics of financial inclusion, digital innovation, women’s entrepreneurship, and circular economy, which was presented by Dutch experts from the Bopinc. Professionals and academics from the Philippines, Canada, and the UK, and students in the LU Master of Arts in Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management programme attended the ceremony.