In the interconnected world in the 21st century, global challenges call for interdisciplinary collaborations. In so doing, not only is inter-connectedness of faculties to foster synergistic collaboration pivotal, but also strong local and international partnerships among institutions, industry stakeholders, and community groups are required. Further, a vibrant research culture, which supports the behaviour and practices expected in world-leading research environments, is the prerequisite to research excellence. To harness the benefits of scientific discovery, it is necessary to translate innovation and research results into practical application. CityU demonstrates the possible model of knowledge transfer with its largest university-based entrepreneurship programme in Asia, HK Tech 300. The forum sets out to explore the strategies for excellence in research in a global context.