Records of Communication and Public Affairs Office

The Communications and Public Relations Office (CPRO) disseminates public information about the University, its people, and its programs, provides public relations services, and promotes university activities both internally and externally. The precursor to the office emerged from two early units, adapting through reorganizations and renaming to meet the University's evolving demands.

Public relations services began in 1963 as the General and Public Affairs Section within the Central Office. This unit underwent several transformations: it was renamed the Public Relations and Information Section in 1973, moved under the Secretariat in 1976, and became the Information and General Affairs Section in 1983. Following a major reorganization of the Secretariat in 1990 into three sections—Personnel, Council and General Affairs, and University Development—the Information Office was integrated into the Council and General Affairs Section. In 1994, it evolved into the Information & Public Relations Office, and by 2005, it was officially established as the Communications and Public Relations Office (CPRO) to oversee the university’s comprehensive communication and public relations efforts.

Concurrently, the origins of information services can be traced to 1968 with the creation of the University Publications Office, which managed CUHK’s academic and administrative publishing needs. In 1977, this office was renamed the Chinese University Press, reflecting a focus on formal publishing. By 1981, a Publications Section within the Secretariat took on responsibilities for editing and producing key university publications, such as the CUHK Bulletin and the Vice-Chancellor’s Report. The 1990 Secretariat reorganization placed the Publications Office under the Council and General Affairs Section. In 2005, the Information Services Office (ISO) was formed as a stand-alone office.

In 2022, the CPRO and ISO merged to streamline communication and information dissemination, reflecting CUHK’s efforts to consolidate and professionalize its public relations and information services.