Press Releases

Seven outstanding individuals will receive Honorary University Fellowships from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Thursday, December 15, 2005. The Fellowships will be presented by Dr the Honourable David K P Li, HKU Pro-Chancellor.

The Honorary University Fellowships were created in 1995 for those who are held in the highest regard by the University and to establish closer relationships with the community.

The recipients of the 2005 Honorary University Fellowships will be:

Professor Hou Jiancun

Professor Hou is an eminent physician in the medical field in Mainland China and an outstanding HKU alumnus. In recognition of his lifelong dedication to the study of pathology on the Mainland, he has been appointed University Professor of Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) and is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. As a core member of the Hong Kong University Alumni Association of the Chinese Mainland (HKUAACM) for over 10 years, Professor Hou has made enormous contributions to University alumni networking on the Mainland. Professor Hou was appointed Research Fellow of the Institute for Fundamental Medical Studies of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for research and training in Immunology.

Professor Felice Lieh-Mak

Professor Lieh-Mak is an emeritus professor and former Dean of the HKU Faculty of Medicine. Professor Lieh-Mak is actively involved in University administration and has served on a number of Faculty and Senate committees. In addition to her academic activities, Professor Lieh-Mak is extensively involved in community service. She was a member of the Legislative and Executive Councils, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the ICAC and a member of the Education Commission. Currently Professor Lieh-Mak is the Chairman of the Medical Council and the Chairman of the English Schools Foundation. She was awarded an OBE in 1991 and a CBE in 1997 in recognition of her community service.

Dr Ambrose So Shu Fai

Dr So has been outstanding in his dedication to the development of HKU, to the service of our alumni, and to the cultural community of Hong Kong and Macau. Dr So has served on the Convocation Standing Committee since 2000 and Court since 2004. He is a Founding Honorary Director of the HKU Foundation, and was elected to the Board of Directors in October 2003. He has supported numerous fundraising initiatives and introduced many friends and philanthropists from various sectors of the community to the Foundation. Dr So also takes a personal interest in aiding student development and growth, and has been an active Mentor of the HKU Mentorship Programme since 2001. He is also a member of the Alumni Council of HKU SPACE.

Dr Tam Wah Ching

Dr Tam is a well-known industrialist and philanthropist. He has been an ardent supporter of HKU's academic endeavours since 1990. Over the past 15 years, Dr Tam has contributed to the University through the HKU Foundation, becoming an Honorary Patron in 1995 and actively participating on its Board of Directors and Membership Committee. Dr Tam's contribution was instrumental in establishing many funds that would enable the University to expand its research activities. Dr Tam also participates actively in social and philanthropic services, including the Lions Club, Po Leung Kuk, Boy Scouts, and the Community Chest in Hong Kong. He also contributed to various educational and medical projects in Mainland China.

Mr Raymond To Kwok Wai

Mr To is a leading contemporary playwright and renowned film director in Hong Kong. He was a pioneer in helping to change stage performances in Hong Kong from government-subsidized activities into popular and profitable Broadway-style shows that also benefited tourism and creative industries. Mr To has won many awards from the Hong Kong Film Awards and the Annual Hong Kong Drama Awards, including the Best Screenplay and "Artist of the Year" (Stage Playwright). He also received the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 1999 to honour his contributions to drama, film and culture in Hong Kong. He has regularly come back to the University, his alma mater, to help nurture the next generation, especially in General Education courses.

Ms Serena Yang Hsueh-chi

Since coming to the University in 1994 as a visiting mature student, Ms Yang developed a passionate interest in the history of psychoanalysis especially in Japan. She has translated many articles and written several papers and a monograph on the subject and presented her work internationally. From her position as an Honorary Senior Research Associate of the Department of Psychology, she has gone on to support a multitude of the University's activities, from the Social Sciences to Medicine, from student scholarships to Endowed Professorships. Ms Yang donated more than HK$20 million to the University over the years. The Serena Yang Library and Prizes were established by the Department of Surgery in honour of her contributions. She shares the University's vision for the future, and showed her support of HKU's focus on internationalisation by donating HK$2 million to establish a new international student centre on campus - the "Global Lounge", and HK$5 million to the Faculty of Social Sciences' "Social Exposure Program".

Dr Yeoh Eng Kiong

Dr. Yeoh's work on the vaccination against hepatitis B, particularly in newborns, was pioneering in the eradication of an infection that has a causal relationship to liver cancer. The greatest impact of Dr. Yeoh's work as Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority was in the public health care delivery system, which has moved into a new phase and embraced new values of being patient-centred, with a focus on patient outcomes and an emphasis on quality. In public health, Dr. Yeoh was the first in Hong Kong to be involved in Hepatitis B vaccination and AIDS programmes in the 1980s. Dr. Yeoh was awarded JP in 1993, OBE in 1997 and GBS in 2005. He is an alumnus of the University and currently also Honorary Clinical Professor in the HKU Department of Medicine and the Department of Community Medicine. As Secretary of Health, Welfare and Food of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, he established systems in the healthcare delivery, financing and quality assurance systems for a vision of "a lifelong investment on health". He modernised the capabilities of the system to deal with the threat of outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The pictures of all seven recipients of 2005 Honorary University Fellowships can be downloaded from: www4.hku.hk/honfellows/honorary-university-fellows/2005 .

The presentation ceremony will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2005, in the Rayson Huang Theatre at the main campus of the University. Media representatives are cordially invited to attend.