名譽大學院士

福田敬二教授是全球知名內科醫生及流行病學家，且為公共衞生與新發傳染疾病的國際權威。他是香港大學公共衞生學院榮譽教授，於2017至2021年間出任院長一職。

福田教授留學美國，擁歐柏林學院文學士、佛蒙特大學本科臨床醫學博士及加州大學柏克萊分校公共衞生碩士學位，於美國疾病控制中心（疾控中心）接受流行病學調查訓練。

福田教授曾任世界衞生組織（世衞）衞生安全助理總幹事及全球流感規劃處長，期間領導多項國際田野調查及評估任務，並曾參與應對全球甲型H1N1流感疫情。他亦作為世衞主要代表參與過多次重要衞生事務會議，包括聯合國大會2016年抗微生物藥物耐藥性問題高級別會議。

福田教授跟香港與港大淵源深厚。加盟世衞前，他於疾控中心服務20年，期間曾擔任流感部流行病學處處長，於1997年親自帶領團隊來港調查H5N1禽流感疫情。2003年嚴重急性呼吸系統綜合症（沙士）爆發期間，他亦曾於香港、北京、上海三地投入抗疫工作。

福田教授出任港大公共衞生學院院長後，開設全新文理學士（環球衞生及發展），為學院首個本科學位課程。他又帶領學院縱觀環球，實事求是，以更廣闊視野切入公共衞生。

在新冠疫情中，福田教授加入抗疫督導委員會暨指揮中心轄下專家顧問團及2019冠狀病毒病疫苗顧問專家委員會，積極為香港特區政府提供防疫意見。

福田教授現為美國中華醫學基金會及韓國The RIGHT Foundation（國際保健技術研究基金）之董事會成員，以及非政府組織Ending Pandemics之顧問委員會委員。

Citation delivered by Professor Chak-sing Lau, Dean of Medicine

Professor Keiji Fukuda is a world-renowned physician and epidemiologist, and a global authority on public health and emerging infectious diseases. He is an Honorary Professor in the University of Hong Kong’s School of Public Health and served as its Director from 2017 to 2021.

Keiji holds a BA from Oberlin College, an MD from the University of Vermont, an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, and received his Epidemic Intelligence Service training at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Keiji began his career in the United States as a medical doctor specializing in infectious diseases before joining the CDC, where he worked for more than two decades on issues such as pandemic preparedness and response. That position brought him to Hong Kong and started his ‘love story’ with the city in 1997, when he led CDC field teams to assist the territory during an outbreak of avian influenza H5N1. He also worked extensively in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai in 2003 on the SARS outbreak.

In 2005 Keiji joined the World Health Organization, where he served as Assistant Director-General for Health Security, Director of the Global Influenza Programme, and Special Advisor to the Director General on pandemic influenza and on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Indeed, it is in the field of AMR that Keiji has achieved what he considers his greatest achievement. While at the WHO, Keiji led a global health diplomacy initiative that resulted in the historic Heads of State level meeting at the United Nations in 2016, and the adoption of a United Nations resolution on AMR, immediately raising AMR from a technical issue to national priority for many countries, and mobilising media attention and political, private-sector and financial support.

He hastens to add that while this may be his greatest professional achievement, on a personal level, raising his two daughters with his wife has been by far the most satisfying experience and accomplishment of his life!

Keiji joined the University of Hong Kong in 2016, and as Director of the School of Public Health, he introduced its first undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Global Health and Development. He also advocated for the School to adopt a more global and real-world perspective towards public health.

Keiji was one of the gentlest professors at HKUMed, and was hugely popular within the School of Public Health.  In 2018, he teamed up and created wonderful memories with students, staff and alumni of the School when they participated in the Standard Chartered Marathon 10K race.  At times of Typhoon signal 8’s, he would walk round the Patrick Manson Building to urge everyone to get home as soon and as safely possible.  His farewell party two years ago ran overtime as “too many” proud students and staff were lined up two flights of stairs to take photos with him. 

During COVID-19, Keiji served on the Hong Kong SAR Government’s expert advisory panel (EAP) under the Steering Committee cum Command Centre in relation to the Novel Coronavirus and the Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines (Advisory Panel).

Keiji has received many awards around the world for his contributions to global public health, including the CDC’s Charles C. Shepard Science Award.

Not many will know that this eminent physician and epidemiologist had originally wanted to be an artist – either a painter or a film director!

But more importantly, he wanted to explore the world – and he did, travelling through a range of countries, exploring places and cultures he had only read about. Keiji credits these journeys with helping him understand that despite the breadth of difference among cultures and people, we all have fundamentally more in common with each other than those differences suggest.

Mr Pro-Chancellor, it is clear that what the Arts world and the National Geographic may have lost has been Hong Kong and global public health’s gain.  Therefore, Mr Pro-Chancellor, it is my great pleasure to present Professor Keiji Fukuda for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and academia.