Honorary University Fellows

Citation delivered by the Dean of Social Sciences, Professor Ian Holliday:

Dr Thomas Chen is a renowned entrepreneur and property developer who was born and raised in Hong Kong. After graduating from Fudan University in 1948, Dr Chen's travels led him to Shanghai and Borneo, and his return to Hong Kong in the 1960s would mark the beginning of a lifetime of leadership in property development sector and service to the community.

Dr Chen is one of the founders of Hang Lung Group, where he was a member of the Board of Directors, Managing Director, and Chairman between 1960 and 1990, as well as a Non-executive Director of the Wing Lung Bank Limited from 1985 to 2003. He has also served as a member of the Basic Law Consultative Committee, a member of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, a non-executive director of the Securities and Futures Commission, and Chairman of the Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited.

Dr Chen has made significant contributions to the education sector, establishing the Si Yuan Foundation in 1997, and supporting tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and on the Mainland. The University of Hong Kong has especially benefited from his generosity in supporting our endeavours in a wide range of disciplines, both through scholarships and his participation in the HKU Foundation, in which he has been a Founding Honorary President since 1995.

Because of his achievements and contributions to the community, Dr Chen was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1993.

It gives me great pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present Dr Thomas Chen for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and the University.