Honorary University Fellows
Mr Godfrey Ngai has over 50 years of experience in the dental laboratory industry, is Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Modern Dental Group, and a respected leader in the global dental industry.
Mr Ngai started his career in 1967 as a student dental technician in the Hong Kong Government’s Medical and Health Department, and became a Lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1979. He was an Instructor in Dental Technology in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong from 1981 to 1998. Taking leave from 1993 to 1995 to pursue further studies in Australia, he earned a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master in Management (Technology) degree from the University of Melbourne. Mr Ngai is a Fellow of the British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists. He also holds a number of professional qualifications from the City and Guilds of London Institute.
Mr Ngai joined Modern Dental Laboratory (MDL) Company Limited as its Director in 1996. Under his leadership, MDL has grown from a small Hong Kong based workshop to a global group of companies and the largest provider of dental laboratory services worldwide. Modern Dental Group Limited has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since December 2015.
During his 19 years of teaching dental technology, Mr Ngai has trained hundreds of young dentists and dental technologists who went on to become the backbone of dental services in contemporary Hong Kong. He has unwaveringly supported HKU’s Faculty of Dentistry in its development, whether it be in postgraduate teaching and research, or the advancement of dental technology through collaborative research with MDL. MDL was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the HKU’s Modern Dental Laboratory Endowed Professorship in Clinical Dental Science in 2011. MDL also co-hosted the World Dental Forum 2012 with the Faculty, which brought together some of the world’s leading dental scientists and researchers.
Mr Ngai has also lent his expertise and care to society at large, donating and providing MDL dental services to schools, healthcare organisations for the elderly and other sections of the community in need. MDL has also extended its services to Mainland China, training thousands of dental technicians and driving the development of the dental laboratory industry in China.
Citation delivered by Professor Thomas FLEMMIG, Dean of Dentistry
Mr Godfrey NGAI Shing Kin has over 50 years of experience in the dental laboratory industry, is Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Modern Dental Group, and a respected leader in the global dental industry.
Mr Ngai started his career in 1967 as a student dental technician in the Hong Kong Government's Medical and Health Department, and became a Lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1979. He was an Instructor in Dental Technology in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Hong Kong from 1981 to 1998. Taking leave from 1993 to 1995 to pursue further studies in Australia, he earned a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master in Management (Technology) degree from the University of Melbourne. Mr Ngai is a Fellow of the British Institute of Dental and Surgical Technologists. He also holds several professional qualifications from the City and Guilds of London Institute.
Mr Ngai joined Modern Dental Laboratory Company Limited, or 'MDL', as its Director in 1996. Under his leadership, MDL has grown from a small Hong Kong based workshop to a global group of companies and the largest provider of dental laboratory services worldwide. He also co-founded Modern Dental Group Limited, a global conglomerate with over 5,000 employees, which is equipped with state-of-the-art dental CAD/CAM equipment, and which uses the most advanced technology and dental materials in its products. The Group has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since December 2015.
During his 19 years of teaching dental technology, Mr Ngai has trained hundreds of young dentists and dental technologists who went on to become the backbone of dental services in contemporary Hong Kong.
He has unwaveringly supported HKU's Faculty of Dentistry in its development, whether it be in postgraduate teaching and research, or the advancement of dental technology through collaborative research with MDL. The scope of research ranges from investigations into the properties of prosthetic materials to clinical evaluations of novel dental prosthetic devices. These have resulted in the publication of several well-cited articles that have contributed to the internationally-recognised academic reputation of the Faculty.
MDL was instrumental in supporting the establishment of the HKU's Modern Dental Laboratory Endowed Professorship in Clinical Dental Science in 2011. MDL also co-hosted the World Dental Forum 2012 with the Faculty, which brought together some of the world’s leading dental scientists and researchers.
Mr Ngai has also lent his expertise and care to society at large, donating and providing MDL dental services to schools, healthcare organisations for the elderly and other sections of the community in Hong Kong. MDL has also extended its services to Mainland China, training thousands of dental technicians and driving the development of the dental laboratory industry in China.
Beyond Asia, Mr Ngai's contributions have made a difference in many places around the world. Permadental (a subsidiary of MDL in Germany) has been supporting a ‘Dentists in Africa’ programme since 2003. Elysee Dental (a subsidiary of MDL in the Netherlands) supports NGOs that provide dental care to children in difficult-to-reach communities in Kenya. Labocast (a subsidiary of Modern Dental France) and Labo O.I. (a subsidiary of MDL in Madagascar) sponsor French dentists to provide patients in Madagascar with free treatments at regular intervals throughout the year.
As we can see, whether in Hong Kong, the Mainland, regionally or internationally, Mr Ngai's contributions to advancing oral health and the development of dental technology certainly (forgive me) have teeth(!) and have made a real difference in the lives of so many.
I have gotten to know Mr. Ngai as a charming gentleman who despite all his achievements has remained grounded and connected to his roots. He personifies the "can do" spirit of Hong Kong and has demonstrated what one can achieve if one follows its vision with passion and perseverance.
It gives me great pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present Mr Godfrey NGAI Shing Kin for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and academia.