Honorary University Fellows

Citation delivered by the Acting Dean of Business and Economics, Professor Richard Wong:

Mr Chung Kin Kwok stands as an exemplary reminder that China's growth and future prosperity lie not just in the development of its commercial sector, or its status as an economic giant, but in the vision and generosity of its industry leaders as well.

A native of Ning Ziang in Hunan province, as a young man Mr Chung served with the People's Liberation Army before becoming involved in the manufacturing and trading sectors. The Maxdo Group, of which Mr Chung is currently the Chairman, was established in the late 1980s with a principal focus on real estate development and investment in Mainland China, especially Shanghai.

Although his own educational opportunities were modest, Mr Chung is a passionate supporter of academia and has a vision of education that is truly without borders. He has initiated, developed and supported academic collaborations between not only institutions but also governments internationally. These include hundreds of postgraduate scholarships for Mainland students to study at the University of Nottingham, and considerable contributions to the Kingdom of Lesotho Education Department, to establish academic exchanges that would help strengthen ties between China and Africa. The University of Hong Kong has also benefited from Mr Chung, in his support for scholarship in business studies, and his participation in the HKU Foundation as an Honorary Patron.

But although Mr Chung's vision is far-reaching and his contributions monumental, this benevolent philanthropist is a genial, understated man, whose larger-than-life gestures often remain dignifiedly anonymous.

It gives me great pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present Mr Chung Kin Kwok for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to academia in Hong Kong, China and around the world.

Remarks: Mr Chung Kin Kwok has officially effected a change of name and is now known as Chung Hon Dak.