Honorary University Fellows

Citation delivered by the Dean of Arts, Professor Kam Louie:

Mr Lam Sum Chee majored in History in the Faculty of Arts at HKU, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. After graduation, Mr Lam became one of the first generation of financial analysts in Hong Kong. He joined Vickers da Costa in 1972 and later worked as an Executive Director at Wardley Investment Services Ltd. He was the Vice President of Merrill Lynch and the Union Bank of Switzerland in 1980s and 1990s.

In 2002, when the Hong Kong SAR Government was in dire financial straits, he pioneered the idea of issuing government debt to the public, and some of his proposals were subsequently implemented. Mr Lam’s financial expertise is such that the mere mention of ‘Lum Sir’ is widely recognised to be a reference to this investment guru.

As a history graduate who worked in the financial field, Mr Lam believes that his HKU experience has brought him lifelong benefits, and has frequently said, “I could spend a lifetime repaying the bursary I received during my days at HKU, and that would still not be enough.” He has expressed his gratitude to his alma mater both in word and deed. Mr Lam established a private trust in 1986, which has since donated scholarships and bursaries every year to undergraduate Arts students. He has pledged to donate his entire private trust in 2060 to HKU as an endowment for scholarships and bursaries for the Faculty of Arts.

Recently, Mr Lam showcased his investment and financial planning expertise at a fundraising seminar for HKU. The event literally sold out in hours, and on the day, Loke Yew Hall was filled to the rafters – which clearly puts Lum Sir’s popularity on a par with rock stars and Hollywood luminaries!

It gives me great pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present ‘Lum Sir’, Mr Lam Sum Chee, for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of his contributions to Hong Kong and academia.