Honorary University Fellows
Mrs May Tam Mak Mei Yin is an avid advocate for community causes and wife of the late Mr Edmund Tam Wing Fan, a renowned architect, philanthropist, Honorary University Fellow of the University of Hong Kong and a member of the first cohort of students at HKU’s Department of Architecture when it was established in 1950.
As a couple, they have made important contributions to the community, particularly in the areas of education, medicine, research and charitable causes for children and the elderly.
In 2017, together with her husband, Mrs Tam announced their commitment to support the establishment of the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing in the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Engineering. Opened in 2020, its state-of-the-art facilities provide an open and collaborative environment to foster interdisciplinary innovations among students, researchers and teachers in Engineering and Technology, as well as to tackle challenges facing Hong Kong and global communities.
Furthermore, Mrs Tam and her husband have provided the University with a magnanimous contribution to support research on kidney and neurological diseases in the Department of Medicine.
Reflecting their concern for all walks of life in Hong Kong, Mr and Mrs Tam also supported the establishment of the Tam Wing Fan Child Development Centre of the SAHK (formerly the Spastics Association of Hong Kong) in 2019. This is the first child development centre in the New Territories operated by the Association, strengthening its ability to provide children-and-family support services to the community.
Mrs Tam continues to carry forward her late husband’s vision and philanthropic endeavours, including her generous contribution to support COVID-related studies and stroke and dementia research at HKU.
Citation delivered by Professor Norman C. Tien, Head of Innovation Academy, Faculty of Engineering
Mrs May Tam Mak Mei Yin is an unassuming individual who would not hesitate to support causes where she can create the biggest positive impact for those most greatly in need.
Her late husband, Mr Edmund Tam Wing Fan, was a member of the first cohort of students at HKU’s Department of Architecture when it was established in 1950. He was forever grateful for the invaluable learning opportunities provided by the University, which he regarded as a life-changing education that set him on a successful path in life.
Edmund and May wanted our students to have the same opportunities, and thus, have supported the creation of world-class learning facilities to help them realise their potential. It is out of that altruistic spirit of reciprocity, and the firm belief in the power of transformation that the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wings on the Main Campus came into being in 2020.
At the heart of the Innovation Wings is a simple premise: our young scholars and researchers can make the world a better place through pioneering technological innovations. It is a space to congregate and nourish interdisciplinary exchanges with an emphasis on hands-on and experiential learning activities. Emerging technologies such as robotics, virtual/ augmented/ mixed realities, artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, and so on, are all being developed, explored and advanced in the Innovation Wings.
Apart from backing the development of new technologies, Mrs Tam is keen on supporting potential medical breakthroughs. She and Mr Tam have provided the University with a magnanimous contribution to support research on kidney and neurological diseases in the Department of Medicine. She is also interested in the study of stroke and dementia, which can be very debilitating, particularly to an aging population.
Another area she is eager to support is the study of infectious diseases. The way that COVID-19 disrupted the lives of individuals around the world, and in ways that we are still trying to recover from, has shown us how quickly contagions can upend everything we had taken for granted. Mrs Tam is a strong advocate of the work of researchers of infectious diseases who are determined to stay ahead of the next pandemic.
Apart from her philanthropic endeavours, Mrs Tam is also a Member of the Court of the University of Hong Kong, and we are grateful for her counsel and her continuing belief in the importance of our work.
Reflecting their concern for all walks of life in Hong Kong, she and Mr Tam also supported the establishment of the Tam Wing Fan Child Development Centre of the SAHK (formerly the Spastics Association of Hong Kong) in 2019. This is the first child development centre in the New Territories operated by the Association, strengthening its ability to provide children-and-family support services to the community.
Mrs Tam has a warm and generous heart, shows deep empathy to those from different walks of life, and is a stalwart supporter of the University.
Therefore, Mr Pro-Chancellor, it is my great pleasure to present Mrs May Tam Mak Mei Yin for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of her contributions to Hong Kong and academia.