Honorary University Fellows

Citation delivered by Professor Shirley GRUNDY, Dean of Education

Ms Catherine Mo Han Woo is a special-education advocate, author and philanthropist.

And although you may not think it to look at her, Ms Woo is also a great fighter.

A fighter, that is, for compassion, human dignity and self-empowerment. This is because she has spent her entire life pushing open doors that were closed by stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination.

Ms Woo has personally experienced all of these. She contracted polio at the age of 18, has since been dependent on a wheelchair and understands first-hand the challenges of obtaining an education faced by people with disabilities.

Yet despite her physical limitations, she has taken an active role in helping advance the cause of those in similar circumstances.

When it comes to the issue of developing appropriate policies for special education; or for supporting research into special education; or for improving access to special education for those with special needs – Ms Woo is a passionate spokesperson.

In her autobiography, A Hong Kong Story before 1997, which she herself translated into Chinese under the title, Challenging Fate in a Wheelchair, she recalls a time in post-war Hong Kong when there were few opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and the chance for them to become contributing members of society was rare.

Ms Woo is indeed uncommon in many ways.

In a time when it was uncommon to see mixed marriages, Ms Woo listened to her heart and married the American man she loved.

In a time when people with disabilities were expected to accept their fate in silence, Ms Woo listened to both her heart and her head. She refused to submit to social prejudices and dedicated her life to supporting the advancement of special education.

Ms Woo has supported our Centre for the Advancement of Special Education (CASE) in the HKU Faculty of Education since its establishment in 2004.

With the support of the Woo family, the Lady Helen Woo Special Education Development Foundation was set up in 2007, with the aim of helping CASE develop into a centre of research excellence and serve as a focus of advancement in special education in Hong Kong and Greater China.

It gives me so much pleasure, Mr Pro-Chancellor, to present Ms Catherine Mo Han Woo for the Honorary University Fellowship, in recognition of her contributions to Hong Kong and academia.