Honorary University Fellows
Citation for Ms Shelley Lee delivered by Dr Manolete Mora, Acting Dean of Arts at the Honorary University Fellowships Presentation Ceremony on December 16, 2004:
Ms Shelley Lee has served with distinction in the Civil Service since 1971, and is currently Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs.
She was born and grew up in Hong Kong and is an alumna of Maryknoll Convent School, and of this University where she studied English Literature in the Arts Faculty. Ms Lee obtained a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 1985, attended Tsinghua University in 1966, and the Advanced Management Programme of the Harvard Business School in 2000.
Her many important posts within the Civil Service include being the first woman to take on the post of Private Secretary to the former Governor Lord MacLehose. She was the first female Director of the Home Affairs and helped see the community through the transfer of sovereignty in 1997. During her posting as Deputy Secretary for Health and Welfare, she played a key role in pushing through the policy on traditional Chinese medicine. And in her unique career path, she has helped different generations of Legislators grow into their roles through several postings to the Legislative Council Secretariat.
Ms Lee has over the years been active in promoting women's and children's rights and welfare within the civil service and without. She is a founding member and former Chairman of the Association of Female Senior Government Officers formed in 1979 to fight for equal remuneration terms for married women in the civil service. This was achieved in 1981.
Ms Lee is an exemplary public servant who has always added value to her work by taking the initiative to help others. She sits on the Maryknoll convent School Educational Trust and has helped her alma mater raise significant amounts for much needed facilities for the students. She has pioneered new ways of alumni giving for the University of Hong Kong by starting a tradition of Silver Jubilee cum fund raising dinners. She is an ardent believer in connecting "gown" with "town", and to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the University, linked 90 community leaders with the University in an effort to train up young community leaders.
Ms Lee is known fondly to the public, particularly in the education, health and welfare sectors as the "Community Godmother". This is a tribute to her warmth and her sincere concern for the underprivileged, the orphaned and the victims of catastrophes. Two of her most notable achievements relate to such victims. She first acquired her nickname when she went out of her way to care for the young victims of the disastrous Pat Sin Range hill fire in 1996 which killed the teacher leading a party of hiking students and inflicted severe burns on several students. Over the last eight years, she has unstintingly helped them and their parents overcome their trauma. She further showed her care for young victims when, together with three other fellow female senior civil servants, namely Dr Margaret Chan, Mrs Carrie Lam and Mrs Fanny Law, she set up the "We Care Education Fund" to show their support and concern for children orphaned by SARS in Hong Kong in 2003. The fund received tremendous support from the civil service and from the community.
Mr Pro-Chancellor, it gives me great pleasure to present Ms Shelley Lee for the award of an Honorary University Fellowship in recognition of her contributions to the University and to Hong Kong.