Six Prominent HKU Academics Honoured with

Croucher Awards

From left: Dr Zhang Shizhong, Professor Zhou Zhongjun, Dr Stephanie Ma Kwai-yee, Dr Benjamin John Cowling, Professor Patrick Woo Chiu-yat and Professor Khoo Ui-soon.

The Croucher Foundation honoured ten academics from four universities with Croucher Innovation Awards, Croucher Senior Research Fellowships and Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowships to recognise their exceptional scientific research achievements. A presentation ceremony officiated by the Honourable Mr John Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government, was held on April 14 in which all guests observed a moment of silence in memory of Dr Rayson Huang, former HKU Vice-Chancellor and founding member and life Trustee of the Croucher Foundation, who passed away on April 8.

Of the ten awardees who were honoured for their accomplishments, six were scholars from HKU. Dr Stephanie Ma Kwai-yee from the Department of Anatomy and Dr Zhang Shizhong from the Department of Physics received Croucher Innovation Awards. Dr Benjamin John Cowling from the School of Public Health and Professor Zhou Zhongjun from the Department of Biochemistry were awarded Croucher Senior Research Fellowships, and Professor Khoo Ui-soon from the Department of Pathology and Professor Patrick Woo Chiu-yat from the Department of Microbiology were presented with Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowships.

The Croucher Innovation Awards were established in 2012 for supporting promising scholars working in the natural sciences, technology and medicine to further pursue their own professional inclinations, to advance their expertise and to contribute to the development of education and research in Hong Kong. Introduced in 1997, the Croucher Senior Research Fellowships are awarded to local academics who have excelled in scientific research work as judged by leading international
scientists.