The Review 2006

The Review 2006 32 The Review 2006 33 Individuals Many members of the University community make significant contributions of their own time and money towards the betterment of society. For example, in summer 2006 a group of law and social science students launched a non-governmental organisation to help educate poor children in Cambodia, after spending one month in the country under the General Education Unit’s Project SEE (see Preparing for Change chapter). They follow in the footsteps of other student-led initiatives such as the China Education Association, which supports Mainland education and organised a barefoot marathon in November 2005 to highlight the plight of poor rural children in China. Care for the environment is also an area of student concern. Two students, one a PhD candidate, the other an undergraduate, created enrichment toys for pandas (pictured left) while on a 2006 project sponsored by the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong, to enhance awareness of the conservation of endangered Asian animals. An MPhil student, Jacky Chan, helped to launch the Eco-Education and Resource Centre to document wild animal sightings in Hong Kong and organise educational tours for the public. The desire to improve society also carries through to our alumni, who make many generous donations to a variety of causes. The Class of ’81 launched an Inclusion Fund in 2006 – their 25th anniversary – to finance student projects that promote opportunities for people with disabilities. Engineering alumnus Dr Nicolas Yeung financed the construction of a new school in rural Guangxi, which opened in October 2005 and involved our engineering students (see details in Preparing for Change chapter). The University is also the recipient of alumni generosity. As we prepare to expand our campus and student numbers amid the variability of government funding, their continued support will be increasingly important. In 2006 Class of ’72 alumni Mr Lawrence Fung Siu Por and his wife Mrs Alexandra Fung Lee Suk Wai kindly donated 10 per cent of the issued share capital of the Hong Kong Economic Times Holdings Limited, equivalent to about $91 million. The fund has been named the Azalea (1972) Endowment Fund and its first project is the dental implant service for the elderly described above in Faculty-level initiatives. Moreover, Dr Stanley Ho, one of our honorary graduates, set up a matching fund in November 2005 in which he will equal donations dollar- for-dollar up to $500 million over five years. Contributions like these help to ensure that the University can continue to provide teaching programmes, research and community services that invigorate and advance Hong Kong society.