Chairman's Message

New President 

Professor Alexander Wai assumed office on 1 February 2021 as the sixth President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU. An expert in the field of optical communication, Professor Wai has attained a host of exemplary academic achievements, and he also has a wealth of experience in higher education and a strong administrative leadership record. We are delighted to have him leading HKBU as we forge ahead with our plans to be a global liberal arts university in an increasingly complex world.

Professor Wai is well-known for his commitment to pioneering innovative technology and translational research, and he has a rich array of impactful and patented research achievements to his name. While he has only been here for a relatively short period of time, he has already established the University as one of the leading art-tech developers. This is undoubtedly the right direction for HKBU, given our longstanding strengths in the arts, culture and creative media, and our excellence in science and the humanities. This interdisciplinary approach also echoes the Government's drive to develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, and it will bring meaningful social, educational and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.

I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to President Emeritus Roland Chin for his formidable contributions to the long-term development of the University. During his tenure, he inspired the whole of HKBU to put forth robust efforts to take the University to a new level of excellence. Through the implementation of the Strategic Plan 2018-28, we have identified ways to provide the best student experience, and we have also renewed our research focus and brought in top talent from around the world in a wide range of diversified disciplines under the Talent100 initiative. More importantly, he boldly steered us through the storm over the past two years, enabling the University to thrive on its long-term mission. He is truly a visionary leader.

Chinese medicine for the community

One significant initiative which Professor Chin led was the bid for the operation service deed of the Chinese Medicine Hospital (CMH), and his efforts have paid off handsomely. In June 2021, HKBU was selected by the Government as the contractor for the service deed of Hong Kong's first CMH. This is undoubtedly a recognition of our leading role in Hong Kong's development of Chinese medicine.

HKBU is the pioneer of Chinese medicine education and research in Hong Kong, and we have rich experience of providing Chinese medicine clinical services. It has long been our dream to operate a CMH and we are delighted that the dream has become reality. The planning and preparatory work for the commissioning of the CMH has now commenced, and we look forward with enthusiasm to its opening in 2025. By then, the general public will be able to enjoy a whole new clinical experience under the care of our expert Chinese medicine practitioners, and it will also advance our clinical training and research.

Jockey Club Campus of Creativity

We are also equally thrilled and grateful to have received a HK$452 million donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the development of our new campus. This is the largest single donation ever received by HKBU.

This brand-new campus, now named the Jockey Club Campus of Creativity in recognition of the support that we have received from the Trust, will house four blocks of student residence that form the Village CARE, as well as the Jockey Club Creative Hub, which will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for the creative disciplines. Construction is underway and progressing well. When completed in 2024, it will enable the University to equip young people with the innovative impulses and creative thinking that the 21st century demands. It will also enable us to realise our goals of achieving research excellence and providing the best student experience.

Renewed hope

At the start of 2021, we welcomed new members to the HKBU Council and Court. They are Dr Eddie Ho, Dr Simon Lee, Ms Chloe Suen, Mr Sunny Wong and Mr William Yeung. I look forward to working with them and I am confident that their wise counsel will enlighten us in our quest to be one of the world's leading liberal arts universities.

The two-year-long pandemic has put us all to the test, but I am gratified that the HKBU community has demonstrated their resilience, adaptability, creativity and empathy in coping with the challenges. With breakthroughs in terms of vaccines and the development of new medicines, I am hopeful that the COVID-19 pandemic will fade and we will gradually return to normal, or the "new normal", to use the common phrase. With hope and confidence, let us move on, and I look forward to another rewarding year.