Yu Kwok Chun

Mr Yu Kwok Chun, GBS, JP

Honorary University Fellow (2011)

Mr Yu Kwok Chun was born in Indonesia and his ancestral home was in Meizhou of Guangdong Province.  In 1960, in his childhood, he migrated to Hong Kong with his parents.  He graduated from Macquarie University in 1973 and joined Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd. (“Yue Hwa Chinese Products”) the following year.  He is now Chairman of Yue Hwa Group and President and Managing Director of Yue Hwa Chinese Products.

In business in Hong Kong for over half a century, Yue Hwa Chinese Products is now an ineffaceable part of Hong Kong’s collective memory.  Under Mr Yu’s leadership, Yue Hwa Chinese Products has become one of Hong Kong’s most successful and long-standing retail department store groups, and currently runs 18 stores in Hong Kong and Singapore.  The group is also engaged in such businesses as property leasing, trading, securities and fund investments. Since joining the group in 1974, Mr Yu has applied his extensive knowledge in commerce and accounting to modernize the company’s operations.  In as early as 1977, Mr Yu has invested in a computer system - at the time a pioneering move that effectively placed the company ahead of competition in terms of inventory, sales and stock management.  Keeping abreast of the times, he has made continuous adjustments to the group’s business model to tailor to the customers’ needs.  Over the past decade, he has focused on promoting health food, healthcare and other quality products and supplements, while actively involving the group in various commercial products and cultural products exhibitions.  In highly patriotic spirits, Mr Yu has insisted on marketing China-made products, and has taken great lengths to introduce to Hong Kong and overseas markets quality China-made products, and, in so doing consolidated the company’s brand image.

Mr Yu has great concern for social and community affairs and is committed to supporting education and social welfare enterprises.  He is currently Standing Committee Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Committee; Founding Chairman and Principal President of Executive Committee of the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organizations; and President of Hong Kong Federation of Overseas Chinese Associations. Mr. Yu is equally dedicated to the developing education and social welfare enterprises in his ancestral home of Meizhou through funding numerous projects, and was named Honorary Citizen of Meizhou.  He was presented with the Silver and Gold Bauhinia Star Awards in 1999 and 2006 respectively by the HKSAR Government.

Mr Yu is noted for his ardent support of the University.  In 2009-2010 academic year, through various donations, he has been supporting the University’s campus expansion plan and the academic activities of the Advanced Institute for Contemporary China Studies of HKBU.  Mr Chairman, in view of Mr Yu Kwok Chun’s brilliant success as an entrepreneur, his love of the Motherland and Hong Kong, his dedication to philanthropy and education, and in further recognition for his support of the University’s development, it is my privilege to present him to you for the award of an Honorary University Fellowship.