Campus Digest
HKBU to confer Honorary University Fellowships on six distinguished persons
12 Aug 2015
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) will confer Honorary University Fellowships on six distinguished persons at its 60th Convocation to be held on 8 September 2015 (Tuesday) in recognition of their outstanding contributions to society and in appreciation of their highly valued support to the University.
The six Honorary University Fellowship recipients are Dr Merle Allan Hinrich, Professor Mayching Kao (高美慶教授), Mr Lam Cheung-chuen (林長泉先生), Mr Herman Lau Tak-wan (劉得還先生), Mrs So Chau Yim-ping (蘇周艷屏女士) and Ms Connie Wong Wai-ching(王惠貞女士).
Dr Merle Allan Hinrich
Dr Merle Allan Hinrich is the Executive Chairman of Global Sources Limited, Asia's leading business-to-business media company. In 1996, Global Sources Limited launched Asia's first business-to-business online marketplace, pioneering the use of the internet for international trade. With Dr Hinrich's foresight on the impact of technology on global trade, and under his outstanding leadership, Global Sources Limited became a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ in 2000, when he was named "Asia's e-commerce king" by The Economist.
Dr Hinrich is passionate about contributing to his community. He serves as the Investment Promotion Ambassador of Invest Hong Kong, is a member of the Pacific Basin Economic Council and serves on the International Board of the Weizmann Institute of Science. In recognition of his role as a true global entrepreneur, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Nebraska and the honorary degree of Doctor of International Law by Thunderbird School of Global Management, USA.
Dr Hinrich founded the Hinrich Foundation to promote sustainable global trade. The foundation's Export Assistant Program supports more than 1,000 small businesses around the Asia Pacific region to participate in trade in order to grow their businesses and create employment in their communities. The foundation has also provided full scholarships to more than 100 students from around the Asia Pacific region to study trade-related graduate and undergraduate courses. It has partnered with HKBU to establish the Hinrich Global Trade Leaders Scholarship for the benefit of individuals wishing to develop a career in trade through studies in Business and Journalism. Hinrich Foundation (represented by Dr Hinrich) is currently the Honorary Permanent President of the Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation.
Professor Mayching Kao
Professor Mayching Kao is a renowned scholar in Art History and Chinese Art with research interests spanning many different areas including Chinese art history, modern art, Sino-Japanese and Sino-Western artistic exchanges and art education.
Professor Kao developed a profound interest in fine arts and Chinese painting at an early age. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and pursued postgraduate studies in the US. Since her return to Hong Kong, she has, with her commitment and passion in visual arts and education, unceasingly devoted her time and efforts to advancing art education and nurturing budding artists and scholars by serving her alma mater. In 1999, she retired from CUHK as Chair Professor of Visual Arts after serving for 26 years and Director of Art Museum after 18 years.
Dedicated to promoting visual arts and lifelong education, Professor Kao has made donations to various universities for the setting up of scholarship schemes to assist students. A veteran art historian and connoisseur, she has often been invited to speak on various topics on art and share with art and culture enthusiasts her wealth of knowledge and insights. Despite stepping down from academia, Professor Kao remains active in the Hong Kong art community and provides consultancy and advisory services to the HKSAR Government and various organisations.
Professor Kao is also a longstanding supporter of HKBU. She has been serving as Chairperson of the Management Committee of the Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre (JCCAC), an art hub project spearheaded by HKBU, and was an ex-officio member of JCCAC's Governing Board. During her tenure, she provided valuable advice and guidance on the management and development of this art project. Professor Kao was also a Member of the University’s Academy of Visual Arts Advisory Committee from November 2010 to August 2012, providing valuable advice on the strategic development of the Academy.
Mr Lam Cheung-chuen
Mr Lam Cheung-chuen is a successful entrepreneur and is the Chairman of Sun Tin Lun Holdings Limited. He founded the Suzhou Xintianlin Garment Company Limited in Suzhou Industrial Park in 1993 with business scope that includes textile, garment, label weaving and printing, and the company boasts an international clientele from places around the globe. In 1997, he established Sin Tin Lun (HK) Garment Accessories Company Limited and Sun Tin Lun Offset Printing Factory Limited, then in 1999, two manufacturing plants were set up in Huizhou. In recent years, the group further established two industrial centres in Huizhou and Suzhou. In 2013, the brand Jiang Men Ren was established, operating a growing business of snacks.
With his strong belief in fulfilling corporate social responsibility, Mr Lam has generously supported various meaningful causes in his hometown, Huizhou, and the country at large by providing funds for the construction of primary schools, setting up bursaries and health funds, supporting disaster relief, and more. His donations to good causes amount to more than RMB 13 million. In recognition of his philanthropy, Mr Lam and his enterprise have been honoured with many awards by Mainland authorities.
Since 2011, Mr Lam has been serving as Member of the Entrepreneur Committee of the Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation to help the University devise fundraising strategies and extend its support base. He has also made generous donations to HKBU for its development including the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology (JAS) Development Fund. He is currently the Honorary Permanent President of the HKBU Foundation and the Honorary President of the Development Committee of JAS.
Mr Herman Lau Tak-wan
Mr Herman Lau graduated from the then Hong Kong Baptist College with a Diploma in Sociology and worked as a social worker upon graduation. With his strong business acumen and passion in electronics, Mr Lau ventured into the electronics business and successfully established Daiwa Associate Group of Companies in 1980 of which he is currently the Chairman and President of the Board of Directors. Under his visionary leadership, it became a listed company in 1994 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has a market cap of over HK$1 billion.
Committed to contributing to the education of the next generation, Mr Lau has served on the school management committee of various primary and secondary schools including The Church of Christ in China (CCC) Mong Man Wai College, Kei Faat Primary School and Sir Robert Black College of Education Past Students Association Lee Yat Ngok Memorial School. He is also a committed Christian and serves as the chairman of Deacon Committee as well as the chairman of the Church Board of the CCC Leung Faat Memorial Church.
An ardent and loyal supporter of his alma mater, in addition to making generous donations, Mr Lau frequently participates in University activities and speaks in career talks to share with students his valuable personal experience. With his expertise in business and entrepreneurship, Mr Lau has been invited to offer his insightful advice on the University's development on various fronts. He was Chairman of the Department of Sociology Advisory Committee from 2003 to 2010 and has been serving as Member of the University's Advisory Committee on Graduate Employment since 2005. He is currently the Honorary President of the Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation.
Mrs So Chau Yim-ping
Mrs So Chau Yim-ping is an outstanding industrialist. She founded the New Island Printing Company Limited in 1964, which has evolved from a humble establishment of five members into a publicly listed company, employing over thousands of employees.
With Mrs So's visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to quality, New Island Printing Group had successfully introduced advanced printing and packaging technology to meet the changing market demands. Her perseverance and diligence paved the way for the Company to become one of the world leaders in the printing industry patronised by a wide base of international clients. After stepping down from the Chairmanship of this multi-billion enterprise in 2010 and at the age of 83, she entered into a new business venture, establishing a new brand "Mrs So's XO Sauce (蘇太名醬)" to share her culinary skill with food connoisseurs everywhere.
Mrs So has over the years relentlessly contributed her efforts to community and public affairs. She was appointed Member of the Southern District in 1985 and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1988. In recognition of her long and outstanding community and public services, Mrs So was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1988 and was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government in 2001.
Mrs So has been an ardent supporter of HKBU for over 20 years. In 1993, she was appointed Member of the Board of Governors of the then Hong Kong Baptist College, and Member of the HKBU Court from 1995 to 1998 and from 1999 to 2001, and had in that capacity provided valuable advice on HKBU's development in the era of rapid changes and expansion in tertiary education. She is also an Honorary Trustee of the Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation.
Ms Connie Wong Wai-ching
Ms Connie Wong is the Executive Director of Onelink Industrial (Guangdong) Company Limited and the Managing Director of Wong Sun Hing Limited, a family business founded in 1969. Since its inception, the company has engaged in textile production with its sales network spanning across the US, Japan and Europe. Under the able leadership of Ms Wong, the company has evolved into a conglomerate with its business scope covering industrial investment, retail, hotels and commercial real estate development.
Ms Wong is dedicated to community service. She is the Standing Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Volunteers Federation, member of the Kowloon City District Council, President of Kowloon Federation of Associations among other public services. In recognition of her distinguished community and public services, Ms Wong was appointed Justice of the Peace in 2009 and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2013 by the HKSAR Government.
Ms Wong is a steadfast supporter of the University. She is currently Honorary Member of the HKBU Court and the Honorary Permanent President of the Hong Kong Baptist University Foundation. She was also invited to join the Entrepreneur Committee of the Foundation to assist the University in formulating fundraising strategies and extending its network.
Ms Wong has, over the years, devoted her untiring efforts to supporting educational work on the mainland and abroad. She has made a countless number of donations in the name of her family business or in her name. Most recently, she supported the publication of Hong Kong History Project (《香港通史》) of HKBU's Advanced Institute for Contemporary China Studies, as well as the development of the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology.