Press Release
HKBU to present Distinguished Alumni Award to Chan King-yin, Lo Koon-lan, Stephen Yau and Zheng Wanhua
Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) announced today (14 May) that it will present its 9th Distinguished Alumni Award to Mr Chan King-yin, Ms Lo Koon-lan, Mr Stephen Yau How-boa and Professor Zheng Wanhua in recognition of their outstanding business, professional and scholarly achievements, as well as their service and contributions to the University and society. The award also aims to motivate students to learn from the awardees’ valuable experience and success. An award presentation ceremony will be held in June.
The Selection Committee for the award was chaired by Dr Clement Chen, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU, and its members included Dr Roy Chung, Founder and Chairman of Bright Future Charitable Foundation; Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU; Dr Carrie Willis, Former Executive Director of the Vocational Training Council; and Miss Janet Wong, Former Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government.
Brief introduction to the Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
Mr Chan King-yin
Mr Chan King-yin serves as the Head Windsurfing Coach at the Hong Kong Sports Institute and the Head Coach of the Hong Kong Windsurfing Team. A former top-notch windsurfing athlete, he represented Hong Kong in numerous international competitions and achieved remarkable results. After retiring, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Recreation Management from HKBU in 2014.
Having become a full-time athlete at the age of 16, Mr Chan is hailed as the “Son of the Wind” for his exceptional achievements over the years. His performances at the Asian Games were distinguished by winning two gold medals and one bronze medal in three consecutive Asian Games since 2002. At the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, he achieved the best-ever result for Hong Kong’s male athlete in windsurfing at the Olympic Games by ranking sixth. His accomplishments have earned him multiple honours, including three Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards in 2006, 2008 and 2010, as well as the Medal of Honour from the HKSAR Government in 2007.
Mr Chan pursued his studies at HKBU following his retirement in 2011. Upon graduation, he joined the Hong Kong Sports Institute as a coach and took over the role of Head Coach in 2017, with a commitment to nurture the up-and-coming windsurfing talents in Hong Kong. Currently, he is leading his team in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games, with the hope to strive for excellent results and bring honour to Hong Kong. He remains grateful to his alma mater and has actively participated in its events and talks, including the SEED Talk and Alumni Sharing Forum, where he encouraged students and alumni to pursue their dreams with courage and strive for a better future.
Ms Lo Koon-lan
Ms Lo Koon-lan is a distinguished actress in Hong Kong. Her exceptional acting performances have made her a well-known figure in the industry. Having graduated with a major in History from the Department of History and Geography at Hong Kong Baptist College, she further obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Theatre Studies in Hong Kong and a Master’s degree in East and West Theatre Studies in the United Kingdom.
Ms Lo was the Principal Actress at the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, where she performed in more than 100 dramas with over 2,000 shows staged, mostly as the lead actress. She has also participated in numerous films and television dramas. Throughout her acting career, Ms Lo has been highly recognised and earned numerous awards, including the Stage Actress of the Year at the Artist of the Year Awards in 1988, the Best Supporting Actress at the 14th Hong Kong Film Awards, the Best Actress at the Hong Kong Drama Awards in 1993, 1995 and 2017, and more. Since 2017, her role in Million Loves in Me won her numerous best actress awards at international independent film festivals. She was honoured with the Hong Kong Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 1994.
In addition to her on-stage endeavours, Ms Lo is dedicated to drama education and nurturing young talents. She has taught at the School of Drama of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and instructed drama creation and self-discovery workshops at universities including HKBU. She is keen on giving back to her alma mater by sharing her experience in seminars, serving as the emcee for the 40th anniversary celebration and performing in the alumni show for the 60th anniversary celebration. She was also an enthusiastic supporter of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Department of History where she served as the keynote speaker at the kick-off ceremony and masterminded a drama show for the celebration dinner.
Mr Stephen Yau How-boa
Mr Stephen Yau graduated from the Department of Social Work at Hong Kong Baptist College. He also obtained Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Law and a Master’s degree in Social Work from leading universities in Hong Kong, the Mainland and the United States. He is currently the Chief Executive of International Social Service Hong Kong Branch (ISS-HK) and the Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator of International Social Service.
Mr Yau has devoted untiring efforts to the social welfare sector for over four decades. As the leader of ISS-HK for many years, he has been dedicated to providing an extensive range of social services to a wide spectrum of individuals and families in the community. His unwavering commitment to serving the community has established him as a respected and influential leader in the sector. Additionally, he holds multiple public responsibilities, including Chairman of the Institute of Social Service Development, Chairman of the Football Training Centre Board of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, and Adviser of the Steering Committee on Population Policy. In recognition of his significant contributions to the community and society, he was awarded the Medal of Honour, the Bronze Bauhinia Star, the Sliver Bauhinia Star and the Gold Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government in 2001, 2006, 2013 and 2021 respectively.
Since his graduation, Mr Yau has maintained a strong and close connection with his alma mater. He has contributed his professional knowledge and insights to the University, serving as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the Department of Social Work since 2011, as well as a member of the Alumni Committee of HKBU Foundation and the President of the HKBU Social Work Alumni Association. In 2008, he was conferred the Honorary University Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the University and the community.
Professor Zheng Wanhua
Professor Zheng Wanhua graduated from the Department of Optics at Shandong University and subsequently received her Master’s degree at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In 1994, she pursued her studies at HKBU and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Physics in 1998. Professor Zheng currently serves as a researcher at the Institute of Semiconductors and as the Director of the Key Laboratory of Solid-State Optoelectronics Information Technology at CAS.
Professor Zheng’s research focuses mainly on artificial microstructure materials and semiconductor laser. She led her research team in pioneering the research on photonic crystal semiconductor lasers in the Mainland. Their work focused on developing the key principles and technological systems of high-performance photonic crystal laser chips. The independent intellectual property rights of the technology they established have laid a solid foundation for the development of high-end laser chips in the Mainland. Her achievements have been widely recognised with national, ministry and provincial level scientific awards and honours, including the second prize of the Beijing Science and Technology Award in 2013; the second prize of the National Technology Invention Awards, and the first prize of the Technology Innovation Award from the Chinese Society for Optical Engineering in 2017; the China Patent Gold Award in 2018, and the first prize of the Ministry-level Scientific and Technological Progress Award in 2020. She was also elected as an academician of the CAS in 2021, and as a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress.
As a doctoral supervisor, Professor Zheng has spared no effort in nurturing outstanding talents in the field of optoelectronic technology in the Mainland and has supervised over 50 Doctoral and Master’s degree students. She has always maintained a strong connection with her alma mater and currently serves as an Honorary Professor in the Department of Physics at HKBU.
