Press Release
HKBU to present awards to honour outstanding achievements of six distinguished alumni
Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) announced today (27 May) the recipients of its 10th Distinguished Alumni Award, including the Hon Chan Hoi-yan, Dr Wilson Cheung Wai-yin, Professor William Cho Chi-shing, Dr Vincent Ho Wai-fung, Dr Sarah Lee Wai-sze and Mr Yuen Chi-wai (in alphabetical order of surnames), in recognition of their outstanding 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 Kennedy Y H Wong, Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU, and its members included Mr Paul Poon, former Deputy Chairman of the Council and the Court of HKBU and Managing Director of Poon’s Engineering Limited; Dr Malina Ngai, member of the Council of HKBU and Group Chief Executive Officer of AS Watson Group; Dr Jacinto Tong, member of the Council and the Court of HKBU and Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gale Well Group Limited; and Professor Alex Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU.
Introduction to the Distinguished Alumni Award recipients
The Hon Chan Hoi-yan
The Hon Chan Hoi-yan whose exceptional career spans broadcast journalism, public administration, social entrepreneurship and public governance, is currently a member of the Legislative Council (Election Committee) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China.
Ms Chan obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) in Communication in 1999 and a Master of Social Sciences in Media Management in 2008 from HKBU. She joined Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) News in 1998 and served as a Senior Reporter and an Anchor. In 2005, she joined Now TV and assisted in setting up its Business News Channel and the News Channel. She subsequently oversaw daily news editing and reporting, with a special focus on medical news.
In 2012, Ms Chan was appointed the Political Assistant to the Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR Government, acting as a vital bridge between the government and the public, and navigating between legislative lobbying and policy formulation. Five years later, she became the CEO of a social enterprise, and participated in community affairs. As a member of the Legislative Council, she champions issues such as healthcare reform, housing policy, and the rights of the grassroots communities. She also serves as a member of the Standing Committee of the Foshan Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a member of the Consumer Council, a member of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, and a Non-Executive Director of the eMPF Platform Company Limited.
Dr Wilson Cheung Wai-yin
Dr Wilson Cheung Wai-yin is a world-recognised glaciologist, polar expedition specialist and social entrepreneur. He graduated from HKBU in 2010 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Recreation Management, and later earned a PhD in Glaciology from Queen’s University in Canada.
Dr Cheung founded the Polar Research & Expedition Consultancy in 2015, and over the years, he has travelled to remote polar environments to conduct polar research and expedition, providing the global scientific community with critical insights into glacier retreat, snowline monitoring and climate change. The landmark achievements of Dr Cheung in scientific research include establishing the first glacier mass-balance monitoring networks in Auyuittuq and Sirmilik National Parks in Canada; constructing a detailed analysis of glacier change spanning 1958 to 2024, which provided important baseline evidence for global sea-level assessments; and developing satellite data-fusion methods that combine Sentinel-2 optical imagery with machine learning to estimate Arctic snowline altitudes.
Dr Cheung’s outstanding contributions received extensive international recognition, earning him numerous accolades including the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World by Junior Chamber International (JCI) in 2025, the Ten Outstanding Young Persons by JCI Hong Kong, China in 2023, and was named as one of the world’s leading explorers on The Explorers Club 50 in 2022. He was also selected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a Fellow of the International Arctic Science Committee, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
Professor William Cho Chi-shing
Professor William Cho Chi-shing is currently a Scientific Officer (Medical) in the Department of Clinical Oncology at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He is a distinguished biomedical scientist, dedicated to clinical cancer research. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Chinese Medicine from HKBU in 2006 and has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science in the United Kingdom, a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences, and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Society for Molecular Diagnostic Sciences. He is also a Chartered Scientist by the Science Council (UK).
Professor Cho’s research focuses on the early detection of cancer and its relapse through biomarkers, as well as mechanisms of drug resistance and their reversal. His multidisciplinary work spans molecular biology, genomics, immunology, bioinformatics, and Chinese medicine, with particular emphasis on cancer biomarkers, proteomics, non-coding RNA, extracellular vesicles, and novel anti-cancer therapeutics. His contributions to biomarker studies in lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and colorectal cancer have informed personalised treatment strategies.
Professor Cho has published over 700 papers in international journals, with over 35,000 citations and an H‑index of 108. Since 2017, Professor Cho has been named on Stanford University's list of the world’s top 2% scientists. Additionally, in both 2023 and 2024, he was recognised as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Clarivate Analytics. Over the years, he has authored over 36 academic books, and has collaborated with HKBU teams on biomedical and cancer research.
Dr Vincent Ho Wai-fung
Dr Vincent Ho Wai-fung is an early advocate for the digitalisation of visual storytelling, and plays leadership roles in the fields of media, arts, and emerging technologies. He dedicated himself to integrating traditional cinematic techniques with technological advancements, and contributed substantially in promoting industry development.
Dr Ho graduated from the then Department of Communication (now the School of Communication) at Hong Kong Baptist College in 1993, majoring in Film and Video. He worked in various media companies, including serving as CEO of Southern Media Corporation's mobile television licensing business. He produced Asia’s first 3G mobile microfilm series, Love 123, in collaboration with a leading mobile and telecom service provider in Hong Kong, which received multiple Hong Kong ICT Awards. His film, Love Forever, won an award for its special contribution at the 24th China Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival in 2015. In recent years, Dr Ho has devoted himself to the advancement and application of digital technologies in media and arts, driving multidisciplinary innovation.
Dr Ho is committed to public service. He is currently a member of the 13th Jilin Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; a member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and Chairman of its Arts Criticism Group; President of the Hong Kong Film Critics Association; and Director of the Hong Kong Rosamond Foundation. Dr Ho remains a dedicated supporter of his alma mater. He is the Founding President of the HKBU Alumni Association of the Greater Bay Area, and currently an Honorary Court member of HKBU.
Dr Sarah Lee Wai-sze
Dr Sarah Lee Wai-sze is one of the iconic figures in track cycling in Hong Kong. She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative and Professional Writing from HKBU in 2023, the year she retired from the sport.
Throughout her 19-year athletic career, Dr Lee won a remarkable number of medals in Asian and world competitions, including three World Championship titles, five Asian Games gold medals and two Olympic Games bronze medals. She won a gold medal in Women’s 500m time trial at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, and then a bronze medal in Women’s Keirin at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the first Olympic medal in cycling of Hong Kong, China. In 2013, she earned her first “Rainbow Jersey” with a gold medal in Women’s 500m time trial at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. At the World Championships in 2019, she earned “Double Rainbow Jersey” by clinching gold in Women’s Keirin and Women’s Sprint. She went on to win bronze in Women’s Sprint at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Dr Lee was awarded the Medal of Honour, the Bronze Bauhinia Star and the Silver Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government, and was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons. She was conferred an Honorary Fellowship by The Education University of Hong Kong, Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa, by Hong Kong Shue Yan University, and an Honorary Fellowship by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Dr Lee is dedicated to contributing to the community by co-founding the non-profit music therapy organisation “Music Flow”, and serving as the Cycling Head Coach for a Po Leung Kuk cycling programme for children with special educational needs.
Mr Yuen Chi-wai
Mr Yuen Chi-wai is a veteran journalism professional for nearly five decades, and is currently the Assistant General Manager (News and Information Services) at Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), providing strategic oversight of the production and editorial direction of all news programmes. Mr Yuen graduated from the then Department of Communication (now the School of Communication) at Hong Kong Baptist College in 1978, majoring in Television Production.
Mr Yuen joined TVB’s News Department as a News Anchor in 1977 before graduation. After graduation, he advanced through positions including Reporter, Assistant News Editor, and Managing News Editor, delivering global news to local households. In 1995, he was appointed the Senior Executive Producer of the Public Affairs Department, where he produced and hosted special news programmes focusing on Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland. Mr Yuen transitioned to the management team at TVB in 1999. He served in a number of key roles including the Public Affairs Manager, Assistant News Controller, Deputy News Controller, and News Controller, before being promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2016. Under his leadership, TVB’s news and public affairs programmes have earned over 100 accolades at various global stages, including the prestigious Peabody Awards, the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, and the Asian Television Awards.
Mr Yuen was appointed Justice of the Peace and awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government. These honours acknowledged his significant impact in the media industry, as well as his contributions in producing highly educational information programmes about the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong.
