Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1995

the same price, Mr. Sin is fond of saying, but what distinguishes an exquisite piece of jewellery from the run-of-the-mill is the design and the workmanship. As jewellery manufactured in Hong Kong climbs into the top five categories of Hong Kong exports, Mr. Sin's position as a leading manufacturer of jewellery in Hong Kong is also widely acknowledged. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council invited him to serve as the first chairman of its Jewellery Advisory Committee in 1986 and asked him to stay on for three consecutive terms. He also became the honorary adviser to the Hong Kong Jewellers' and Goldsmiths' Association. Mr. Sin has done more than perhaps any other person to put Hong Kong manufactured jewellery on the world map. He is justly proud of the fact that the quality of the jewellery manufactured in Hong Kong has reached world standards of excellence. As Myer Jewelery Manufacturer Ltd. is in the forefront of Hong Kong jewellers, that must make Mr. Sin's company one of the leading manufacturers in the world. What Mr. Sin has done to jewellery manufacturing in Hong Kong is nothing short of revolutionary. In a business which was trade-oriented and short-term, he introduced quality control and new standards of excellence. He also took what was essentially a cottage-type industry into the world of modern management and corporatization. Mr. Chancellor, I am sure you will agree that just as anewspaper takes after its editor, a company really takes after its chairman; and Mr. Sin's honesty, integrity and dedication to quality have now become the hallmark of his company's merchandise. As his jewellery business expanded, of course, so did Mr. Sin's other business interests. Today, Mr. Sin is the vice chairman of Miramar Hotel and Investment Co. Ltd. and Hip Hing Construction Co. Ltd. He is also a director of New World Development Co. Ltd., New World Hotel (Holdings) Ltd., and the Hang Seng Bank Ltd. Like many successful businessmen in Hong Kong, Mr. Sin's office is inundated with requests for charitable donations of all kinds. Over the years, he has given maximum support to education, both to Zhongshan University in his native Guangzhou and to this university. Mr. Sin's close association with The Chinese University started in 1987 when he became a member of the University Council. He has since served on the University's Finance Committee, the Committee on Donations and as chairman of the Tender Board. He is also a trustee of New Asia College. In 1992, Mr. Sin played a pivotal role in establishing the C. N. Yang Visiting Professorship Fund as well as in the establishment of the Research Centre for Contemporary Chinese Culture. Mr. Sin was also instrumental in helping the University raise the funds for starting collaborative programmes with Yale University. In honouring Mr. David Sin Wai Kin today, we are honouring a man whose work as a jewellery manufacturer has brought accolades to Hong Kong's jewellery business from around the world, a man who is a well-known philanthropist and who is, above all, a long-time supporter of the University as his list of public duties shows. Mr. Chancellor, on behalf of the University, I present David Sin Wai Kin, industrialist, jeweller, property developer, hotelier, philanthropist, and friend and patron of The Chinese University of Hong Kong for the award of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa. 48th Congregation 7