Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung Vice-Chancellor of CUHK (2010–2017)

3 中文大學校刊 Chinese University Bulletin | 特刊 Special Supplement P rof. Joseph J.Y. Sung served as the seventh Vice- Chancellor of CUHK from 1 July 2010 to 31 December 2017. Professor Sung joined the Prince of Wales Hospital, CUHK’s teaching hospital, in 1985 as Medical Officer. He later joined the then Department of Medicine of CUHK as Lecturer in 1992, and was promoted to Professor of Medicine and Therapeutics in 1998. He had been the chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, and the associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine with clinical and general affairs portfolios. In December 2008, Professor Sung was appointed Mok Hing Yiu Professor of Medicine in recognition of his significant contributions to the prevention and early diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancers. He became the Head of Shaw College in 2008. As a doctor, Professor Sung has been decorated with awards such as the Outstanding Staff and Team Awards from the Hospital Authority. His leading his medical team in the fight against SARS won him the accolade ‘Asian Hero’ bestowed by the Time magazine. As a professor, his teaching has won him the Vice- Chancellor’s Exemplary Teaching Award. As a scholar and a prolific researcher, he has published close to 700 articles in international journals. As a College Head, he was most concerned with the whole-person development of the students and fashioned the college spirit of ‘Excellence with a Soul; Leadership with a Heart’ for the then youngest member of the CUHK college system. During his seven years at the helm of CUHK, Professor Sung had not neglected any of the above roles. He continued his medical service at the hospital and promoted colorectal cancer screening which benefits the community at large. He gave lectures to students and mingled with them on many more occasions—watching football, listening to music, hiking, nighttime chats, and voluntary work that took them to faraway places. He set the example for and impacted those around him. Savvy in social media, he spoke to a larger audience, bonded with and impacted more people by means of images, words and thoughts from his daily life. On the knowledge fronts, he kept up his collaborations with colleagues and partners, directing them to untravelled grounds as well as encouraging other members of the University to make inroads in their paths of discovery. As the chief officer of a higher education institution, he steered the University through the transition to a new normative curriculum in 2012 and paved the way for more learning opportunities and valuable experiences for the students, imparting aspirations and innovative thinking. Under his leadership, the University embraced its golden jubilee and strode into its next half-century with clear vision and determination. Professor Sung has fought a good fight, but he should not have finished his course, particularly now that his newfound love for running has kept him going from strength to strength. Stepping down from the vice- chancellorship in 2018, he has returned to the clinic, the classroom and the lab. This supplement of the Chinese University Bulletin takes a look at what he has achieved during his term of office. But we believe that it is only one chapter in his long and illustrious annals of leading and serving. There are surely many more chapters to be written about his contributions and impact in other areas and capacities.