Newsletter No. 203

2 No. 203 19th May 2002 CUHK Newsletter First Honorary Fellowship Conferment Ceremony L ast year the University Council approved a scheme to confer honorary fellowships on individuals who have made significant contributions to the University. Six distinguished persons were subsequently appointed by the Council as Honorary Fellows. They include Mr. Vincent H.C. Cheng, a distinguished banker; Prof. Kenneth E.F. Hobbs, a world-renowned surgeon; Prof. Hu Shiu-ying, an eminent scholar in plant taxonomy; Dr. Lee Shau-kee, founder of Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd.; Dr. the Hon Simon Li Fook-sean, philanthropist and a most respected veteran in the legal p r o f e s s i on; and R i cha rd S.C. Liu, a successful en t r ep r eneur and cha i rman of Superior Holdings Ltd. At a ceremony held on 6th May 2002 in t he Lee Hysan Conce rt Ha ll of Esther Lee Bu i l d i ng on c ampu s, Dr. Lee Ho n - c h i u, chairman of the University Council, conferred honorary fellowships on these six individuals, who became the University's first Honorary Fellows. The ir c i t a t i ons were w r i t t en and delivered by Prof. David Parker, professor of English, and Prof. Serena Jin, professor of translation. Mr. Vincent H. C. Cheng M r . C h e n g graduated from The Chinese University with a Bachelor of S o c i a l S c i e n ce degree and obtained a Master of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He is currently vice-chairman and chief executive of Hang Seng Bank Limited, Hong Kong's second largest listed bank. He is also an executive director of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, chairman of Hang Seng Life Limited, and a director of Great Eagle Holdings Limited and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation. Mr. Cheng joined The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in 1978. In 1995, at the age of 47, he made history when he became the first 一 and to this day the only — Chinese to be appointed an executive director of the Bank. F r om 1989 to 1991, he was s e c o n d e d t o t he H o n g K o n g Government's Central Policy Un it to advise the government on its policies. Mr. Cheng has been active in public service. Over the years, he has served as a member of the Legislative Council (1991-1995), a member of the Executive Council (1995-1997), and a Hong Kong Affairs Adviser to the People's Republic of China (1994-1997). He is chairman of the Process Re v i ew Panel f or the Securities and Futures Commission, and the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service of the government. He is also a vice-president and chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, a member of the Beijing Mun i c i pal Committee of the Chinese P e o p l e 's P o l i t i c a l C o n s u l t a t i ve Conference, the Advisory Committee of the HKSAR Government Land Fund, the Long Term Housing Strategy Advisory Committee, the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service, the Independent Commission on Remune r a t i on for Membe rs o f the Executive Council and the Legislature of the HKSAR, and the Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board. Mr. Cheng is chairman of the Hang Seng School of Commerce, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the L o r d Wi l s on Heritage Trust, and a member of the Board of the Community Chest of Hong Kong. Mr. Cheng is a non-official Justice of the Peace and was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Emp i re in 1994. He was appointed visiting professor by Zhejiang University and Shenzhen University in 2000 and 2001 respectively, and honorary professor by the Southwestern Un i v e r s i ty o f Finance and Economics in China in 2000. Mr. Cheng has been maintaining a close relationship with his alma mater. He has served on the Board of Trustees of New Asia College since 1998. Both The Chinese University and New Asia College have benefited enormously f r om his valuable effort and expertise. Prof. Kenneth E.F. Hobbs P r o f . K e n n e t h Edward Frederick Hobbs is a pioneer in the field of liver s u r g e r y . H i s innovative research ill liver surgery and transplantation started in the 1960s and has since brought forth many advances in the field. P r o f . H o b bs was a p p o i n t ed Foundation Professor of Surgery of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine at the University of London in 1973 at 37, being one of the youngest professors of surgery ever to be appointed in the UK. He became the Dean of Medicine of the University from 1994 to 1998. Upon his retirement in 1998, he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Surgery of the University. Prof. Hobbs has made tremendous contributions to the advancement of medicine and medical education in the United Kingdom. He was appointed a member of the United Kingdom General Medical Council in 1996, and has served as v i c e - c ha i rman o f the Co u n c i l 's Professional Conduct Committee and chairman o f its many committees of inquiry into the misconduct of doctors. He is now a non - Coun c il professional member o f the Fitness to Practise Committees o f the Council. He also served on the United Kingdom Medical Research Council as chairman of one of its grants committees from 1984 to 1986. From 1991 to 1993, he was a member of the Medical Sub-Committee of the United Kingdom Universities Funding Council. Prof. Hobbs has been trustee and board member o f Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation of Berne, Switzerland since 1976, and has been the chairman and president of the Foundation since 2000. He is also a trustee of the East Grinstead Medical Research Trust. Prof. Kenneth Hobbs has been an external examiner and external assessor o f the Faculty o f Med i c i ne and the Department of Surgery of The Chinese University for many years. He has made generous contribution of his expertise t o w a r ds the r a p i d and h e a l t hy development of the University's Faculty of Medicine since its early years. Prof. Hu Shiu Ying An eminent botanist specializing in plant taxonomy, Prof. Hu S h i u Y i n g is currently Honorary P r o f e s s o r o f Chinese Me d i c i ne at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Senior College Tutor of Chung Chi College, and Emeritus Senior Research Fe l l ow o f A r n o l d Arboretum, Harvard University. Prof. Hu was the first Chinese female to pursue doctoral education at Harvard University under a scholarship f r om Radcliffe College. Since obtaining her doctoral degree in 1949, Prof. Hu has devoted over half a century to the research of plants in Harvard. In 1968, she took up the position of senior lecturer in the Department of Biology of Chung Chi College and began her research work on Ho ng Ko n g 's vegetation. She was subsequently appointed adviser to the Sunyatsen Botanical Garden in Nanjing, honorary professor o f South China Agriculture University in Guangzhou, adviser to the Fairy Lake Botanical Garden in Shenzhen, and Honorary Professor of Chinese Medicine at The Chinese University. Prof. Hu has to date produced and identified as many as 185,000 plant specimens, and published over 160 papers. She is a recognized authority on Ilex, Hemorcaulis, Paulonnia, Compositae and Orchidaceae. Her research on the holly family is particularly famous. Prof. Hu has made tremendous contributions to the promotion of botany and Chinese medicinal research at The Chinese University. She has organized a herbarium