As I review our accomplishments in the past two years as Council Chairman, it is very clear that the OUHK has earned its place as a leader among self-financing tertiary education institutions in Hong Kong by fulfilling its mission of making higher education available to all.
In November 2010, the OUHK celebrated its 21st birthday, marking its coming of age in providing lifelong education for Hong Kong people, irrespective of their age or educational background.
Over the past two decades, the OUHK has played an increasingly important role in helping to create a knowledge-based society. From its modest beginning as an institute for adult education, the University has grown to become a fully-fledged, accredited university, providing both distance learning and full-time, face-to-face study programmes.
Our programmes are also increasing in number and diversity, bringing greater flexibility and accessibility to meet both our students’ educational needs and society’s need for talent. More than 160,000 people from every walk of life have benefited from our learning programmes, and the total number of our graduates has exceeded 60,000.
I am deeply impressed by the many remarkable students I have met, who have shown persistence, innovation and dedication, demonstrating the high quality of an OUHK education. This confirms our belief that the OUHK plays a vital role in offering educational opportunities to those with a will to learn.
The University’s successes in the past have laid a firm basis for it to thrive and excel, and to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Just as we were about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our full-time programmes, we received the exciting news in December 2010 that our bid for a nearby site in Ho Man Tin to build a new college had been successful. The planned New College will build on our existing strengths by offering full-time programmes in cultural and creative arts, testing and certification and medical services, thus contributing to three of the six crucial industries being promoted by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
These achievements would not have been possible without the commitment, hard work and dedication of our President, Prof. John C Y Leong, and his team. The OUHK will continue to benefit from Prof. Leong’s experience and valuable guidance as it embarks on the establishment of the New College and the continued diversification of its study programmes.
I would also like to thank our alumni and friends in the community for their ongoing support. A special word of thanks must go to our many benefactors for their grants, funds and donations. The financial support of these philanthropists, charitable institutions and business organizations has contributed to the long-term development of the University, strengthened its status as a self-financing institution, and enabled more people to study at the OUHK.
‘New Thinking, New Horizons’ will continue to guide the OUHK in its ongoing pursuit of academic excellence. With the support of our students, alumni, benefactors and the community, I am sure all of us at the OUHK will continue to adopt new ideas and broaden our horizons in order to provide the highest standards for lifelong learning in Hong Kong.
