Professor Paul LAM Kwan-sing
Professor Paul LAM Kwan-sing is President of Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Chair Professor of Environmental Chemistry.
Professor LAM received a Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of Hong Kong between 1979 and 1984. He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1984 to undertake doctorate studies at the University of Sheffield in the UK. He took up a Croucher Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at King's College, University of London, and in 1988, he returned to Hong Kong to take up a lecturing position at City Polytechnic of Hong Kong. He subsequently held positions in a number of universities, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong (1990–1992) and the Victoria University, in Australia (1992–1994). In 1994, he joined the Department of Chemistry (formerly the Department of Biology and Chemistry) at City University of Hong Kong.
Professor LAM is a front-runner in the higher education sector in Hong Kong and is well-versed with academic development and university administration. Prior to joining HKMU, he was the Executive Director of Special Projects, Jeanie Hu Professor of Science and Chair Professor of the Department of Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong. During his long service at City University of Hong Kong since 1994, he assumed other management positions as Acting Vice-President (Undergraduate Education), Vice-President (Student Affairs), Chief-of-Staff and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution.
Professor LAM is a renowned scholar and expert in environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, and environmental risk assessment. Among his many academic achievements, Professor LAM’s work in ecology and environmental analysis has raised environmental awareness and defined new sensitive analytical methodology for emerging chemicals of concern. He developed techniques for trace analyses of these chemicals in key environmental matrices, contributing to the international harmonisation of analytical methods to address such concerns. By providing key evidence relating to the distribution and persistence of such chemicals, his research has influenced policy and legislation globally.
Professor LAM is the author or co-author of over 400 publications in international refereed journals. He has been responsible for over 35 major government consultancy projects in the environmental field, including the assessment of risks to Hong Kong cetaceans and water birds from toxic contaminants. He was awarded the Natural Science Award (Second Class) in 2011, 2012 and 2019 by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.
Professor Lam actively participates in community service. He is currently Chairman of the Accreditation Advisory Board, Member of the Advisory Committee on the Northern Metropolis, Member of Lantau Development Advisory Committee, Member of Global STEM Professorship Scheme Assessment Panel under the Innovation and Technology Bureau, Member of the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme Panel of Advisors, and Member of the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service. He was Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Environment from 2010 to 2016. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2008 and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2014 by the HKSAR Government.
