Speeches

Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, the Honourable Cheuk Wing-hing, 中聯辦教育科技部王偉明博士, Secretary for Education Dr Choi Yuk-lin, Pro-chancellor Dr Eddy Fong, Council Chairman Ir Dr Conrad Wong, Members of Council and Court, Distinguished guests, Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a privilege and pleasure to be surrounded by so many colleagues, well-wishers and friends of the University. Thank you all for being here today and for playing a big part in shaping Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU).

It's easy to take things for granted. But this University did not just happen organically. Our 35-year of history has been one of choices, leaps in the dark, and difficult decisions. These choices were critical in shaping what we are today.

Let us consider:

What if the Government did not chosen to establish the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong (OLI) in 1989 and place it in the capable hands of its Directors and Chairmen? There would be nothing to celebrate today, 35 years later.

What if, in 1996, OLI did not achieved self-accrediting status? That bold move led to its establishment of The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) in 1997.

And what if, OUHK had not branched out to offer full-time, face-to-face degree programmes from 2003 onwards and joined JUPAS in 2007? The leadership at the time made a radical move to expand the education we offered beyond distance learning.

In those years of exponential growth, what if we did not benefit from the sound financial and professional judgement of our predecessors, who adeptly expanded our campus through visionary decisions?

And what if the University had not embraced the new identity of HKMU in 2021? That bold stroke reframed the position of our University and linked our progress with the future of our city and the people of Hong Kong.

As I said at the beginning, none of these fundamental changes happened “naturally”, or without debate and effort. They were all driven by individuals – people with vision and determination.

My own experience as HKMU President confirms what I've been talking about. So much of what we have been doing at HKMU has no precedent. The success of all these new initiatives was completely up to our vision and effort.

For example, we've become Hong Kong's first University of Applied Sciences – but we can't look at any other university here to see how that works in Hong Kong!

We just purchased a hotel for student accommodation. No other university has ever done this!

We also started building another major campus as a Hub for Community Health and Wellness.

We're planning to set up an “Industrial Centre” to take our engineering related programmes in new directions.

And we're looking to create a HKMU Satellite Campus.

All of this is simply and completely new and uncharted territory for us!

Many of us will know the Chinese saying 摸著石頭過河, or “cross the river by feeling the stones”. When a university is moving that fast and embracing so many new developments, sometimes you can't feel the stones. This has certainly been my personal experience in the past couple of years!

If it were just one person crossing the river, it would not be possible. At HKMU however, our progress is truly collaborative. Time and again, the whole university has got behind our new initiatives, believed in them, supported them, and worked together to make them succeed.

I want to thank all of you who have believed in HKMU and its potential over the years and been ready to take risks and face difficulties.

Perhaps at the top of the list is the HKSAR Government, which set the OLI on its way back in 1989 and has supported us ever since. Thank you very much.

Next are our valued donors. Their generosity lies at the heart of our campus expansion and University development, and underpins many of our scholarships, bursaries and research funds.

Our thanks also go to our Honorary Fellows and Doctors, and industry and academic partners, for their resources, networks, expertise and support.

I'd like to thank our Council members for their expert skills and advice, especially our Council Chairman, Ir Dr Conrad Wong, for his trust in, and support for, the HKMU Management Team.

We also owe enormous thanks to our previous university-builders, including our former Pro-chancellors, Council Chairmen, Court and Council members, Presidents, Management team members and colleagues. All of them have left a mark for good.

I thank our academic staff and behind-the-scenes colleagues for turning our plans into reality, despite all the practical challenges.

After 35 years, we have a sizeable body of alumni, who deserve our warmest thanks for showing the world, the value of HKMU education.

Finally, I'd like to thank our current students for choosing HKMU.

HKMU is an institution shaped by people: people who believe in its potential, people who are ready to take risks, and people who are willing to give, in all sorts of ways, to make it a better place.

Please continue to walk beside us as we make new decisions and explore new directions to shape HKMU and give it a brilliant future.