The University welcomes the appointment of Dr Eddy Fong Ching as Pro-Chancellor, succeeding Dr Charles Lee Yeh-kwong, for a term of three years commencing 1 November 2023. Dr Fong joined the University Council in 2003 and assumed the role of Treasurer the following year. From 2009 to 2016, he served as the Chairman of the Council and made magnificent contributions to the robust development of the University.
HKMU also expresses heartfelt gratitude to Dr Charles Lee for his astute leadership as Council Chairman and Pro-Chancellor for over two decades.
Considering that effective communication between different types of healthcare workers is integral to the provision of patient-centred healthcare services, HKMU is joining hands with Caritas Institute of Higher Education and Tung Wah College to develop a virtual reality (VR) online teaching game. The project is supported by a HK$7.97 million grant from the Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) under the Government's Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund with the primary goal of enhancing the inter-professional communication skills of approximately 2,800 undergraduate nursing and physiotherapy students of the three institutions. The online game will be more cost-effective and accessible than the high-fidelity simulation training provided at public hospitals and universities, while offering useful interactive and real-time feedback features.
The project is scheduled to kick start in January 2024, and the earliest classroom-ready date of the game is planned for 2025. The research team hopes that this development framework will be transferrable to other healthcare disciplines.
On 18 July, the University held a Scholarships and Awards Gala for the first time to bring donors and student awardees together, allowing the awardees to express their gratitude to their dedicated supporters. On the occasion, four awardees represented their fellow students in presenting a token of thanks in the form of musical and rope skipping performances.
This year, the University awarded scholarships totalling HK$34 million to more than 1,600 students with outstanding performance in various fields, setting yet another record in recipient numbers and the total scholarship amount. The donors' contribution has enabled the introduction of seven new scholarships, including the Whole Person Development Award and a number of Entrance Scholarships.
The Hong Kong Metropolitan University Alumni Association, which was established in September 2022, has elected a new cabinet to the Executive Committee. Members of the second session of the committee have been appointed for a term of one year, expiring on 31 August 2024. The newly elected President is Mr Leung Kwok-shing, a 2019 graduate of the Bachelor of General Studies programme.
