The biennial “Distinguished Alumni Award” was held for the first time this year. The award recipients, Mr Jet Chou Sai-kit, Mr Oscar Lee Ka-chun, Mr Leung Kwok-shing and The Hon Edmund Wong Chun-sek, have made outstanding achievements in their respective professional fields and are actively serving the community and supporting their alma mater, making them truly deserving of this honour. At the Award Presentation Ceremony held on 27 June 2024, they shared their joy with the teachers and friends, sincerely expressed their feelings about winning the award, and detailed the significant impact of studying at HKMU on their personal growth. They were determined to continue supporting their alma mater, inspiring fellow students, and serving the community.
Mr Jet Chou Sai-kit
Mr Oscar Lee Ka-chun
The four award recipients unanimously expressed their gratitude for the support from the faculty and cherished their unforgettable academic experiences at HKMU. In 2004, Mr Jet Chou Sai-kit enrolled in the University's distance learning programme of the Bachelor's degree of Arts in Chinese Humanities. Having grown up in Small Group Homes, he was deeply moved, “The University gave me the opportunity to return to my studies, and I earned my degree in 2008. The subject “Logic and Methodology” was very helpful for my studies in Chinese chess. Without HKMU, I wouldn’t be who I am today!” He integrated this knowledge into chess skills and applied it flexibly, “Logic and thinking methods can be combined with chess skills. I reorganised complex chess theories to improve my thinking speed and elevated my chess skills to new heights.” He won many championships, establishing himself as a famous chess player and was awarded the title of International Chess Master. He founded the “Thinking Programme” teaching theory and has standardised the thinking model of chess. It has been widely practiced and proven effective, and the students he guided have achieved great results in the competition.
Mr Oscar Lee Ka-chun obtained the Bachelor of Nursing with Honours in Mental Health Care in 2015 at HKMU and is now an advanced practice nurse in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. He was deeply honoured to receive the award, “I am grateful for the guidance from my teachers, which pushed me to become an excellent nurse, to excel in research, and to continue progressing in the nursing profession. It also allowed me to return to the University as a part-time lecturer, guiding me to become a competent teacher and mentor for future healthcare partners.” He is committed to improving nursing services and has developed a New Case Booking System within the Psychogeriatric Outpatient Clinic to boost the operational efficiency. He continues to work with the University and serves as a teaching staff. He also collaborates with the University to develop online educational programme to provide training for the nursing assistants in residential care homes to manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of patients with cognitive impairments. He said gratefully, “The University not only gave me knowledge, but also supported my research, which enabled me to make contributions in nursing.”
As we gain knowledge, it is also important to apply what we have learned for self-improvement and enriching others. The two aforementioned award recipients have exemplified this. Similarly, the other two award recipients are also passionate about public welfare and have spared effort to serve the community over the years. They regard the “Distinguished Alumni Award” as a mission and are determined to continue striving for a better society.
Mr Leung Kwok-Shing
The Hon Edmund Wong Chun-sek
Mr Leung Kwok-Shing, a former member of the Hong Kong basketball team, once served as a primary school teacher, graduated at HKMU with a Bachelor's degree in General Studies in 2019. He recalled, “With the knowledge I learned from the course, I founded “Hoops for Hope Basketball Asia” to provide community youths free basketball coaching, helping them to build confidence through sports.” Over the years, he has been actively engaged in youth education and training, fully supporting the University's initiatives to continuously improve social welfare. Valuing the power of teamwork, he repeatedly expressed his gratitude to his mentors and friends at HKMU, “I cherish the kindness and guidance from the teachers and seniors at HKMU which has allowed me to continue learning. To me, 'distinguished' means continuous self-improvement! I want to dedicate this spirit to social services and help the youngsters learn the importance of continuous progress!”
The Hon Edmund Wong Chun-sek, a practicing senior accountant, was elected as a member of the Legislative Council (Functional Constituency – Accountancy) in 2021. He received a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Corporate Governance from HKMU in 2016 and 2017 respectively. He appreciates that the University encourages students to explore various opportunities, “When I was a student, I had the chance to participate in the Senate meetings and served as a bridge between distance learning students and the University. This allowed me to practice my coordination skills which are crucial in my current role as a legislator, where balancing the interests of all parties is essential.” He has served in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Medical Service for many years and engaged in first aid training, “In addition to teaching and improving skills, I wish to change the participants’ attitudes towards life, encouraging them to take responsibility and provide timely assistance during emergencies.” These seemingly unrelated experiences led him to appreciate the University's holistic educational philosophy, “It is about nurturing individuals who are valuable to the society, increasing knowledge, strengthening skills, and changing attitudes through education.”
The “Distinguished Alumni Award” recognises everyone’s achievements in their personal and professional lives. While it serves as a summary for their accomplishments, it also marks the beginning of their new milestones. They look forward to the future with enthusiasm, fully demonstrating the positive significance of the award, advancing society, and inspiring others. Mr Leung Kwok-shing and Mr Jet Chou Sai-kit led by example to serve as the President and Vice President of the HKMU Alumni Association respectively. Jet sincerely said, “I now have more opportunities to organise alumni to participate in University affairs. I will definitely serve with all my heart and repay the University for its continuous support.” Kwok-Shing pointed out sincerely that with the dual roles of President and outstanding alumnus, he shoulders the mission to gather more alumni and connect with social elites to support the development of his alma mater, “When young people pursue for their dreams, they often encourage themselves with the idea of ‘infinite possibilities’. I hope to put this positive mindset into promoting alumni work and strive to achieve more.”
Mr Oscar Lee Ka-chun candidly said that the passion of his colleagues and classmates has driven him to strive for self-improvement, continue to improve his standards of conduct and care, providing the best possible care for his patients. So he shared the award with everyone, “In the future, I hope to continue to contribute to nursing work and strive to improve the quality of nursing education, train more outstanding nurses, and engage in research to improve my knowledge and apply it in practice.” While The Hon Edmund Wong Chun-sek is widely praised for his unparalleled dedication to his career and public service, he humbly considers it as his civic duty and does not claim himself to be outstanding. However, he is eager to embody the spirit behind the award to improve society, “Thank you HKMU for this award. This honour is also a mission, and I will make good use of it to help HKMU to better pass on knowledge and skills to the society and change public attitudes.”
Once again, congratulations to the four award recipients. Their pragmatic and enterprising spirit in their professional and public welfare endeavours are admirable. From each of their sincere acceptance speeches, we believe that with their dedicated efforts and hard work, HKMU and the society will witness a bright and promising future.
