The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) held its Honorary Degrees Ceremony 2019 yesterday (7 October) to confer Honorary Doctorates on three distinguished persons in recognition of their outstanding achievements. The recipients are renowned scientist in Medicine Prof. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, seasoned chartered accountant Dr Silas Yang Siu-shun, and distinguished entrepreneurial leader Dr the Honourable Allan Zeman. OUHK Pro-Chancellor Dr Charles Lee Yeh-kwong presided over the ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, OUHK President Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong praised the three Honorary Doctorates recipients for making important contributions to the society and sharing the same vision with OUHK for supporting the development of a better world. He expressed that the pandemic over the last several months has reminded human societies to continuously confront unending and unrelenting challenges. The world not only needs continuous breakthroughs in knowledge, but also counts on outstanding leaders who are able to guide people in moving forward. The remarkable contributions from the three recipients should certainly be recognized.
In addition, Prof. Wong shared his views on the development of higher education during the ceremony. He said that apart from providing necessary manpower to meet the progressing needs of society, higher education also facilitates the creation and application of knowledge which help change the world into a better place. This shows both knowledge and utility are part and parcel of genuine education outcomes. “In this context, if a university is to sustain a ready responsiveness to their changing environments, it has to adjust, adapt and regenerate continually. In other words, a university must progress with time and transform to fit the patterns of the evolving socioeconomic conditions, and address the diverse and shifting needs of the societies and the learners,” he said.
Prof. Wong mentioned that OUHK has been highly responsive to the contemporary needs of the society since its inception in 1989. Originally established as a distance learning institute to meet the educational needs at that time, the University has now transformed into a dynamic full-fledged university, offering a wide range of high-quality full-time programmes to the students. As emphasized by Prof. Wong, teaching and learning activities at the OUHK have gone far beyond a simply practical or vocational focus. In moving towards a knowledge society and facing globalization, education should equip students with knowledge and skills in multiple domains, and give them wide exposure and a global perspective. OUHK has put a lot of emphasis on general education and experiential learning activities for its students, including a wide range of local and overseas developmental opportunities which broaden students' exposure to the world. Looking forward, the University will continue to address the evolving needs of the society and the changing learning aspirations of our young people.
Brief profiles of the three Honorary Degree of Doctor are as follows:
Prof. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, SBS, JP ( Doctor of Sciences, honoris causa)
Prof. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming is a renowned scientist in the area of Medicine, also known as “the Father of Non-invasive Prenatal Test”. He is well-known for his research expertise in molecular diagnostics, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis, and cancer biomarkers. Last year, he was named the “Top 20 Translational Researchers” in the world by the world-renowned scientific journal Nature Biotechnology again, and it is the third consecutive year for him to receive this honour. Prof. Lo is currently the Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, the Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Chemical Pathology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is also the Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Medicine at CUHK. ( learn more)
Dr Silas Yang Siu-shun, JP ( Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa)
Dr Silas Yang Siu-shun is a seasoned Chartered Accountant as well as the former Deputy Chairman of the Council of OUHK. He has been actively involved in community services, including the Community Chest and the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He has also made remarkable contributions to OUHK in many ways, including raising donations and overseeing the development of our new Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare campus. Until his retirement in 2015, Dr Yang has served as the Asia Pacific Chairman of PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC) and Executive Chairman of PwC China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. ( learn more)
Dr the Honourable Allan Zeman, GBM, GBS, JP ( Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa)
Dr the Honourable Allan Zeman is the Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, and former Chairman of the Ocean Park Corporation. With his charisma and sound business acumen as a distinguished entrepreneurial leader, he has successfully built up a remarkable brand for both Lan Kwai Fong and Ocean Park. Having been in Hong Kong for more than 40 years, he has been actively involved in public and community activities. In particular, he has made tremendous contributions to the development and enhancement of the local entertainment, hospitality and tourism industries. ( learn more)
About the OUHK:
Established by the Government in 1989, The Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) has developed into a full-fledged university providing high quality and flexible university education at various levels to secondary school graduates and working adults. As a dynamic and innovative university, the OUHK currently offers programmes of different academic levels to about 10,000 full-time students and 9,000 part-time students. Our mission is to advance learning, knowledge and research that meet students’ learning aspirations and society's talent needs, focusing on practical and professional programmes.
OUHK comprises six Schools, i.e. School of Arts and Social Sciences, Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, School of Education and Languages, School of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Science and Technology, and Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education (LiPACE). LiPACE provides lifelong learning opportunities by offering full-time sub-degree programmes, community learning and professional programmes. OUHK website: www.hkmu.edu.hk
