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Prof. Michael Sandel, Harvard's most famous professor, spoke at the Research Centre for Human Values (the Centre) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) tonight. He received an ovation from a capacity audience of around 1,500 people.

The event saw the best-selling political philosopher deliver a rousing lecture entitled 'What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets', based on his New York Times bestselling book of the same name.

The event provoked unprecedented demand for tickets from students, academics and the public right across Hong Kong. The tickets were free and sold out in just a few hours, with additional lecture theatres having to be opened up across campus to host those who wanted to see the event live-streamed from the main auditorium.

Prof. Simon Haines, Director of the Centre and Chairman of the Department of English at CUHK says: "Tonight's event was electric. Prof. Sandel delivered a powerful, moving lecture that really brought home to everyone the huge importance of proper values reflection within the Hong Kong community and across the world. This is exactly what the Research Centre for Human Values, based at CUHK and funded by The Philomathia Foundation, was established to do. 

"We have been greatly looking forward to this event and it fulfilled all our expectations. Having thousands of people come to our campus on a Friday evening shows that the demand for values-based discussion in Hong Kong is at an all-time high. We are very much looking forward to bringing other high-profile speakers to the city as part of our programme at the Centre."

Tonight's event focused on Prof. Sandel's book What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, which takes up one of the biggest ethical questions of our time: isn't there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale? If so, how can we prevent market values from reaching into spheres of life where they don't belong: from becoming our ­only values? What are the moral limits of markets? 

Prof. Sandel challenged the audience with ethical dilemmas grounded in economics. For example: should we pay children to read books or to get good grades? Should we put a price on human life to decide how much pollution to allow? Is it ethical to pay people to test risky new drugs or to donate their organs?

One of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers, Prof. Sandel has been described as "the most relevant living philosopher," "a rock-star moralist" (Newsweek), and “the most famous teacher of philosophy in the world” (New Republic). 

Prof. Sandel's legendary course 'Justice' has enrolled over 15,000 students and was the first Harvard course to be made freely available online and on public television. It has been viewed by millions of people around the world, including in China, where China Newsweek named him in 2011 the "most influential foreign figure of the year." 

His earlier book, Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?, has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 27 different languages The book relates the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of our time. 

About Michael Sandel 

Michael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University where he is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government. His latest book, What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets, challenges us to rethink the role that money and markets should play in our lives. Reviewers have called it a "brilliant, indispensable book on the relationship between morality and economics," and "an eloquent argument for morality in public life." 

Described by the Guardian as "the man who is currently the most effective communicator of ideas in English," Sandel's books and online lectures have brought him "the kind of popularity usually reserved for Hollywood movie stars and NBA players." (China Daily) His recent lecture tours have taken him across five continents, packing such venues as St. Paul’s Cathedral (London), the Sydney Opera House (Australia), and an outdoor amphitheater in Seoul, Korea, where 14,000 people came to hear him speak. 

About The Research Centre for Human Values, CUHK 

Founded in 2009 with a generous donation from the Philomathia Foundation, the mission of the Research Centre for Human Values at The Chinese University of Hong Kong is to promote discussion, research and reflection on values and value conflicts as they present themselves across academic disciplines, in the wider Hong Kong community, and internationally. 
www.eng.cuhk.edu.hk/rchv/

Source: Communications and Public Relations Office, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Organized by Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the first General Education Public Lecture series on Chinese history was held on 26 February. Mr Ian Huen, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Guardian Capital, was invited to be the guest speaker of this lecture series. Through eight public lectures, Mr Huen shares with the audiences his insights on the history and development of the commercial sector in China.

This new lecture series is made possible with a generous donation from GS Charity Foundation Limited in support of the promotion of Chinese history and culture. Over 100 students, alumni and history lovers participated in the first lecture. The lecture was also graced by the presence of Dr Charles Yeung, Chairman of GS Charity Foundation Limited, and Professor Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK.

In his welcoming address, Professor Leung Yuan-sang, Director of ICS, expressed his sincere gratitude to Dr Charles Yeung and the GS Charity Foundation for the staunch support they have rendered to the Chinese University.  “This donation will be used to facilitate the promotion of Chinese culture and inspire the young generation,” said Professor Leung.

About Mr Ian Huen

Mr Huen is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Guardian Capital, a Hong Kong based investment manager with over US$100 million of assets under management. The firm primarily invests in emerging healthcare companies and fixed income instruments. Mr Huen is also a trustee of the Dr Stanley Ho Medical Development Foundation.

Upon graduating from Princeton University with a degree in Economics, Mr Huen joined Janus Capital in Colorado as an equity research analyst.  He also acted as the financial adviser to the selling side in the acquisition of Seng Heng Bank Limited, Macau by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

Mr Huen was a guest host in three episodes of “New Thinking in Management” on RTHK where he shared the poetry of the Song dynasty literalist Su Dong Po, the management skills of the Empress Dowager Cixi and the 1910 rubber stock crisis in Shanghai.  He was also a guest speaker at the EMBA forum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and discussed the First Opium War using an international monetary flow framework.

With the objective to mobilize alumni to support the development of the CUHK Medical Centre and the I·CARE Programme, a kick-off ceremony was held by the CUHK Convocation to announce the launch of its latest fundraising initiative. Participated by close to 100 enthusiastic alumni, the kick-off ceremony was held on Tuesday, 26 January 2016 at the Central Learning Centre of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Professor Joseph Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, thanked the Convocation for their long-standing support over the years. With the concerted effort of members of the Convocation Standing Committee, over HK$10 million has been raised to support various meaningful causes, including the Charles K. Kao Scholarship Endowment Fund, purchase of rehabilitation bus and medical equipment, and research project on low-carbon transport systems conducted by the Institute of Future Cities of CUHK.

In his speech, Dr Chan Chi-sun, Chairman and Convener of the Fundraising Committee of the CUHK Convocation, expressed his excitement in witnessing an increasing number of alumni who are willing to contribute back to their alma mater. On behalf of members of the Convocation Standing Committee, he pledged to make a donation of HK$500,000 in support of the fundraiser. 

Professor Fung Hong, Executive Director of CUHK Medical Centre, and Dr Leung Kai-chi, Senior Project Manager of the I·CARE Programme, were invited to share with the audiences the latest development of the two projects, and answer their enquiries at the Q&A session.

Act now and support the fundraiser of the CUHK Convocation: www.oia.cuhk.edu.hk/f/upload/995/Donatoin_Form.pdf.