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In recognition of the unwavering contributions from our benefactors, the Opening Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Garden of Appreciation and Dinner Reception were held on 6 December 2014. Officiated by Dr Vincent Cheng, Chairman of the Council of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), and Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Joseph Sung, the Ceremony took place at the Golden Jubilee Garden of Appreciation, flanked by Sir Run Run Shaw and Y C Liang Halls. Over 150 major benefactors, friends, alumni, faculty members and staff of CUHK joined this meaningful occasion to celebrate the opening of the Garden. Unprecedented in the history of CUHK, the Dinner Reception was held in the auditorium of Sir Run Run Shaw Hall.

We will be for ever grateful
Professor Sung highlighted in his speech that the speedy growth of the University in the past five decades is made possible by the generous support and wise counsel from community leaders, supporters, friends and alumni of CUHK. The Golden Jubilee Garden of Appreciation was created, on the occasion of the University's 50th anniversary, in recognition of the indispensable contributions from our major benefactors over half a century.

The Garden is designed by Professor Yutaka Yano from the School of Architecture of CUHK. It features eight portals symbolising the gates of knowledge offered by our Faculties of Arts, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Science and Social Science. The water, flowing along the two sides of the main pathway of the Garden, represents the support from our benefactors for the cultivation of young talents and the development of CUHK. Proposed by members of the CUHK 50th Anniversary Fund Raising Committee, an installation in the shape of the hillside of CUHK, has been erected in the Garden. The installation comes with a screen with names of our major benefactors moving above the skyline of CUHK like clouds. This installation serves as a means to acknowledge the support from our donors, and more importantly a tool to educate our students to appreciate the contributions from our benefactors; learn to be thankful; and give back to the society after their graduation.

Brilliant performances by alumni
Alumni Ms Akina Fong and Mr Allan Au were invited to be the masters of ceremony of the Opening Ceremony as well as the Dinner Reception. The Dinner was kicked off by the recitation performance by Ms Milly Chow, alumna of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Ms Cheuk Chun-lam, student of the Department of Music. The passage recited by Ms Chow is written by Professor Ho Che-wah, Chairman of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Professor Simon Haines, Chairman of the Department of English. Dr Vincent Cheng announced in his speech that CUHK have raised more than the institutional ceiling of HK$1.14 billion, and received the maximum amount of HK$600 million matched grant under the 6th round of Matching Grant Scheme operated by the HKSAR Government. "This was made possible by the staunch support from our benefactors, alumni and friends, as well as through the concerted efforts of our faculty members and staff under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor Professor Joseph Sung," said Dr Cheng.

In line with the theme of the 50th anniversary of CUHK – "Embrace our Culture; Empower our Future" – the Dinner featured three videos produced by the Audio-Visual Division of the Communications and Public Relations Office, namely "Now and Then", "Dreams Come True" and "Soaring over CUHK", to demonstrate the advancement of the University in the past five decades; illustrate how CUHK serves as a platform for faculty members and students to realize their dreams; and showcase the peaceful and stunning campus of the University. To express our appreciation to our donors, alumnus Dr William Ng performed a beautiful piano piece, while alumna Ms Judy Ho, accompanied by Ms Jennifer Tse, presented at the Dinner a delightful harp and flute performance.

Moving forward to the second 50 years
Celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013, the University organized a wide range of commemorative events throughout the year. The Opening Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Garden of Appreciation was a finale event in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of CUHK. The event enabled CUHK members to meet with the benefactors and thank them in person. Moving forward to the second 50 years, CUHK will continue to nurture generations of brilliant young talents for the society by upholding its motto "Through learning and temperance to virtue" and mission "To combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West".

Ms Sylvia Chang, renowned actress, scriptwriter and director, visited The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) on 31 October as the guest speaker for the Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities co-organized by CUHK and Shun Hing Group. Ms Sylvia Chang spoke on the topic ‘Failure is the Nutrient of Success’, attracting about 700 CUHK staff and students, alumni, high school students and members of the public. Live webcast was also arranged. Ms. Chang inspired the audience with her experience and interacted with them in the question-and-answer session.

Ms Sylvia Chang was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. She is a famous director, scriptwriter, filmmaker, actress, composer and singer in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Ms Chang has been involved in the film industry for more than 40 years, acting in over 100 movies. Her superb acting skills have been well-recognized through major film awards, including the Taipei Golden Horse Film Award for Best Leading Actress, and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, as well as numerous nominations at film festivals.

In the 1980s, Ms Chang made the move from acting to producing and directing. Her film style is distinctive and full of realism. She was strong in scripting the emotions of women and describing the range of feelings from youth to old age. As a result, her films resonated with many fans in different age groups. Ms Chang’s popular works include: Passion, Tonight Nobody Goes Home, Sisters of the World Unite, and 20 30 40. Ms Chang also produced a film Run Papa Run, which depicted in depth, the relationship of a man with his daughter. Ms Chang has received many awards and nominations for her exceptionally creative contributions to film, including Best Film and Best Screenplay at the Asia Pacific Film Festival.

Introduction of Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities

The Shun Hing Lecture Series in Arts and Humanities was established with a generous donation from the Shun Hing Group. The lecture series aims at promoting cultural knowledge and scholarly pursuits in the arts and humanities. Distinguished scholars from four major areas, Music, Drama and Film, Literature and Art, as well as Philosophy and Thinking, have been invited to give public lectures. Previous lectures hosted by picture book author Mr. Jimmy Liao, composer Dr. Lam Bun-ching, sculptor Prof. Wu Weishan, and Confucian Scholar Prof. Tu Weiming have been very successful in inspiring the younger generation.

Following in the philanthropic footsteps of the Group’s Founder, the late Dr William Mong Man Wai, who firmly believed in the spirit of giving back to society, the Shun Hing Group embraces corporate social responsibility and over the years has generously donated towards various projects in education, scientific research, arts and culture, sports and recreation, as well as environmental protection.

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

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held the Naming Ceremony of Li Wei Bo Building, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute today (23 October). Officiating guests included Dr. Li Weibo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Glory Harvest Group Holdings Limited and Honorary Chairman, Li Weibo Charitable Foundation; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, Vice-Chancellor and President, CUHK; and Prof. Benjamin W. Wah, Provost and Acting Director of Shenzhen Research Institute, CUHK. Dr. Li Weibo has been a staunch supporter of the University. In 2007, he made a generous donation to CUHK for its long-term development, in particular the development of the CUHK Shenzhen Institute and the construction of its main building. In appreciation of Dr. Li’s support, the University has named the building as Li Wei Bo Building, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute.

About CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute and Li Wei Bo Building
The CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute was established in 2007 and has since then been actively involved in research, education and technology transfer in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta Region. Through the Institute, CUHK can advance its collaboration with Shenzhen in these areas and also contribute to technology innovation and economic and cultural development in Hong Kong and mainland China. The establishment of the Institute is also a monumental milestone in Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation which brings both cities’ prominence in to full play.

Over the past years, the Institute has made significant progress and its research strength has been widely recognized. It has undertaken various important science and technology projects commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Natural Science Foundation and the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province. It has also been working closely with local authorities on various research missions. Leveraging the academic strengths of CUHK, the Institute has been focusing on basic research in areas of agricultural product and food safety, biotechnology, internet and information technology, as well as economics and social subjects, to support the National Science and Technology Development Plan and meet the development needs of Shenzhen. A total of 32 laboratories have been built. In 2011, the Institute was granted by the Shenzhen Peacock Plan to establish an innovative research team of agricultural biotechnology.

So far, the Institute has been approved to establish four Shenzhen key laboratories, namely the ‘Key Laboratory of Critical Technology and Application of Network Coding’, ‘Key Laboratory of Health Risk Analysis’, ‘Key Laboratory of Chemical Synthesis of Small Organic Molecules for Medical Use’, and ‘Key Laboratory of Big Data Analysis and Application of Rich Media’, as well as three Shenzhen engineering laboratories, namely ‘Vegetables Biotechnology Engineering Laboratory’, ‘Wireless Positioning Technology and System Engineering Laboratory’, and ‘Speech Therapy and Rehabilitation Technology Engineering Laboratory’.

The Li Wei Bo Building, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute was opened in 2011. It is located in the Shenzhen Virtual University Park in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen. The nine-storey building, with a gross floor area of 25,000 square meters, is equipped with comprehensive facilities for training, research and technology transfer.

About Dr. Li Weibo
A successful industrialist, Dr. Li Weibo has been engaged in the industrial construction and real estate business in Shenzhen and South China for many years. Dr. Li is highly supportive of community welfare, having served as a member of the Board of the Yan Chai Hospital Committee for many years. He is concerned about social affairs and is especially supportive of education. He has made generous donations for scholarships to enable mainland students to study at CUHK, served as Advisor during the preparatory stage of CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, and launched the ‘Shenzhen Li Weibo Charitable Foundation’ in November 2013.

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