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In celebration of its 50^th anniversary this year, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will confer honorary degrees on the following five distinguished persons at its 73^rd  Congregation to be held on the University’s Foundation Day on Thursday, 17 October, in recognition of their exceptional contributions in their respective areas of achievement to social, economic, educational and medical progress. 

Renowned banker Dr. LI Kwok-po, David, is Chairman and Chief Executive of The Bank of East Asia, Ltd.  Dedicated to serving the community, Dr. Li has served as a Member of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council of Hong Kong, Vice-Chairman of the Basic Law Drafting Committee, as well as adviser to or patron of a number of charitable organizations.  Dr. Li attaches great importance to education.  He founded The Prince Philip Scholarship Scheme to enable talented students to study at Cambridge University, and has held important positions in various academic and professional training institutions to advocate lifelong learning.  Dr. Li and the Li Family have been active and staunch supporters of CUHK and its Colleges.  He is currently a member of the Committee of Overseers of S.H. Ho College.  In recognition of his numerous contributions to education and the community at large, the University will confer the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa, upon Dr. Li.

Prof. Barry James MARSHALL is a Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.  He is currently Honorary Clinical Professor, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, and Co-Director of the Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, University of Western Australia.  In 1982, Professor Marshall and pathologist Dr. J. Robin Warren discovered the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) that affects half of the world’s population.  They showed that H.pylori is the cause of gastritis, peptic ulcers and stomach cancer, reversing decades of medical doctrine which held that ulcers were hereditary or caused by stress and spicy foods.  Professor Marshall used his own body to test his theories that have led to a breakthrough in understanding digestive diseases and new ways of treating and curing gastritis and peptic ulceration with antibiotics.  Professor Marshall’s profound contributions to the world have been widely recognized.  He has been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and Doctor of Science honoris causa of University of Oxford.  He was also awarded the Keio Medical Science Prize of Japan.  The University will confer upon Professor Marshall the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in recognition of his phenomenal contributions to human well-being. 

Dr. Elsie TU is a prominent social activist in Hong Kong.  After graduating from college in Britain, she came to Hong Kong and has been here for over half a century.  From running a school to fighting for the rights of the underprivileged, she has devoted her life to serving the Hong Kong community.  Dr. Tu was a member of the Urban Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong. During her tenure, she fought hard against corruption.  Her consistent effort to fight corrupt practices was regarded as one of the driving forces which ultimately led to the setting up of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in Hong Kong.  With the belief that education can change lives and create futures, Dr. Tu set up the Mu Kuang English School in 1954 by putting up an army tent on farmland in Kwun Tong to provide underprivileged children with learning opportunities.  She has been honoured with the Grand Bauhinia Medal by the HKSAR Government and was one of the ‘Hong Kong Loving Hearts’ in 2010.  The University will confer upon Dr. Tu the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa, for her selfless devotion to the Hong Kong community.

Mr. WONG Yan-lung has been a Senior Counsel since 2002 and has held many significant positions including the Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, Council Member and Chairman of the Special Committee on Legal Education of the Hong Kong Bar Association, Chairman of the Criminal and Law Enforcement Injuries Compensation Boards, and Chairman of the Non-local Higher and Professional Education Appeal Board.  Mr. Wong has also contributed significantly to the development of Hong Kong’s legal services, including the promotion of mediation and arbitration, the facilitation to set up the first Asian branch of the secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, and the establishment of the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in Hong Kong.  Mr. Wong also pioneered and led the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse.  He has been actively involved in volunteer work and has served as Vice-Chairman of the CEDAR Fund and as a Steering Committee member of and volunteer for the Hong Kong Christian Concern for the Homeless.  Mr. Wong’s prominent success has earned him many awards and honours, including an Honorary Fellowship of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, and the Grand Bauhinia Medal from the HKSAR Government.  The University will confer upon Mr.Wong the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in recognition of his important contributions to the legal sector.

Prof. ZHONG Nanshan is a renowned Chinese respiratory disease expert and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.  Having worked in the fields of clinical practices, teaching and research of respirology for over fifty years, Professor Zhong is a leading scientist in promoting China’s respiratory medicine to the forefront of medical advances.  He is currently Director of the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, P.R.C. and a medical consultant to the World Health Organization.  During the SARS outbreak in 2003, Professor Zhong initiated a management protocol known as ‘3 propers’ which contributed to Guandong having the lowest mortality rate from SARS among the affected regions, and also collaborated closely with CUHK Faculty of Medicine to develop treatment strategies.  He was thus entitled to the honour of ‘Special Contributor’ to the anti-SARS campaign.  Professor Zhong also helped develop a number of Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and management of various respiratory diseases including H5N1, H1N1 and H7N9.  He emphasizes the importance of moral education and has been awarded a number of teaching awards.  Sharing the education vision with CUHK, Professor Zhong supported the University’s initiative in nurturing talents in the mainland by serving as a member of the Governing Board of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (SZ).  The University will confer upon Professor Zhong the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in recognition of his contributions to medical and educational advancement.

At the Congregation, eleven outstanding professors will be installed as the first batch of Choh-Ming Li Professors.  They are recognized for their long-term remarkable performance in teaching and research and outstanding contributions to the Faculty and University.  They will be provided with funds to support their academic and research pursuits during the appointment term of five years.  This new professorship is named after the late Dr Choh-Ming Li, a distinguished scholar and the founding Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong who laid the solid foundation of the University in its early years.  The eleven Cho-Ming Li Professors are: