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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is going to launch the Distinguished Alumni-in-Residence Programme (“the Programme”). Alumna Mrs. Dorothy YIU, a veteran social worker and the founder of the Chinese Cancer & Chronic Illness Society of Victoria, Australia (CCCIS) who graduated from CUHK in the 70s, has been appointed as the first incumbent. She will return to the alma mater during 7 to 10 November 2018 from Australia to share with students, alumni and staff members of CUHK her life experience and inspiration.

After graduating from the Department of Social Work, United College, CUHK in 1973, Dorothy worked in Queen Elizabeth Hospital for two years before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia, where she has been serving as a social worker for nearly four decades. In her early years in Australia, like many new immigrants, she experienced culture shock and local discrimination and her professional social worker qualification obtained in Hong Kong was not recognised in the territory. With her positivity, Dorothy gradually blended into local society, regained her professional qualification and started serving the Chinese community. She founded CCCIS in 1996 and she has been devoted since then to voluntarily serving cancer patients and their family members from the Chinese community by providing one-stop supporting services to them over the last 22 years. Dorothy was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) by the Australian Government in 2014 and she was also appointed Justice of Peace Victoria this year.

The Programme consists of a series of activities. Dorothy will give keynote speeches on the topics “Embrace the Unexpected” and “A Multidimensional View: Positivity towards Life and Death”, and she will share with the CUHK community her insights into the different stages of life and also into life education.

Dorothy will also greet and interact with CUHK international students from different parts of the world in a yum cha session and discuss her experiences in adapting to local culture in a foreign land. She will give the staff advice on how to take care of aged and family members with illnesses and how to adjust one’s mind set, and interact with students from the Department of Social work and talk about her experience of practice in loss and grief counselling, as well as give practical advice on positive thinking. She will also greet students at a student residential hall and tell stories about the old days in CUHK and inspirations from her past experience, and she will join students in visiting solitary elderly. 

Schedule of the Programme: 

About the Distinguished Alumni-in-Residence Programme (the “Programme”)

The Programme is a new initiative launched by CUHK in 2018. This programme provides a precious opportunity for the University’s outstanding alumni to return to their alma mater to share their knowledge, expertise and insight with students, alumni (particularly young alumni) and staff. Each year, one or two distinguished alumnus / alumna, either based locally or abroad, will be invited to return to campus for three to five days and host a series of activities related to their fields and professions, such as master classes, seminars, sharing, gatherings and outreach activities. Through this programme, the invited alumnus / alumna can join the alma mater to continue to live the mission and vision of the University by inspiring the CUHK community in various aspects and enriching the intellectual atmosphere as well as the learning experience in the campus. This new initiative also helps serve as a force and a basis for bringing our current students, staff and alumni closer and stronger.