Council Chairman, distinguished guests, alumni, friends, colleagues and students:
This is a day of great honour for me, a day that allows me to turn another page in the history of this great university.
I am only too aware of the tremendous weight of expectation and responsibility. In being given the honour of succeeding Professor Poon Chung-kwong as President of this university, I have been given a pair of very large shoes to fill. As I step into his shoes, I am also standing on the shoulders of generations of our alumni, academics, administrators and supporting staff who together have made PolyU what it is today. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you all, and especially Professor Poon, for turning over to me PolyU in such a fine shape, and with such a splendid record of achievement and service to the community.
The presidency is not just a title, but a great privilege and an opportunity to make a difference. I am truly thankful for this opportunity to serve PolyU and Hong Kong, and I approach my new responsibility with trepidation and gratitude.
The motto of our University, “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”, is already deeply anchored in my mind and embedded in my heart. We take pride in supporting our academics in conducting research that has impact and practical value, and in providing educational programmes that nurture quality professionals for our society.
The leader of a university does not usually brag. But this is one occasion when he is allowed to do so and be applauded for it. So, I will take advantage of this rare opportunity to brag just a little bit in front of this distinguished audience, even though as a newcomer I have played no part in these achievements. I am, however, very proud of them.
The Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles, for example, has developed a new drug for the treatment of liver cancer, one of the most deadly diseases afflicting humanity. As early as 2002, our smart material research won the prize of the State Technological Invention Award. The outstanding achievements in textile research have contributed to the establishment of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel in PolyU by the Hong Kong Government. At the same time, our laboratory for Modern Chinese Medicine in Shenzhen is moving towards state key lab status.
Based upon high impact and relevant research, the Faculty of Business has been providing quality programmes for our students over the past six years. As a consequence of our colleagues’ efforts, we are now ranked 66th in the world in the latest University of Texas Dallas Top 100 Worldwide Business School Rankings, which are based on publications in 24 leading business journals. This ranking places PolyU’s Graduate School of Business No. 2 in Hong Kong and No. 3 in Asia (including Australia and New Zealand).
The Faculty of Construction and Land Use is engaged in a five-year study on the formation of acid rain and its impact on the environment in China. The study is a national “973” programme supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology. In the area of “structural health monitoring” for long-span bridges and high-rise buildings, we are recognized as the international leader. Among such projects we have handled are the Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong and the new Guangzhou TV Tower now under construction. With funding support from Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., the Faculty is also involved in the development of green building technology, with a view to enhancing the sustainability of our environment.
Closer to home, the Smart Railway Research Laboratory, established by the Faculty of Engineering with support from the then Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, has enabled trains to run with greater reliability and improved safety through the installation of the “Fibre Optic Sensor System”. PolyU technologies have also contributed to the development of mycar, a fully electrically driven vehicle now being sold in the United Kingdom and France. Our researchers are working closely with the Russian Space Agency in designing a mission-critical space tool known as the “Soil Preparation System” which will be carried onboard a Russian spacecraft to the Red Planet in the 2009 Sino-Russian Space Mission. This is the first strategic interplanetary collaboration between China and Russia, and also the first attempt in the history of mankind to land on the moon of a planet other than the Earth.
The “Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Meter”, developed by our Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, is another award-winning project. It is a breakthrough for people suffering from diabetic distress as this new device will not make any wound or cause any discomfort when testing blood sugar level. The invention has been awarded a patent, and Carelife, a company co-owned by a PolyU graduate, has licensed the technology for commercialization. As a strategic partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee in 2008, PolyU has also introduced revolutionary changes in sports training and rehabilitation. We are now gearing up for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The newly established Faculty of Humanities has been designated by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security as the only authorized trainer for the China Accreditation for Translators and Interpreters in Hong Kong. We will see even more of the Faculty’s achievements in the development of all-round students and global citizens in the new four-year education system commencing 2012.
The SizeChina project of the School of Design, which has brought home a number of awards in international competitions, is the world’s first and much sought-after database storing 3-dimensional head and face measurements of ethnic Chinese. It provides a state-of-the-art tool for designers, engineers and manufacturers who want to create perfect-fitting consumer products for Chinese users.
Tourism is another pillar of Hong Kong’s economy. Our School of Hotel and Tourism Management has been rated No. 1 in Asia and No. 4 in the world. The partnership we have with industry and the synergies created will drive dynamic growth in tourism and the hospitality businesses in Asia.
I cite our records of achievement not to be boastful, but to tell the world that we are making a difference. Investing in PolyU and its researchers is a wise investment. My dear colleagues, if the above list does not refer to your specific achievements, please do not feel ignored. If I were to read out all our achievements, we might be here all day and all night.
I also want to clarify that our passion for making breakthroughs in research is not motivated by our concern over institutional rankings. I believe that quality precedes popularity, and impact comes before recognition. As our application-oriented research efforts result in positive and major contributions to society, higher rankings will naturally follow. We lead by doing, and we shine by achieving.
PolyU has a different mission from other universities. Paradoxically, it has always soared to great heights by staying close to the ground, close to the practical needs of our community and our country. I am justly proud of the research culture at this university. Here we speak the language of practicality. We speak the language of social and commercial impact. During my term, this application-oriented research culture and capability will be further promoted and strengthened.
A modern university is a complex organization of talented members. Many of you are independent thinkers and smarter than I. As President Clinton used to say, “You can only lead by listening”. I have done and will continue to do a lot of respectful listening.
Since I took office on January 1, I have visited almost all the academic and numerous administrative units of the university. I have also engaged colleagues and students in many small-group discussions. You have all been very thoughtful in sharing with me your concerns and ideas for improving and advancing the university. I have heard about the challenges and opportunities brought about by the development and implementation of a four-year undergraduate curriculum, the requirements of an outcome-based education, our positioning in research and the job prospects of our graduates in the current economic situation. Not surprisingly, our colleagues also have concerns about their personal development and prospects. They also realize that PolyU, being situated at the centre of the city, has the advantages of being close to its constituencies, business and industry, but at the same time is limited in the physical resources required to support their academic endeavours. This limitation also extends to the lack of sufficient hostels and a learning environment that is seen by our students as less than ideal. Our students have also expressed concern about the double cohort in 2012, as well as internship and employment opportunities available for them in the current economic situation. I can assure you that all these issues will receive attention from my administration as we strive to take PolyU to a higher level of excellence.
I am all for a collaborative partnership in which individual members of the university find PolyU a nurturing environment and can excel for the greater good of us all. We do, however, need a road map. I was not here when the 2008/09 to 2011/12 strategic plan was conceptualized. On the whole, I share the underlying values enshrined in this strategic plan, but now, I ask for your patience in allowing me to give it my own reading.
As I see it, the over-arching goal of this university is to prepare our students to meet the needs of the region and to rise to the challenges of the new global age. To design a curriculum that liberates and stimulates the creativity of individuals through interdisciplinary studies, all-round development and big-picture thinking is a basic requirement, but we need to do more.
In the current economic crisis, we have all seen the enormous damage caused by people failing to act ethically. I therefore see the need to guide our students to undertake their responsibilities with ethical sensitivity and a strong sense of social purpose.
We are well aware that we need to educate our students to communicate well so that they can go farther and do better in their profession and in the world of business and industry. As such, one of my key objectives is to establish PolyU as a university that turns out articulate and highly effective communicators, both biliterate and trilingual.
It is of course vitally important that PolyU graduates are more than just technologists or technocrats. In this age of rapid change, in addition to their professional skills and expertise, our graduates need to be skilled and resourceful problem solvers, capable of thinking globally.
Our world is changing so fast. What we learn today may become obsolete tomorrow. When I left Hong Kong for the US, it was a much different world. The term “Internet” did not even exist, and Google for sure did not. So we need an education that prepares our students to anticipate the future needs of mankind and to solve newly emerging problems. I would like to call our graduates “practical dreamers”, that is, graduates capable of
devising innovative solutions to meet our practical everyday needs and solve our everyday problems.
How do we continue to produce preferred graduates and scale higher summits? We must set higher goals with a broader vision. As I see it, we have four priorities to guide us as we move ahead.
1. Sustainable Urban Development – Urbanization and massive urban renewal must be carried out but with sensitivity to the needs of the community in attaining a higher quality of life. Urban development is community building, not community destruction. The needs and well-being of residents must be given primary consideration. Such concerns should be reflected in our teaching programmes and research activities.
2. Innovation and Entrepreneurship – In the past, necessity has been the mother of invention for Hong Kong. But against global competition, our inventive capabilities should not be restricted to the reactive, but be powered by the proactive and the anticipatory. Our students need to learn the soft skills that will help them become free-spirited and creative through a rigorous co-curricular programme. We need to nurture a culture of creativity and calculated risk-taking so our students will avail themselves of opportunities that arise.
3. Advanced Executive Education – Continual development for management executives and professionals is key to the sustainability of any international city. For Hong Kong, the need for talent is urgent. For a mega economy like China, the hunger for talents and professionals is insatiable. Our executive programmes will focus on enhancing innovative and entrepreneurial skills of the working professionals in the different industries and professions, as well as elevating their global perspectives. This in turn will help develop more effective and visionary leaders for our knowledge-based society.
4. Pearl River Delta Development – The Pearl River Delta is our neighbour and collaborator. We must aggressively support the economic development of the region by nurturing senior professionals and management executives, not to mention the new products and technologies that it needs. This focus on the Pearl River Delta will mean that we need to incorporate elements relating to the Pearl River Delta into our programmes to make them more relevant. I must, however, stress that we have not lost sight of the other areas of the Chinese mainland. While we emphasize the development of Pearl River Delta, we will continue to strengthen and expand our partnership with other Chinese mainland universities and government agencies.
New initiatives require resources. Education, as you all know, is a labour-intensive and capital-intensive endeavour. That is why continuous government support is vital for what is essentially a non-profit, long-term investment in the community.
PolyU has always believed in making every dollar count, spending wisely and strategically. This is particularly so while the present economic crisis is still with us. We are aware that much of what we spend is public money, and that the public expects accountability. Without being tight-fisted, we will exercise prudent budgetary control and deliver good value for our institutional investments and initiatives. I plan to examine our budgeting process and develop a system that provides adequate support to our programmes yet gives us resources to pursue new strategic initiatives.
As you all know, I had been away from Hong Kong for many years, but my heart has never left this city. This is where I was born. This is where I played my first game of soccer and bought my first ice-cream cone. Here are my roots, deep and well entrenched, and, if you dig deep enough, they stretch way back into the Chinese mainland. Before this audience, I want to thank my parents for the values they instilled in me and the opportunities they provided me. They are now sitting in the first row, joining me at this memorable moment of my life.
Allow me to conclude. Your issues and concerns about personal development, challenges encountered by PolyU and the greater good of the society will be addressed, some in the immediate future and some perhaps over a longer period. I will strive to ensure we provide the best education possible for our students. I am also keen to make PolyU a place conducive to the development of all staff so that they can realize their potential to the fullest. I also want members of PolyU to find personal fulfillment in the larger community beyond its boundaries. At PolyU, we perceive this paradox in two ways: we are global, yet firmly grounded in the local; we are practical, yet driven by our dreams to make our life and our world better.
So, my fellow members of PolyU, I urge you to be practical dreamers and disciplined free-spirits, because that is the way we can best serve our community, our country and humanity. In our journey towards our common goal, I ask for your commitment and your partnership. In return, I promise you my support as I humbly ask for yours.
Thank you.
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