EdUHK to Present Honorary Fellowships to Four Distinguished Individuals

Download

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) will confer Honorary Fellowships on four distinguished individuals this year in recognition of their remarkable contributions to the University, the school sector, and the community.

The recipients (in alphabetical order of surnames) are:

• Ms Amy Chan Lim-chee, BEM, JP
• Mr Chu Tsz-wing
• Mr Fok Woo-ping
• Ms Sarah Lee Wai-sze, BBS, MH

EdUHK Council Chairman Professor Frederick Ma Si-hang will preside over the Honorary Fellowship Presentation Ceremony on the campus on 29 March 2019.

With their vision, expertise and extraordinary commitment, these Honorary Fellows are major figures who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of education and community service, and have played a significant role in inspiring the younger generation. Their brief biographies are as follows:

Ms Amy Chan Lim-chee, BEM, JP

Ms Chan’s first brush with fame was as a member of the Hong Kong Badminton Team. She was the women’s singles champion of Hong Kong for nine consecutive years from 1975 to 1983, and subsequently won a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games Badminton Exhibition Match. She also finished third in the World Badminton Grand Prix Finals in 1988 and won a mixed doubles gold medal and team event bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

After graduating from Northcote College of Education, she started her education career as a physical education teacher at Ho Tung Technical School for Girls, where she served from 1983 to 1986. She later received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Springfield College in the States. After retiring as a professional badminton player in 1990, Ms Chan established another successful career, joining the Hong Kong Sports Institute, where she served first as commercial operations manager, and subsequently as athlete affairs manager, supporting the holistic needs of local athletes. In 2014, she received an EMBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Her role as the first Headmistress of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice Jockeys’ School has allowed Ms Chan to effectively transfer her professional knowledge and experience in elite athlete management to professional jockey training. Under her leadership, the school has nurtured a number of distinguished jockey stars, including Miss Kei Chiong Ka-kei and Mr Matthew Chadwick.

Ms Chan has also been active in contributing to the community. She is currently the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association and the Hong Kong Paralympians Fund of the Social Welfare Department. In recognition of her contributions, Ms Chan was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1991, making her the first female Hong Kong athlete to receive the honour. In 1995, she was named one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Hong Kong

Mr Chu Tsz-wing

A dynamic and unconventional educator, Mr Chu Tsz-wing has dedicated his career to equipping the next generation and integrating innovation in education. Mr Chu graduated from the then Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) in 2003. Soon after that, Mr Chu rolled out the “Electronic Schoolbag as a Medium for Teaching, Learning and Assignment” programme, a very well-received project at the school in which he taught. In 2009, he obtained a master’s degree in information technology in education from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and joined the then HKIEd Jockey Club Primary School in 2011.

In 2013, at the age of 33, Mr Chu moved to Baptist Rainbow Primary School, where he served as Headmaster. During his principalship, Mr Chu reformed the examination-oriented curriculum and introduced innovation and technology in the school. His unorthodox approach not only won approval, but also led to an increase in student admissions. In just five years, he successfully saved the school from the verge of closure, expanding the number of classes from six to 22.

Mr Chu co-founded DreamStarter in 2016, an innovative education initiative that enables pupils to spend their afternoons working on one-year projects to make their dream projects come to life, with the aim of fostering children’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

In 2018, Mr Chu became Chief Headmaster of St. Hilary's Primary School and VNSAA St. Hilary’s School, where he has continued to promote e-learning and other initiatives. Over the years, he has hosted more than 300 talks on innovative education and was named Microsoft Most Valued Teacher four times (in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013). In the e-Learning Best Practice 2010 Competition, organised by Microsoft, he won the Innovative Teachers of Hong Kong award and The Best of the Teachers award. In 2018, Mr Chu was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong.

Mr Fok Woo-ping

A teacher-turned-lawyer, Mr Fok Woo-ping is an ardent supporter of education, who has tirelessly contributed to education in different ways over the years.

After graduating from Northcote College of Education in 1973, Mr Fok took a specialist physical education course at Grantham College of Education. He started his teaching career at Homantin Government Secondary School in 1974 and was appointed Physical Education Inspector by the Education Department in 1976, focusing on outdoor education.

In 1979, Mr Fok went to Canada at his own cost to study at the University of Alberta, where he was top of his class. His outstanding academic performance led to a recommendation from his university counsellor to take another degree course. Mr Fok chose law and began a career as a solicitor in the 1980s. He started practising law in Hong Kong in 1991 after he got the required local qualifications.

Despite the stringent demands of the legal profession, Mr Fok has always kept education close to his heart. He has often given lectures on risk management and liability to physical education students. He is a keen supporter of education and persuades his clients to donate to educational causes. He has tirelessly raised funds for Grace Charity Foundation Limited, as he believes education can lift people out of poverty.

Mr Fok has made personal donations and honoured the bequest of a former teacher of his to the Student Exchange Bursaries Fund, which allows EdUHK students with financial difficulties to enjoy overseas learning opportunities and broaden their horizons. A room at EdUHK is named after his most respected teacher, Ms Wong Sui-sang. Mr Fok also helped raise funds for the H.Y. Cheung Sports Hall and is often involved in garnering support for the University’s ongoing development. Since 2016, Mr Fok has been a Member of the Governance Review Taskforce of EdUHK.

Ms Sarah Lee Wai-sze, BBS, MH

One of Hong Kong’s most successful athletes, Ms Lee became a local hero when she won gold and broke the Asian record in the 500m Time Trial Track cycling event at the 2010 Asian Games. In the 2012 London Olympics, she won a bronze medal in the women’s Keirin, which was Hong Kong’s third-ever Olympic medal and first in cycling. In 2018, she delivered a remarkable performance, with three golds at the Asian Track Cycling Championships and a silver medal in the women’s Keirin at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in the Netherlands. She also successfully defended the women's Keirin and Sprint title in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

Stepping into 2019, Ms Lee’s world-class performance has continued. She won her first two gold medals of the year in the Track Cycling World Cup series in front of a home crowd at the Tseung Kwan O Velodrome, after winning events in New Zealand. Adding to her joy was the fact that her teammate, Jessica Lee Hoi-yan, won a bronze medal in the same competition, since Ms Lee has been a devoted mentor to younger cyclists in recent years.

Off the track, Ms Lee has been keen in her academic pursuits. After graduating from EdUHK in 2017 with first-class honours in the Bachelor of Health Education programme, she embarked on a Bachelor’s degree programme in Creative and Professional Writing at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Ms Lee’s many impressive performances over the years have won her numerous honours and awards, including a Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2017 and the Medal of Honour in 2011 from the Hong Kong SAR Government. In 2018, she was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong. In 2013, Ms Lee was appointed as Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF Ambassador to advocate children’s rights to play.