Lingnan University organises the Lingnan University History Exhibition Hall Opening cum Lingnan Education Organization Ambassadors Appointment Ceremony.
45 outstanding undergraduates have been appointed this year as Lingnan Education Organization Ambassadors in recognition of their academic excellence, leadership qualities, and commitment to community service.
The Lingnan University History Exhibition Hall is organised along a chronological axis, showcasing key stages from the University’s founding, relocation and re-establishment to more recent developments. Exhibits include photographs from the different eras, Presidents’ reports, annual reports, correspondence, and event booklets, all illustrating Lingnan’s academic evolution and transformation across changing historical contexts.
The opening ceremony was officiated by The Hon Andrew Yao Cho-fai, Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University; Dr Patrick Wong Chi-kwong, Chairman of the Court of Lingnan University; Mr Augustine Lui Ngok-che, Chairman of the Lingnan Education Organization (LEO), and Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan University.
In his opening remarks, The Hon Andrew YaoCho-fai said that the Exhibition Hall will enable the higher education sector to take history into account while considering its position within the nation’s broader development landscape, and added, “Lingnan was founded in Guangzhou and has long-standing roots in the educational growth of the region. Today, as one of Hong Kong’s eight UGC-funded universities and situated nearest to the Shenzhen Bay Port and the Northern Metropolis, it is closely connected with the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Lingnan University is actively aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and uses its international research environment and world-class talent to encourage research and innovation, and to contribute to Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub, and a global talent centre.”
Mr Augustine Lui Ngok-che pointed out that Lingnan’s history spans more than a century and tells an extraordinary educational journey. He said, “In terms of its origins, Lingnan is among the oldest institutions in Hong Kong. Its predecessor, the Christian College in China, was founded in 1888 in Guangzhou. The University moved three times during the Anti-Japanese War, and was re-established in Hong Kong in 1967. Following the establishment of the Lingnan Education Organization in 1969, the institution was formally renamed Lingnan University in 1999. Due to its relocations, many historical materials have been lost, but for this Exhibition Hall, documents have been systematically collected and organised from key stages of its development, so that the public may appreciate the perseverance of earlier generations and better understand the relationship between the development of higher education and Sino-Western cultural exchanges.”
Prof S. Joe Qin said that ever since Lingnan was founded, it has provided a liberal arts education characterised by the integration of Chinese and Western traditions. “The Exhibition Hall not only documents the University’s development, but also reflects the commitment of Chinese intellectuals who upheld their educational ideals through changing times, and Lingnan University’s history demonstrates a strong allegiance to this academic continuity. Across different stages of social change, members of the Lingnan community have adapted and transformed, and building on this tradition, the University is pressing on in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence and data science, while promoting interdisciplinary research that integrates the humanities. Lingnan is leading advances in ‘Liberal Arts + Technology’ and ‘AI+’ initiatives, ready for future challenges through innovation.”
To uphold the Lingnan spirit of “Education for Service”, 45 outstanding undergraduates have been appointed this year as Lingnan Education Organization Ambassadors in recognition of their academic excellence, leadership qualities, and commitment to community service. In addition to receiving scholarships as encouragement, the ambassadors also shoulder the mission of upholding liberal arts education, and actively serve the University, the Lingnan Education Organization and the wider community. Since its launch in the 2009/10 academic year, the Lingnan Education Organization Ambassadors Programme has appointed 421 ambassadors, nurturing a generation of student leaders dedicated to serving society.
The Lingnan University History Exhibition Hall features a series of reproduced photographs and treasured items, including a historical photograph of Lingnan University’s Hong Lok Campus in the 1920s (Photo 7), a photograph of Lingnan University in northern Guangdong during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1942 (Photo 8), a photograph of the opening ceremony of Lingnan College in 1967 (Photo 9), and a commemorative ticket issued for the grand opening of Lingnan College’s new Tuen Mun campus in 1996 (Photo 10).
The adult all-line pass allowed unlimited travel on Light Rail and feeder bus services on the day of the campus opening ceremony, symbolising the shared goal of Lingnan College and the Light Rail in serving the community and promoting Hong Kong’s prosperity.
