The awardees, in alphabetical order of last name, are:
Professor Thomas Ho Hang-kwong, Property Director, MTR Corporation Limited
Ir Professor James Lau Chi-wang, Managing Director, James Lau & Associates Limited and Fong On Construction Limited
Mr Lau Hiu-fung, Project Assistant, Department of Computing, PolyU
Ir Professor Lee Wing-bun, Chair Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Head, State Key Laboratory in Ultra-precision Machining Technology, PolyU
Ir Tsui Tack-kong, Managing Director, T.K. Tsui & Associates Limited
Professor Wong Kit-po, Chair Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, PolyU
Ms Jessie Yu Sau-chu, Founder and Chief Executive, Hong Kong Single Parents Association
Jointly organized by PolyU and the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations, the biennial "Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award" aims at honouring outstanding graduates of PolyU and its forerunners – the Government Trade School, the Hong Kong Technical College and the Hong Kong Polytechnic – for their distinguished professional accomplishments and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. Over the years, PolyU and its forerunners have sent forth more than 290,000 graduates. Launched in late 1996 and now comes to the eighth time, a total of 44 distinguished alumni in various professions have been honoured in the past award selection and they are fine testimony of PolyU's accomplishments in nurturing professional talents for the community.
The seven-member Panel of Judges is chaired by The Honourable Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Hong Kong SAR Government. Other members include: Mrs Yvonne Law Shing Mo-han, National Chief Knowledge Officer and Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Professor Kenneth Pang Tsan-wing, President, Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations; Dr David Y. K. Wong, President, The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Mr Anthony T. Y. Wu, Chairman, Hospital Authority; Mrs Betty Yuen So Siu-mai, Vice Chairman, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited; and Professor Timothy W. Tong, President, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The Honorary Consultant of the selection is Ernst & Young Certified Public Accountants.
Biodata of the recipients of "Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award":
Professor Thomas Ho Hang-kwong
Higher Diploma in Surveying/Building Technology (General Surveying) /1971 (Hong Kong Technical College)
Professor Ho is currently Property Director of MTR Corporation Limited. Serving in both MTR Corporation Board and the Executive Committee, Professor Ho plays a key role in developing and managing all properties above and adjacent to MTR stations and depots. His great endeavour in publicizing and realizing the MTR integrated "Rail + Property" development model has made remarkable contributions to the urban development of Hong Kong and to cities on the Chinese mainland.
Professor Ho worked for the Hong Kong Government for over 20 years, specializing in surveying and land administration, and latterly held a directorate post in the Lands Department. He has been actively engaged in community service. He is presently a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, a member of the Organizing Committee of The Community Chest of Hong Kong, as well as Honorary Professor of the Department of Real Estate and Construction of The University of Hong Kong. Professor Ho also strongly supports PolyU's Department of Building and Real Estate and is currently a member of the Departmental Advisory Committee.
Ir Professor James Lau Chi-wang
Higher Diploma in Structural Engineering /1968 (Hong Kong Technical College)
Professor Lau is Managing Director of James Lau & Associates Limited and Fong On Construction Limited. He obtained his Master's degree in Structural Engineering from The University of Manchester and earned a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of London. Later on, he became a Barrister-at-Law from the Gray's Inn in the UK. Professor Lau's professional qualifications made him a Registered Structural Engineer and Geotechnical Engineer specialized in construction laws, contract and project management.
Professor Lau is a Fellow of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and The Institution of Structural Engineers. He was also former Vice President of the Institution of Structural Engineers. Through active participation in government boards and committees, he has contributed his professional expertise to the community. He is currently a member of Town Planning Board and Wong Tai Sin District Council. In 2009, he was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star. Professor Lau is also a strong supporter of education. He shared his valuable experience with students as an Adjunct Professor of several tertiary institutions including PolyU.
Mr Lau Hiu-fung
Bachelor of Science in Computing /2009 (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Mr Lau has become a Project Assistant of the Department of Computing, PolyU upon his graduation. Since the age of eight, he has been suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a disease that has caused his muscles to deteriorate to the point where he can barely move his limbs. Undaunted by the continuing deterioration of his physical condition, Mr Lau keeps on pursuing knowledge with enthusiasm, perseverance and hard work. His indomitable spirit and passion for learning eventually paid off and earned him a first-class honour, as well as the nickname "Hong Kong's Stephen Hawking".
Mr Lau showed his talent and snatched the Gold Award of the 2009 Amway Pan-Pearl River Delta Region Universities IT Project Competition with his final-year project. He also won the Gold Award in HKICT Awards 2009 in the Best Innovation and Research (College & Undergraduates) Category and the Gold Award in the Hong Kong RFID Awards U-21 RFID Awards 2009 (Undergraduate Stream). Being elected for the prestigious award of "Ten Outstanding Young Persons" in 2010, Mr Lau has set an illustrious example to the youngsters, and his enthusiasm for study and life is indeed an inspiration to many others.
Ir Professor Lee Wing-bun
Higher Diploma in Production Engineering /1972 (Hong Kong Technical College)
Professor Lee is currently Chair Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Head of State Key Laboratory in Ultra-precision Machining Technology, PolyU. He joined PolyU in 1977 and successfully transformed the former Department of Manufacturing Engineering into a board discipline of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the nineties. As the first Head of the new department, Professor Lee contributed to industrial development and technology advancement by nurturing talents in enterprise engineering for Hong Kong and the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region.
Professor Lee has pioneered the studies of mesoplasticity modelling and its applications in ultra-precision machining research and is currently President of the Asian Society of Precision Engineering and nanotechnology. In 2009, the Ultra-precision Machining Centre set up by Professor Lee has been approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China as the Hong Kong State Key Laboratory in Ultra-precision Machining Technology. In 2010, Professor Lee led his research team to seize the Second Class Technology Progress Award from the Ministry of Education of China. He has also initiated the research and practice of knowledge management and technologies in various organizations by establishing the Knowledge Management Research Centre at PolyU.
Ir Tsui Tack-kong
Diploma in Building /1959 (Hong Kong Technical College)
Ir Tsui is the Managing Director of T.K. Tsui & Associates Limited. He started his career with Public Works Department of the Hong Kong Government and the China Light and Power Co. Limited, and then set up his own development consulting firm in 1973. He is a Registered Structural Engineer and Geotechnical Engineer who has over 50 years' experience in the construction field. He is a Fellow of The Institution of Structural Engineers and was the First Chairman of its HK Branch in 1979.
Ir Tsui is actively involved in charity works. He was the Directors of Pok Oi Hospital and Yan Oi Tong. He is also the Honorable Consultant of many non-profit making societies. Ir Tsui has been
giving unwavering support to his alma mater over the past decades. He is a Founding Member of the PolyU Development Foundation and has sponsored various fund-raising events of the university. In 2009, Ir Tsui conceived and found the "Wall of Pride" in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his graduation and the early development of the institute. He also brings in his expert advice on various on-going campus development projects as a Senior Advisor for the President.
Professor Wong Kit-po
Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering /1967 (Hong Kong Technical College)
Professor Wong is currently Chair Professor of PolyU's Department of Electrical Engineering. He had been with the University of Western Australia for over 30 years before joining PolyU as Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering in 2002. Under his capable leadership, the Department has greatly improved its performances in teaching, research and administration.
Professor Wong is an internationally known expert in the areas of power system engineering and computational intelligence applications in power with over a hundred research papers. For his outstanding academic and professional achievements, Professor Wong was awarded the "1999 PES Chapter Outstanding Engineer Award" from the IEEE Western Australia Chapter, the "2000 IEEE Third Millennium Award", and three Sir John Madsen Medals from the Institution of Engineers Australia. Apart from being a world-class scholar, he is also a well-known Master in Tai Chi who has significantly contributed to the transmission and promotion of this kind of Chinese martial arts in the UK and Western Australia. He also constantly conducts talks and workshops on Tai Chi for PolyU members.
Ms Jessie Yu Sau-chu
Master of Arts in Social Work /2005 (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Ms Yu is the Founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Single Parents Association. She has a strong passion to lives. Firmly believing in self-strengthening and self-reliance, Ms Yu has overcome countless obstacles and come a long way from being a single mother to a successful woman, who has changed her life and also the lives of many helpless single parents.
Over the years, Ms Yu has been active in community service, serving the community in various capacities such as member of Sha Tin District Council, Steering Committee of the Community Care Fund, Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee, Equal Opportunities Commission, Social Welfare Advisory Committee and Commission on Poverty. In recognition of her significant contributions to the community, Ms Yu was awarded the Medal of Honour in 2003. She also maintains a close relationship with her alma mater. She is a Board Member of the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations, Member of the Departmental Advisory Committee of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and President of the Department's alumni association.
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