City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) held an opening and naming ceremony for the Lee Shau Kee Student Residence Village on 6 December, marking a milestone for the University’s development in terms of striving to create a high-quality education and living environment for students.

Dr the Hon Lee Shau-kee, Founder of Henderson Land Group, has consistently supported CityUHK’s development. He has been a long-standing supporter of CityUHK since 2006. Student Residence Hall 6 at CityUHK was named Lee Shau Kee Hall, in appreciation of the support and generous donations from Dr Lee. In 2018, Dr Lee made a significant donation through Lee Shau Kee Foundation to support the long-term development of the University. In honour of Dr Lee’s generosity, the Student Hostel at Whitehead, Ma On Shan is named as Lee Shau Kee Student Residence Village. 

In his welcoming remarks, Mr Lester Garson Huang, CityUHK Council Chairman, expressed his deep gratitude to Dr Lee for his continuous support and generosity to the University. “Dr Lee has shown his vision and enthusiasm to the development of the education sector and the nurturing of young people in Hong Kong, on the mainland and overseas continuously for decades,” he said.

“Dr Lee’s spirit of nurturing young talents aligns perfectly with CityUHK’s philosophy of driving positive social change and energy through innovation. Over the years, Dr Lee’s donation has made significant impact to the University’s development, including naming two Chair Professorship, naming one Professorship, and providing various exchange scholarships and scholarships for academic outstanding students,” he added.

Professor Freddy Boey, CityUHK President, also expressed his gratitude to Dr Lee for his donation and to his family members in particular Dr Martin Lee Ka-shing and Henderson Land Group, for their continuous support for the University. “The unwavering support of Dr Lee has empowered CityUHK to provide more resources to advance our long-term development to nurture the next generation through inspirational, interactive and innovative learning,” he said. “The opening of the student village today is a very special moment for CityUHK because this year not only marks the 30th anniversary of the University, but also we have the most student applications among the eight UGC-funded universities, which shows our continuous efforts to nurture the next generation.”

Dr Martin Lee Ka-shing, Chairman of Henderson Land Group, said at the ceremony, “I am thrilled to celebrate the opening of the Lee Shau Kee Student Residence Village. The Lee Shau Kee Foundation has been supporting education for decades, both locally and globally, and Henderson Land shares this commitment. We believe that by nurturing young minds and empowering them to harness their potential, we can contribute to the very fabric of society. The Village serves not just as a building, but as a crucible for creativity and inspiration, as well as a collaborative space where ideas can take flight. Today, as we open the doors to this new residence, we are also unlocking limitless possibilities for our students to innovate, inspire, and build the future.”

Guests from Henderson Land who attended the ceremony included Mrs Cathy Chui Lee, Dr Colin Lam Ko-yin, Vice Chairman of Henderson Land Group, and the senior management team, along with CityUHK Council Members and the senior management team of the University.

Located in Whitehead, Ma On Shan, the Lee Shau Kee Student Residence Village was opened in the third quarter of 2024 after commencing the construction work in 2022, providing more than 2,000 bed-spaces for CityUHK’s students. The Student Residence Village has adopted advanced construction technology called Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), which involves over 1,300 modules in the overall building complex. In addition to hostel rooms, there will be communal rooms, corridors, toilets and plant rooms constructed using MiC.

Additionally, CityUHK is committed to building a sustainable future and championing a green environment. The Student Residence Village has adopted several green elements that promote sustainable living and explore smart living technologies. For instance, 110 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the residential tower blocks will save energy and electricity costs; and a cost-effective building management system will generate real-time data for overall building maintenance, among others.