Three distinguished persons were conferred the title of Honorary Fellow of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) in recognition of their distinctive contributions to the development of, and service to, the University.

The distinguished persons are:

• Mr Harry S. Banga, founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caravel Group;
• Miss Tong Hing-min, a professional in education and human resources;
• Mr Wong Chun-hong, Executive Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Top Spring International Holdings Ltd.

 (For the biographies of the Honorary Fellows, please refer to the attached page.) 

Dr Chung Shui-ming, Pro-Chancellor, Mr Lester Garson Huang, Council Chairman, and Professor Way Kuo, University President, officiated at the ceremony, which was held today (9 October).

In his welcoming address, Mr Huang thanked the Honorary Fellows for their wonderful contributions to CityU’s success story. “With a wealth of expertise and experience in different areas, their support and advice over the years have benefited CityU immensely,” he said.

Mr Huang highlighted a number of major developments of the University in the past 12 months, including securing the financial backing from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to build a facility for One Health, the government’s support for our pioneering undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine; and the establishment of the first-ever School of Data Science in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Institute for Data Science. “CityU has achieved world-class status with the support of many local, regional and international partners,” he concluded.

Mr Wong addressed the assembly on behalf of the Honorary Fellows. “CityU’s remarkable advancement in recent years has been admirable, and the strenuous efforts of the management, faculty and staff deserve our support. It is our honour to become members of such a robust university, one that is constantly striving for greater progress,” he said. “We shall continue to help nurture outstanding CityU students to help boost the development of society.”

Biograhies of the 2018 Honorary Fellow award recipients

Mr Harry S. Banga, the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caravel Group, is a successful entrepreneur in the fields of commodities, shipping and asset management. A devoted philanthropist, he is also the patron of several charitable efforts both in India and abroad. In 2011, the then President of India conferred the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award on Mr Banga for his outstanding achievements in the field of business and valuable contributions to Indian society. He was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Bulk Journal in 2016 and was awarded “Personality of the Year” in 2011 by the same publication. In 2018, Mr Banga was conferred the “NMD Award of Excellence” by the Directorate General of Shipping in India and the National Maritime Day Celebrations Committee. Mr Banga is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, and is the founder and current Director of the Forum of Indian Professionals in Hong Kong. Mr Banga is a long-time supporter of CityU and is currently a Court member of the University and Honorary Vice-President of the CityU Foundation.

Miss Tong Hing-min, formerly Head of Human Resources at Hang Seng Bank, is an experienced professional in the fields of education and human resources. She served 33 years overseeing the entire human resources functions of the Bank, with staff of around 8,500. Miss Tong is also actively involved in community service. She has held many offices, including Education Committee Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Bankers, Panel Member of the Member Services Committee of Hong Kong Association of Banks, and Member of the Human Resources Development Management Committee of the Hong Kong Management Association, and is currently a member of the College Council and its Human Resources Committee of Hang Seng Management College. She has served as an external member of the Human Resources Committee of the CityU Council since 2007. With her substantial professional expertise, she has made valuable contributions to deliberations on HR matters over the past 10 years. Miss Tong is also a member of CityU Court.

Mr Wong Chun-hong, Executive Director, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Top Spring International Holdings Ltd, has profound accomplishments in the real estate, finance and retail fields. During his over three decades of experience in these fields, he has actively participated in public and community services. Mr Wong was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2016 for his meritorious public and community service. A staunch supporter of CityU, Mr Wong is a member of the Court of the University, a member of the Board of Governors as well as Honorary Patron of the CityU Foundation. The Wong Cheung Lo Hui Yuet Hall on campus was named after his parents in 2013 in recognition of his generous donation to CityU.

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