Two distinguished alumni were honoured at the Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) Presentation Ceremony of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) held on 14 November in recognition of their outstanding achievements and contribution to their careers, CityU and society.

Mr Simon Hui Hing-tak, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of E.P.S.A. Corporation Limited, was conferred the 6th Distinguished Alumni Award; and Dr Sunny Chai Ngai-chiu, BBS, JP, Managing Director of Fook Tin Group Holdings Limited, was conferred the 7th Distinguished Alumni Award.

The ceremony was officiated by Dr Chung Shui-ming, CityU Pro-Chancellor, Mr Lester Garson Huang, CityU Council Chairman, and Professor Way Kuo, CityU President. Around 190 prestigious guests, including University senior management as well as business and community leaders, attended the ceremony.

The Selection Panel highly praised and affirmed the remarkable performance of Mr Hui and Dr Chai, said Dr Chung, the Panel Chairman, adding that their achievements and contributions to their alma mater and society reflect the fruitful achievements of CityU’s professional education. 

CityU has always shown great determination and perseverance in nurturing and developing students’ talent, Mr Huang said in his remarks, citing the faculty’s academic and research excellence with more than 180 CityU faculty members listed among the top 2% of the most cited scientists in the world, according to Stanford University this October. CityU’s continuous development and breakthrough depend on the staff and students, and the support of many outstanding alumni, he added.

President Kuo said the two recipients fully embodied CityU's innovative and breakthrough spirit, and contributed to society with their expertise in business, economics and technology. “They are dedicated to developing their alma mater and have successfully promoted the connection between the University and people from all walks of life.” This forward-looking spirit is also exemplified by CityU’s pioneering of the “One Health” approach and the University Farm which went into full operation this year.   

An innovative entrepreneur, Mr Hui has developed his company into a retail brand with multiple branches across the city widely known for a diverse range of affordable electric, household and lifestyle products. 

Mr Hui, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Studies in 1991, has generously served CityU and society. He was the Co-Founder and former Chairman of the CityU Eminence Society, which was established by a group of supportive senior alumni committed to contributing to the University and the community. In addition, he is a mentor, committee member and advisor for various CityU programmes and was made an Honorary Fellow of CityU in 2014. He is currently a member of the CityU Court.

Mr Hui is also the Director of GS1 Hong Kong and Chairman of its SMEs Advisory Board, whose goal is to enhance the competitiveness of local SMEs in supply chain management and e-commerce. He was also the President of the Lions Club of Metropolitan Hong Kong and Chairman of the Chinese Entrepreneurs Organisation.

Another award recipient, Dr Chai, known as the “King of Scales”, has led several revolutionary reengineering programmes in his family business, which has grown to become a world-leading manufacturer of weighing solutions with a customer base of over 500 international companies.

Since graduating with a Doctorate in Engineering in 2011, Dr Chai has supported his alma mater in multiple capacities. He currently serves as a member of the CityU Court and Vice-Chairman of the CityU Eminence Society. He has contributed his expertise as an advisory committee member for HK Tech 300, a flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme launched by CityU in 2021 to support start-ups. He was made an Honorary Fellow of CityU this year in recognition of his distinctive contribution to the University.

As Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Dr Chai is committed to promoting research and innovation that will revitalise the manufacturing field and serve the wider community. He was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star and appointed a Justice of the Peace by the HKSAR Government for his contributions.

Members of the Selection Panel for the 6th and 7th DAA included President Kuo; Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, CityU Vice-President (Development and External Relations); Dr Haywood Cheung, President of The Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society (6th DAA); Dr Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, former President of the Legislative Council of HKSAR (6th DAA); Mrs Rebecca Yung Choy Mei-pik, Director of the Hong Kong Women Professionals and Entrepreneurs Association (6th DAA); Ms Quince Chong Wai-yan, Chief Corporate Development Officer of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited (7th DAA); Mr Simon Hui (7th DAA); and Dr Daniel Yip Chung-yin, Managing Director of G.E.W. International Corporation Limited (7th DAA). The Selection Consultant was Ernst & Young.

About City University of Hong Kong

As one of the fastest-growing universities in the world over the last decade, CityU is recognised as a hub for innovation in research and professional education. Our world-class faculty champion the integration of teaching and research and consistently excel across many key international indicators for research excellence. Focusing on our core mission, we are committed to promoting knowledge and contributing to society through outstanding teaching and research.

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Eva Choy, CityU Communications and Public Relations Office (Tel: 3442 9325/ 9787 7671)