*********************************************************
Following is the speech delivered by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the banquet in honour of Professor Ng Ching-fai, President and Vice-Chancellor of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), on his retirement held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening (June 11):
Professor Ng Ching-fai, Mr Wilfred Wong (Chairman of HKBU Council), honourable guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
After serving Baptist University for 24 years with passion and dedication, Professor Ng will retire from the presidency by the end of this month. On behalf of the Government, I wish to thank you for your contribution and congratulate you on the achievements of the university under your capable leadership.
In the past decade, BU has made great strides in fulfilling its aspiration to provide creativity-inspiring education for its students. Apart from benefiting from the robust academic development here, education at BU is also reinforced by its unique Christian heritage and emphasis on traditional Chinese values. This has infused in its graduates a sense of human values. I think this is the most important and a most invaluable asset to students as they face the multitude of challenges in life.
Looking back on your tenure at BU, Professor Ng has been a true pioneer. You have profound insights into the development of the tertiary education sector. You founded the first Chinese medicine programme in Hong Kong, leading to the establishment of BU's School of Chinese Medicine in 1998. You were among the first to recognise the complementary potential in Western and Chinese medicine.
You also cast your vision beyond the territory and explored cooperation opportunities with Mainland universities. You took the lead to collaborate with Beijing Normal University to establish the United International College in Zhuhai in 2005. It is a model for joint ventures by Hong Kong and Mainland tertiary institutes for the years to come. And I am pleased to hear from Wilfred that you will continue to serve there for the forthcoming three years. I wish you all the best and I am sure with your leadership, the United International College in Zhuhai will turn a new page and achieve new height.
Arts and culture is an area of great prospect in Hong Kong. As we take forward the West Kowloon Cultural District project, together with the rapid development of the creative industry, there will be a great demand for artists and art administrators alike. In 2005, Professor Ng established the Academy of Visual Arts, the first of its kind in local universities. Situated in a beautiful historic building, the former Royal Air Force Officers' Mess, the Academy is set to breed the next generation of local arts professionals who will transform the arts scene not only in Hong Kong but also the Pearl River Delta and beyond.
BU has seized the opportunity to internationalise its student body, step up exchange programmes and expand academic collaboration, in tandem with the Government's aspiration to develop Hong Kong as a regional education hub. Such efforts have brought a cosmopolitan atmosphere on campus to give students an early taste of different cultures, values and perspectives, and made BU all the stronger.
The introduction of the new academic structure for higher education in 2012 will present an excellent window for our universities to rethink the meaning of undergraduate education and re-engineer its approach. The new four-year undergraduate programme will not be a mere extension of the existing content. We expect that the additional time and space will allow the universities to provide a broader and more diversified curriculum and multi-disciplinary learning experiences. This will enable our universities to further their education ideals, to the benefit of the whole-person development of their students.
I am pleased to see that BU, under the leadership of Professor Ng, is making good preparation for the challenges and opportunities ahead. To reap the benefits of the new academic structure, the university will reform its curriculum and recruit outstanding academics to step up its teaching and research functions. To meet the spatial needs, the university has launched the ambitious Baptist University Road Campus project. These will be a lasting legacy that will benefit generations of students to come.
While Professor Ng's departure will certainly be a loss to the university, an exciting new chapter in life is awaiting you. I am sure you will continue to serve the community at large with your leadership and vision. Professor Ng, may I wish you good health and all the best in your future endeavours.
Remember Hong Kong is your home, so do come back and visit us. You'll be missed.
Thank you.
Ends/Friday, June 11, 2010
Issued at HKT 21:05
NNNN
Windows Media format
Real Media format