On 1 December, CUHK held its 82nd Congregation for the Conferment of Degrees. Dr. Norman N.P. Leung, Chairman of the Council, presided at the Congregation and conferred three honorary doctorates and 422 doctoral degrees at the Congregation.

The Honourable Chief Justice Ma Tao-li, Geoffrey, Prof. Au Ho-nien and the Venerable Master Hsing Yun had honorary degrees conferred on them in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their respective areas of achievement in social, educational, arts and cultural progress and the promotion of community welfare.

The Honourable Chief Justice Ma Tao-li, Geoffrey was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. He is currently Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong, and also President of the Scout Council, Scout Association of Hong Kong. In 2012, he was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal. Chief Justice Ma delivered an acceptance speech on behalf of all honorary graduates at the ceremony.

Prof. Au Ho-nien received the degree of Doctor of Literature, honoris causa. He is a world-renowned Chinese painter and key figure of the third generation of the Lingnan school of painting. Professor Au started painting under the guidance of Mr. Zhao Shaoang, a renowned master of the Lingnan painting school. He has devoted himself to promoting the aesthetic traditions of Chinese culture and fostering cultural exchanges between the Mainland and Taiwan.

The Venerable Master Hsing Yun was awarded the degree of Doctor of Social Science, honoris causa. He is a world-renowned religious leader, humanitarian, author, educator and philanthropist. Master Hsing Yun has devoted his efforts for decades to transforming the world through the practice of Humanistic Buddhism. (Master Hsing Yun was unable to attend the Congregation. The University conferred the degree on him in absentia.)

Please click here to read the citations of the three honorary graduates.
Please click here to read the speech of the Honourable Chief Justice Ma Tao-li, Geoffrey

On 1 December, Prof. Au Ho-nien, a master of the “Lingnan School” of painting and a 2016 Honorary Graduate of CUHK gave a talk followed by a demonstration of Chinese painting on campus. Though over 80 years old, Prof. Au is full of energy and was passionate in talking about Chinese culture and painting.

In Chinese art, the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo and the chrysanthemum are called “the Four Gentlemen” because of their refined beauty. Prof. Au, however, expressed his preference for grasses. To him, grass is the symbol of persistence and humbleness. He also likes Chinese calligraphy in a cursive style, which resembles the flexible shape of grass. After the talk, he painted feather reed grass to show his deep affection for this common but full-of-vitality plant.

Let’s review Prof. Au’s talk and his demonstration through the video.

On 26 November, over 5,500 alumni came back to campus with their friends and families to participate in the Alumni Homecoming Day.

Through this annual event, the alumni got to know about the latest developments at their alma mater through campus tours, had the opportunity to meet schoolmates and professors, and attended workshops conducted by alumni from different fields. One of the highlight programmes was the carnival at the University Mall with booths of games and folk art organised by the University and alumni, which brought much pleasure to all. This year the University invited alumni, for the first time, to display their colorful and creative handicraft products at the University Mall.

At the opening ceremony, this year’s fundraising committee presented a cheque of HK$1.1 million in support of the ‘CUHK Alumni Torch Fund’ to Prof. Benjamin Wah, Provost of CUHK. Being the first endowment fund in Hong Kong initiated and supported by alumni, ‘CUHK Alumni Torch Fund’ has now received nearly HK$4 million since its establishment in 2014. Since 2015, The Fund has been organizing the annual ‘CUHK Entrepreneur Day’ to showcase entrepreneurship projects by CUHK alumni and students. In 2017, the Fund will also hold the first career expo specifically designed for young alumni, on campus, on 7 January.

Let’s experience the cheerful reunion through the photos.