Known as the 'Father of Fibre Optics', Prof. Charles K. Kao, former CUHK Vice-Chancellor and Nobel Laureate, has been bestowed a myriad of honours, but the 'Asteroid Kaokuen' may be the most celestial one.

In recognition of Professor Kao's contribution to the research field of fibre-optic communication, the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences named a minor planet (3463), discovered in 1981, after Professor Kao as 'Kaokuen' in 1996. In the naming ceremony held in Hang Seng Bank Headquarters Building on 24 July 1996 in Hong Kong, Prof. Lu Yongxiang, the then vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presented a naming certificate and a bronze plaque to Professor Kao. The certificate is now on display in the University Gallery.