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Jockey Club New Hall helps Lingnan University achieve full undergrad residence

09/02/2010

With the 3-3-4 education reform being implemented from this academic year, undergraduates' demand for hostel places will inevitably increase.  To address this issue, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has provided funding of HK$85 million to Lingnan University for the construction of a new 400-place student hostel, The Jockey Club New Hall, helping the University accomplish its goal of providing full residence for undergraduates by 2012/13.

Today (2 September), the Club's newly-elected Chairman, T Brian Stevenson, joined Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan, University President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee and other guests to perform the groundbreaking ceremony of The Jockey Club New Hall.

Mr Stevenson said that the Club had a long history of contributing to Hong Kong's educational development.  In recent years especially, it had invested substantially in higher education, believing that nurturing future leaders was critical to the city's future success and sustainability.  "We want to help Hong Kong people create new possibilities and build a strong foundation for future generations," he explained.

"An important element of nurturing future leaders is facilitating their all-round development.  Hostel life can make a significant contribution to this.  For this reason, we have helped provide more than 15,600 hostel places at the eight UGC-funded institutions over the years."

Noting that the Club had previously funded the construction of the Jockey Club Hall at Lingnan University in the 1990s, Mr Stevenson described the latest donation as "even more meaningful" as the new hostel would help Lingnan achieve 100% residence for its students.  "This means that all undergraduates will be able to enjoy hostel life on campus, which is truly a milestone for the university in fulfilling its founding mission of providing distinctive liberal arts education."

Mr Chan and Professor Chan expressed gratitude to the Trust for its generous donation, saying it helped the University address the needs and challenges that came with the liberal arts model and the 2012 new curriculum. "The Jockey Club New Hall not only enables the University to nurture students with independent thinking, adaptability, a sense of responsibility and an international vision, but also support the University's internationalisation by allowing more students to benefit from hostel life, which fosters whole person development," Professor Chan said.

Gary Hui, a Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship recipient, who is a third year Social Science student at Lingnan University, said living in the student hostel was a unique way to experience university life. "Life at the hall helps train students in interpersonal skills and establish their social network. We can also enhance our problem-solving skills and be more independent through living with our roommates. It is an opportunity that every student should treasure."

The twelve-storey Jockey Club New Hall will be located on the northern part of the campus, next to the existing Jockey Club Hall.  It will adopt green features such as motion-sensor controls for lighting and ventilation in public corridors, lifts, staircases and lobbies; the reclamation of heat energy from exhaust air; solar lighting systems for the garden areas; green roofs and walls; and a rainwater collection system for irrigation purposes.  The hostel is expected to open by the end of 2012, providing a total of 400 residential places.

Besides funding the construction of hostels, the Club has supported the establishment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Distinguished Visiting Professorship of Modern Chinese Literature, which is aimed at advancing the study of modern Chinese literature in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.

Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club T Brian Stevenson, says the completion of The Jockey Club New Hall will help Lingnan University achieve 100% residence for its undergraduate students.
Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club T Brian Stevenson, says the completion of The Jockey Club New Hall will help Lingnan University achieve 100% residence for its undergraduate students.

Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (left) and President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (right) presents a souvenir to Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club T Brian Stevenson, to thank him for the Club!|s generous support.
Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (left) and President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (right) presents a souvenir to Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club T Brian Stevenson, to thank him for the Club!|s generous support.

Photos 3/4: Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (3rd from right); Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (3rd from left) and Treasurer Patrick Yeung (1st from right); Institutional Advancement Committee Chairman Patrick Ma (1st from left); President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (2nd from right); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (2nd from left), perform the groundbreaking ceremony of The Jockey Club New Hall.
Photos 3/4: Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (3rd from right); Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (3rd from left) and Treasurer Patrick Yeung (1st from right); Institutional Advancement Committee Chairman Patrick Ma (1st from left); President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (2nd from right); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (2nd from left), perform the groundbreaking ceremony of The Jockey Club New Hall.

 
 

Photos 5/6:Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (Photo 5, centre); Lingnan University President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (Photo 5, 4th from right); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (Photo 5, 3rd from left); pictured with six Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship recipients, all of whom study at Lingnan University.
Photos 5/6:Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (Photo 5, centre); Lingnan University President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (Photo 5, 4th from right); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (Photo 5, 3rd from left); pictured with six Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship recipients, all of whom study at Lingnan University.

 
 

Lingnan University students who are also Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship recipients: (from left) Wu Yiqin, Aqua Kang, Gary Hui, Suthida Chan, Yau Yuen Ling and Nancy Chan.
Lingnan University students who are also Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship recipients: (from left) Wu Yiqin, Aqua Kang, Gary Hui, Suthida Chan, Yau Yuen Ling and Nancy Chan.

Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (3rd from right); Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (2nd from right) and Treasurer Patrick Yeung (2nd from left); Institutional Advancement Committee Chairman Patrick Ma (1st from left); President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (3rd from left); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (1st from right).
Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson (3rd from right); Lingnan University Council Chairman Bernard Chan (2nd from right) and Treasurer Patrick Yeung (2nd from left); Institutional Advancement Committee Chairman Patrick Ma (1st from left); President Professor Chan Yuk-Shee (3rd from left); and the Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (1st from right).

Photos 9/10:The Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (right), pictured with the architect of The Jockey Club New Hall, Professor Bernard Lim, who also designed the Jockey Club Hall (Photo 10) at Lingnan University in the 1990s.
Photos 9/10:The Club!|s Executive Director, Charities, Douglas So (right), pictured with the architect of The Jockey Club New Hall, Professor Bernard Lim, who also designed the Jockey Club Hall (Photo 10) at Lingnan University in the 1990s.

 
 

Plot reserved for the construction of The Jockey Club New Hall.
Plot reserved for the construction of The Jockey Club New Hall.

 

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