HKUa£á?s Jockey Club Tower raises social sciences to new academic heights

01/17/2014

With a donation of HK$323 million to the University of Hong Kong (HKU) by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the largest it has ever made to date to the University, the institution now has a superbly up-to-date and well-equipped Faculty of Social Sciences.

Already in use, the Jockey Club Tower in HKU’s Centennial Campus was dedicated today (17 January) by Club Chairman T Brian Stevenson, alongside HKU Council Chairman Dr Leong Che-hung, Vice-Chancellor Professor Tsui Lap-chee and Dean of Social Sciences Professor John Burns.

Highlighting the Club’s donations of over HK$1.5 billion to HKU since 1957, Mr Stevenson said, “We really appreciate the naming of this building as it will provide a new core facility for the Faculty of Social Sciences, which has long worked as a close partner of our Charities Trust in researching and implementing various community initiatives.”

The Tower for the Faculty of Social Sciences, spanning over 17,500 square metres, along with two other buildings in the Centennial Campus, offers more teaching space and facilities to meet the demand arising from the new four-year undergraduate programme, benefiting around 25,000 new students every year.

Local non-governmental organisations have also capitalised on the Club’s support to strengthen their leadership, management and governance skills through a series of training and experience-sharing sessions. This has been achieved under the Trust-funded “Excellence in Capacity building for Entrepreneurship and Leadership for the Third Sector” (ExCEL3), a five-year programme launched in 2012 and organised by HKU’s Faculty of Social Sciences with the assistance of the Business and Law Faculties. So far, some 2,500 workshop participants have benefited from 15 collaborative projects with NGOs.

Over the past half a century, the Trust has supported 66 HKU major projects, including the Jockey Club Student Villages I, II and III; the Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research; and Trust-initiated projects like CADENZA: A Jockey Club Initiative for Seniors, FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society and READ & WRITE: A Jockey Club Learning Support Network, which was recently selected by the University Grants Committee as an exemplar of knowledge transfer.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world’s leading horse racing organisations, but also Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.95 billion in 2012/13. In addition, the Club is a major taxpayer, Hong Kong’s single largest by far, generating over HK$17.64 billion in 2012/13 for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.