Long-standing donor of Hong Kong's oldest university

16 March 2010

Rooted in Hong Kong for over a century, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has a strong commitment to the development of local education.  The city's oldest tertiary education institution, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has been one of its longest-standing beneficiaries.  Since 1957, the Club has funded some 70 different HKU-related projects through its Charities Trust, involving total donations of over HK$874 million.

Today (16 March), Club Chairman Dr John C C Chan joined HKU Chancellor and HKSAR Chief Executive Dr the Hon Donald Tsang, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR Li Gang, HKU Pro-Chancellor Dr the Hon David K P Li, Chairman of Council Dr the Hon Leong Che-hung, Chairman of Campus Development & Planning Committee Jack So, Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui and other officiating guests to lay the foundation stone of the HKU Centennial Campus, the largest development project in its history.  The date marks exactly 100 years since the university's original foundation stone was laid.

During the ceremony, HKU Chancellor and HKSAR Chief Executive Dr the Hon Donald Tsang said the university had nurtured more than 130,000 graduates since its foundation and contributed to the social, cultural and economic development of the society, and engaged in pioneering research that had put Hong Kong on the world map.

"These achievements would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of academics, students, Council members, and all those who have given support to the university," he said. "The recent ranking of HKU as "No. 1 in Asia" could not have come at a more appropriate time and is indeed the best reward for all who have helped build the university's commitment to excellence over the past 100 years."

A hundred years ago, then Governor Sir Frederick Lugard laid the foundation stone of the Main Building with a ceremonial trowel. At the ceremony today, Professor Christopher Mody, the great-great-grandson of Sir Hormusjee Mody, key donor of the Main Building, presented a replica trowel with jade decorations to HKU Chancellor and HKSAR Chief Executive Dr the Hon Donald Tsang to lay the first stone for the new campus.

In past decades, the Club has funded various hardware and software projects at HKU to support its development as a world-class university, including the establishment of research centres such as The Hong Kong Jockey Club Clinic Research Centre and The HKJC Centre for Suicide Research & Prevention. It has also provided funding for the construction of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research, as well as hostels for students like the Jockey Club Building and the Jockey Club Student Village II.

In addition, HKU is a close partner with the Club on a number of major community projects, including Trust-initiated projects such as "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".  With the Club's support, HKU has recently launched the Jockey Club Early Psychosis Project to increase public understanding of psychosis and the ENABLE Project to promote a positive attitude towards death, dying and bereavement.

125th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season.  Over the past 125 years, it 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.