City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) hosted the naming ceremony for the Yip Kit Chuen Building on 3 October. The building is named after Dr Yip Kit-chuen, a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur in Hong Kong, in appreciation of his generous donations to the University’s development and research to nurture future talent.

Dr Yip, Chairman of GEW Holdings Limited, is a renowned Hong Kong industry leader. He has been enthusiastic about serving the community and has been actively involved in charitable activities. Over the years, he has dedicated himself to promoting technology and education in both Hong Kong and the mainland, tirelessly nurturing talent to give back to society. Dr Yip’s outstanding achievements have been widely recognised by various sectors of society. He received the World Outstanding Chinese Award in 2006 and the Industrialist of the Year Award in 2017. He was conferred the title of Honorary Fellow by CityUHK in 2019 in recognition of his remarkable contributions to education and social service.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr Lester Garson Huang, CityUHK Council Chairman, said that Dr Yip has maintained close ties with CityUHK and has consistently supported the University’s development, adding that CityUHK was very honoured to once again receive a generous donation from Dr Yip. “Dr Yip’s entrepreneurial spirit of pursuing innovation and being courageous in exploration aligns perfectly with CityUHK’s philosophy of driving beneficial social change through innovation,” he said. “I firmly believe that Dr Yip’s success story will inspire more young people to pursue innovation, bringing more positive changes and energy to the world.”

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Yip emphasised that giving back to society is a responsibility and that he believes that education is a force for social change and that every student has the potential to become a future leader. He hoped his donation would help promote strategic development and research at CityUHK, as well as nurture talent, and emphasised his strong confidence in CityUHK.

He also encouraged students with his own experience. “I started my business at the age of 23,” he said. “My journey was full of challenges and opportunities and involved a great deal of effort and dedication. I hope my experience inspires CityUHK students not to give up easily when facing problems if they want to achieve success.”

Professor Freddy Boey, CityUHK President, expressed his gratitude to Dr Yip for his generosity and to Dr Yip’s family, including his son, Dr Daniel Yip Chung-yin, for their continuous support for the University. “The unwavering support of Dr Yip and his family has empowered CityUHK to provide more resources to advance our development and research initiatives and to nurture CityUHK Heroes through inspirational, interactive and innovative learning, thus helping our students realise their dreams,” he said. “We are also positioned to achieve significant breakthroughs in multidisciplinary research in various fields, creating a promising future for the next generation.”

The naming ceremony was attended by Dr Yip, his family and friends; several CityUHK Council members; members of the CityUHK Foundation Board; Professor Kevin Downing, Secretary to the Council; Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise); Professor Li Wen Jung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy); Professor Chan Chi-hou, Vice-President (Community Engagement); Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung, Vice-President (Research); and other members of the CityUHK management team, alumni and faculty.

In 2018, Student Residence Hall 8 at CityUHK was named Yip Yuen Yuk Hing Hall, in appreciation of the support and generous donations from Dr and Mrs Yip Kit-chuen. Dr Yip is also an Honorary Patron of the CityUHK Foundation. The Yip Kit Chuen Building serves as the administrative building of CityUHK and has a newly installed elevator lobby to facilitate access for the CityUHK community.