Starting a new chapter after retirement
A farewell party was held on 14 June for more than 30 members of staff who are retiring from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) in appreciation of their contributions over the years and to wish them a new and enriched life after retirement.
The party’s guests included Professor Freddy Boey Yin Chiang, CityU President; Professor Lee Chun-sing, Provost and Deputy President; Dr Kevin Downing, Secretary to Council; Professor Michael Yang Meng-su, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise); Professor Li Wenjung, Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy); Mr Sunny Lee Wai-kwong, Vice-President (Administration); Professor Cheng Shuk-han, Associate Vice-President (Research); and Ms Kit Chow Kit-yi, Director of Human Resources.
“My sincere thanks to you for your dedicated services to CityU, and I hope that you will often come to visit us after retirement,” President Boey said in his remarks at the party.
Among this year’s retirees is Dr Esther Chow Oi-wah, Associate Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, who joined CityU in 1992. For more than 30 years, Dr Chow has researched gerontology, intergenerational integration and narrative therapy. She received the Excellence in Knowledge Transfer Award from CityU’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences in 2013 and 2021.
Dr Chow said she had enjoyed her teaching career at CityU, where she has upheld the principle of nurturing students regardless of their backgrounds and enabling them to acquire diverse knowledge.
Having served as Residence Master at Chan Sui Kau Hall for six years, she said she was grateful that CityU had allowed her to practice her philosophy of having teachers and students working together.
“It was a valuable experience for me to have more opportunities to interact with students from various backgrounds, making my teaching career more fulfilling,” she said, adding that she planned to take some time out before continuing to learn for life and serve society.
Another retiree is Mr Yuen Poh-beng, CityU Press Printing Manager, who has served CityU for nearly 40 years. He describes himself as a “trailblazer” when he first joined CityU because he had to set up the printing division from scratch. With only one photocopier initially, the CityU Press has expanded with more staff and advanced machines.
Recalling his work over the past 40 years, although it was a challenging job as he had to work overnight often for re-printing, he was grateful to his colleagues for helping him meet the deadlines. “Since joining CityU, I’ve never thought about leaving the University. I have had a great sense of belonging,” he said.
Through the party, organised by the Human Resources Office, CityU thanked all the retirees for their dedication over the years and wished them a fulfilling retirement.