EdUHK to Confer Honorary Doctorates and Present Honorary Fellowships on Distinguished Individuals
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) will hold its Honorary Awards Ceremony on 22 October (Thursday) to confer honorary doctorates and present honorary fellowships on seven distinguished individuals. The honours recognise their outstanding achievements in their respective professional fields and their longstanding contributions to EdUHK, the education sector, and the wider community.
Honorary Doctorate recipients, listed in alphabetical order of surnames, are:
- Professor Ambrose King Yeo-chi, SBS, JP
- Dr the Hon Starry Lee Wai-king, GBS, JP
- Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer
Honorary Fellowship recipients, listed in alphabetical order of surnames, are:
- The Hon George Lau Ka-keung, BBS, MH, JP
- Mrs Mei Ng Fong Siu-mei, BBS
- The Hon Jimmy Ng Wing-ka, SBS, BBS, JP
- Mr Irons Sze, GBS, BBS, JP
Professor Ambrose King Yeo-chi, SBS, JP
Doctor of Education, honoris causa
Professor Ambrose King Yeo-chi, born in 1935 in Haiyan, Zhejiang Province, China, earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in legal and political studies in Taiwan and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh.
Joining The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 1970, Professor King enjoyed a distinguished career spanning three decades. He served in key leadership roles including Chairman of the Department of Sociology, Head of New Asia College, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and CUHK’s fifth Vice-Chancellor from 2002 to 2004. Upon his retirement in 2004, he was appointed Emeritus Professor of Sociology. Professor King was elected an Academician of Academia Sinica in 1994 and is also a member of the Xiling Seal Engraver’s Society.
Professor King’s scholarship has significantly shaped the study of Chinese society, focusing on modernisation, the interplay between tradition and modernity, and socio-political development. His major publications include From Tradition to Modernity (1966; expanded in 2024), The Modern Turn of China (2004), The Modern Transformation of Chinese Civilisation (2016), China’s Great Transformation: Selected Essays on Confucianism, Modernization, and Democracy (2018), and The Changes in Chinese Scholarship and Culture Over a Century (2020). In 2025, his Collected Academic Works of Ambrose King was published in five volumes. Other landmark contributions include The Idea of a University (1983), which explores the integration of truth, virtue, and beauty in education, and Rethinking University (2017), which examines the holistic mission of higher education.
Beyond research, Professor King has authored essay collections such as Cambridge Musings, Heidelberg Musing, and Dunhuang Musings. His six-volume Calligraphy Collection of Ambrose King reflects his deep engagement with traditional Chinese calligraphy.
Professor King has also made significant contributions to public service and academic governance, serving bodies including the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Law Reform Commission, the Central Policy Unit, the University Grants Committee, and the Research Grants Council. His contributions to academia and society have been recognised with numerous honours, including the Silver Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong Government in 1998 and honorary doctorates from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (1998) and CUHK (2005).
Professor King’s contributions to sociology, education, and cultural studies continues to exert a lasting influence. His work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, deepening understanding of socio-political development and emphasising the importance of pluralistic cultural exchange.
Dr the Hon Starry Lee Wai-king, GBS, JP
Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa
Dr the Hon Starry Lee Wai-king, born in 1974 and raised in Hong Kong, has devoted over 25 years to distinguished public service. A professional accountant and a fellow of the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), followed by an MBA from the University of Manchester. In 2024, she earned a Doctor of Laws from Tsinghua University.
Dr Lee began her public service career in 1999 at the age of 25, when she became one of the youngest directly elected district councillors. During her tenure, she focused on improving public housing and strengthening grassroots family support. In 2004, she joined the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city’s largest political party.
Elected to the Legislative Council (LegCo) in 2008, Dr Lee became known for her work on housing, welfare, education, and youth development, while building bridges between the community, the legislature, and the executive authorities. From 2012 to 2016, she served concurrently as District Councillor, Legislative Councillor, and Non-official Member of the Executive Council, contributing to the alignment of government policies with community needs.
In 2015, Dr Lee made history as the first female Chairwoman of DAB, where she advanced professionalisation, youth engagement, and grassroots development. Nationally, she has served as a Hong Kong Deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) and is the sole Standing Committee member of the 14th NPC from Hong Kong. In these roles, she has worked to integrate Hong Kong’s development with national strategies, including the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area initiatives.
A strong advocate for education, Dr Lee has actively promoted constitutional, Basic Law, and patriotic education. As Chair of the patriotic education working group under the Steering Committee on the Promotion of the Constitution and the Basic Law, she supports integrating national history and civic education into school curricula. At EdUHK, where she is an Honorary Professor, she contributes to shaping future leaders through public administration and governance programmes.
In January 2026, Dr Lee was elected as the eighth President of LegCo. She is committed to impartial governance, ensuring legislative cooperation with the executive branch and aligning policies with national development goals. Her contributions to public service have been widely recognised, including the award of the Gold Bauhinia Star and an Honorary Fellowship from HKUST in 2022.
Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer
Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa
Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he has been a faculty member since 1979. He is internationally recognised for his pioneering work on power, influence, and organisations, as well as his advocacy for evidence-based management. His scholarship has shaped modern organisational theory by illuminating the connections between leadership, workplace environments, and human well-being, shaping the foundations of modern organisational theory.
Professor Pfeffer earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Carnegie Mellon University before completing a PhD at Stanford University. His doctoral thesis introduced the ground-breaking “resource dependence theory,” which remains a cornerstone of strategic management, exploring how external resources influence organisational behaviour.
Early in his career, Professor Pfeffer joined the University of Illinois as Assistant Professor, where he collaborated with Professor Gerald R. Salancik. They co-authored the seminal work The External Control of Organizations: A Resource Dependence Perspective, that established Professor Pfeffer as a leading thinker in organisational behaviour. After a period at the University of California, Berkeley, he returned to Stanford, becoming one of the university’s youngest full professors.
Over more than four decades, Professor Pfeffer has produced an extraordinary body of scholarship spanning organisational power and politics, human resource management, workplace well-being, and the translation of knowledge into action. His influential titles include The Knowing-Doing Gap, Competitive Advantage Through People, Dying for a Paycheck,and 7 Rules of Power. He has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 160 articles and book chapters. With nearly 200,000 citations, his research reaches a global audience through academic journals, mainstream publications, and his podcast, Pfeffer on Power.
Professor Pfeffer has held visiting positions at prestigious institutions such as Harvard Business School, London Business School, and Singapore Management University, Copenhagen Business School and IESE Business School in Barcelona. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Academy of Management’s Richard D. Irwin Scholarly Contributions to Management Award, an honorary doctorate from Tilburg University, and induction into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame. He has also been named one of the Most Influential HR Thinkers by HR Magazine.
Professor Pfeffer’s work is distinguished by its call for fairer, healthier, and more humane workplaces. By combining intellectual leadership with a profound sense of justice, he continues to transform the study of organisations and inspire leaders and scholars worldwide.
The Hon George Lau Ka-keung, BBS, MH, JP
Honorary Fellow
The Hon George Lau Ka-keung is a Hong Kong Delegate to the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC), a Member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a Member of the 8th Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology, and brings nearly three decades of corporate management experience to his extensive public service roles. He currently serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director of OrbusNeich Medical Group Holdings Limited, Tianjin Development Holdings Limited, and Western China Cement Limited, all listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
A seasoned advocate for youth, Mr Lau served as the 28th Chairman of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, through which he spearheaded the coordination of the HKSAR Government’s “We Venture” initiative to advance youth entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area. His efforts to connect Hong Kong youth with Mainland exchange, study, and internship opportunities have benefited over 30,000 participants. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he secured virtual internship placements for university students with premier national institutions, including the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China. He is also the Founding Chairman of Dynamic Youth of Greater Bay Area and Dynamic Youth of Huizhou, and a Board Member of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.
Mr Lau is deeply committed to education and national affairs. As a partner of the Education University of Hong Kong, he serves as a guest speaker in the “NPC/CPPCC Speaker Series” and organises immersive cultural exchange visits to Tianjin for EdUHK students, enabling future educators to gain first-hand understanding of national development. He has also facilitated an innovative sister-school network between Tianjin education authorities and the New Territories Principals’ Association.
In the area of community safety, Mr Lau serves on the Fight Crime Committee and the Committee on Community Support for Rehabilitated Offenders, and chairs the Tuen Mun District Fight Crime Committee. He champions youth crime prevention programmes including “Project X”, a collaboration with Lingnan University, Hong Kong Chu Hai College and Tuen Mun Police District; and “Success Rendezvous”, which connects students with workplace experience.
In recognition of his wholehearted dedication to public service and outstanding contributions to youth development, Mr Lau was awarded the Medal of Honour (2014), appointed a Justice of the Peace (2016), and conferred the Bronze Bauhinia Star (2022) by the Hong Kong SAR Government.
Mrs Mei Ng Fong Siu-mei, BBS
Honorary Fellow
Mrs Mei Ng Fong Siu-mei is an outstanding and renowned leader in environmental protection. She has devoted more than four decades to conservation in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. She previously served as chairperson and executive director of environmental charity organisation Friends of the Earth (HK). In recognition of her commitment to public service, she was appointed by the Hong Kong Government to serve as advisory member of the Country and Marine Parks Board, the Environmental Campaign Committee and the Harbour-Front Enhancement Committee. She currently serves as Honorary Patron of Friends of the Earth (HK).
Mrs Ng led Friends of the Earth (HK) team in advocating and putting environmental protection into practice. She organised tree planting to enhance city greening; promoted energy saving and emission reduction to improve air quality; encouraged public housing recycling and waste reduction; lobbied for enhanced municipal sewage treatment to improve the water quality of Victoria Harbour; and advocated renewable energy and decarbonisation to mitigate climate change. While monitoring corporate social and environmental responsibility as well as government environmental governance, she has also offered visionary and constructive advice on the formulation of environmental policy.
Thinking globally and acting locally, Mrs Ng believes that environmental protection knows no boundaries. Since the 1990s, she has travelled extensively across the Chinese Mainland to promote environmental education and public participation. She has been keen to share environmental concerns and solutions, inspire and empower young people’s interest in green careers and entrepreneurship, nurture grassroots environmental groups, and sow the seeds of green awareness and hope. In 2007, she initiated the Dongjiang Upstream Downstream Partnership Project and rallied Sons of Dongjiang eco-volunteers from Hong Kong, Guangdong and Jiangxi to safeguard the headstream habitat, foster public awareness of water conservation and demonstrate the spirit of eco-compensation by giving back to Dongjiang.
Even in retirement, Mrs Ng has devoted herself to the incubation and development of the Earth Academy, an environmental education initiative designed to nurture young people’s green innovation mindset and practical capabilities, cultivating environmentally conscious talents with a forward-looking vision, and contributing to progress in society towards sustainable development.
Mrs Ng’s passion for environmental protection and public service received local, national and globally recognition. In 2000, she was named in the Global 500 Roll of Honour by United Nations Environment Programme. In the same year, she was appointed China Environment Envoy by the National Environment Bureau of China. The Government of the HKSAR awarded her the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2003 in recognition of her contributions to environmental protection and community service.
The Hon Jimmy Ng Wing-ka, SBS, BBS, JP
Honorary Fellow
The Hon Jimmy NG Wing-Ka, born in 1969 in Hong Kong, holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Post-graduate Certificate in Laws from The University of Hong Kong. He is a solicitor admitted to practise in Hong Kong and is currently a partner of Messrs Tung, Ng, Tse & Lam, Solicitors. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 2015.
Mr Ng serves as a Legislative Council member representing the Industrial (Second) Functional Constituency and is Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Council. He is an Independent Non-executive Director of CATALO Natural Health Science Limited, as well as of listed companies including Yanchang Petroleum International Limited, Glorious Sun Enterprises Limited and MTR Corporation Limited.
Beyond his legislative and corporate responsibilities, Mr Ng holds numerous public appointments. He is Chairman of the HKSAR Passports Appeal Board and the Hong Kong-Taiwan Business Cooperation Committee, Vice-chairman of the Independent Police Complaints Council and Non-executive Director of The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited. He is also a member of the Court and the Council of The University of Hong Kong, a member of the HKSAR Election Committee, a member of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of Shaanxi Province, the People’s Republic of China.
In recognition of his meritorious and dedicated service to the Government and the Hong Kong community, Mr Ng was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2025 and Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2019.
Mr Irons Sze, GBS, BBS, JP
Honorary Fellow
Mr Irons Sze is a leading figure in Hong Kong’s industrial and commercial sector, a highly respected community leader, and a staunch supporter of higher education in the city. Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, Mr Sze has remained deeply committed to serving the community. He has actively promoted the steady social and economic development of Hong Kong, advanced the city’s integration into the nation’s overall development, and made distinguished contributions in these areas.
With family roots in Fujian, Mr Sze is the son of Dr Sze Chi-ching, a renowned calligrapher and entrepreneur. In 1985, he went to the United States to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. After completing his studies, he returned to Hong Kong and started from an entry-level position in the family business, gaining solid practical experience and gradually building professional expertise in international trade, logistics operations, and human resource management.
With remarkable strategic vision and exceptional leadership, Mr Sze led the family group in expanding its textile raw materials trading business, successfully developing key markets in Japan, South Korea, the Chinese Mainland and Taiwan. During his tenure as President of The Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong he promoted Hong Kong brands, as well as the Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, helping revitalise local industry and commerce and strengthening Hong Kong’s economic development. He now serves as Permanent Honorary President of the Association and continues to contribute to the development of Hong Kong’s business sector.
Mr Sze served as a member of the 12th and 13th National Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). During his 13th-term service, he was Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Committee on Population, Resources and Environment. In 2023, he was elected a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC. In public service, Mr Sze has been dedicated to deepening economic and trade exchanges between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, promoting youth interaction and exchange, and actively participating in the work of the Hong Kong Coalition, safeguarding the city’s prosperity and stability.
Mr Sze is deeply devoted to education and is tireless in his philanthropy. He is currently a member of the Board of Stewards of The Education University of Hong Kong Foundation, and has also served on the governing councils and advisory committees of four local universities. Since 1995, he has continuously sponsored the Vocational Training Council scholarship scheme, supported various campus development and learning initiatives, and helped nurture young talent.
Mr Sze’s outstanding contributions and strong sense of social responsibility have been widely recognised. He has been appointed Justice of the Peace, awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star, and the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Government of the HKSAR.
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