Dr David Chu En-yue, honorary fellow of the University and chairman of CW Chu College’s Committee of Overseers, passed away peacefully on 22 October 2023, at the age of 95. The University is deeply saddened by the loss of Dr Chu and our thoughts are with his family and friends.

A native of Suzhou, Dr David Chu En-yue was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong when he was 16. Upon graduation from high school, he went to England and studied at the University of Manchester, where he received a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He returned to Hong Kong in 1959 and started his career at an air-conditioning company. Later, he switched to the clothing industry and established Lide Garment Factory in the 1970s, now Regatex Manufacturers Limited. For years, he has assumed numerous public offices and contributed widely to community services.

More than a successful entrepreneur and industrialist, Dr Chu has been known and admired for his devotion to education and charitable causes. Through the CW Chu Foundation founded by his late father Dr Chu Ching-wen and the Solar Trust set up by him, he gave out scholarships to exceptional students of modest backgrounds from Hong Kong and the mainland to let them finish their studies, sponsored poor farming villages in China to rebuild their primary schools’ unsafe buildings, and donated to various universities. Sharing deep ties with CUHK, he has made major contributions towards the establishment of CW Chu College, where he served as a member of its planning committee and chaired its Committee of Overseers. In 2014, Dr Chu was made an honorary fellow of the University.

Dr Chu’s industrial achievements and contributions to education embody the spirit of cultivating oneself and benefitting others. He lives on in our hearts and is an example to all.