A joyous celebration
The 60th Anniversary Banquet
CUHK held its 60th Anniversary Banquet at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 10 December. Over 2,000 CUHK students, staff, alumni, and international partners and friends joined the event to celebrate the institution’s achievements, culture and academic spirit.
Paul Chan Mo-po, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong government and CUHK alumnus, attended as Guest of Honour. “Like each and every one of you here, I feel proud to be a member of this University, to be part of its extraordinary journey over these six decades,” Chan said. “There is something that is so common to us, the people of CUHK (中大人), that is, we care about the development of the University, just as much as our city and country; we are always willing to contribute to the betterment of our alma mater, just as much as we are for our community.”
“These are the very qualities that define us, and I trust they will continue to inspire the future generations of professionals, innovators and leaders that this great university will nurture,” the Financial Secretary said.
In his welcome speech, CUHK’s Council chairman Professor John Chai Yat-chiu said: “Today, we gather here not only to revisit the cherished moments of the past 60 glorious years of our university, but also to unite the CUHK community and our friends in envisioning a prosperous future. Together, we shall continue to leverage Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of strong support from the mainland and being closely connected to the world, propelling the university towards a new era.”
“We are committed to actively fulfilling our social responsibilities, promoting Chinese culture, and making significant contributions to our country and the global society,” Professor Chai said.
Professor Rocky S. Tuan, CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “Sixty years ago, our founders took on the historic mission of establishing a comprehensive research university to combine and bring out the best of tradition and modernity, as well as of Chinese and western cultures. Over the past six decades, CUHK has proven to be a magnet for talents, attracting people from local and abroad to study, to teach, and do research here, with particularly strong spirit of humanity and a deep sense of social responsibility.”
“That is a very unique DNA inside every member of CUHK, and that makes us shine and consistently gain international acclaim and respect,” Professor Tuan said.
Lina Yan Hau-yee, Council member and Chairperson of CUHK’s 60th Anniversary Celebration Steering Committee, said: “Over six decades, CUHK has created boundless impact in sectors including education, research, innovation and social service to benefit Hong Kong, mainland China and the world, thanks to the concerted effort of members of the University, as well as unswerving support from the community. The 60th Anniversary Banquet is the pinnacle of CUHK’s diamond jubilee celebrations, and we gather here to extend our heartfelt blessings to CUHK and review its achievements.”
CUHK officially launched its diamond jubilee celebrations in February 2023 at a major ceremony at its main campus which featured a drone performance, light projections, and cultural performances. The University’s celebrations feature over 120 events including concerts, international conferences, lectures and cultural exhibitions. The diamond jubilee programme will run to the end of the 2023-24 academic year and more information is available at www.60.cuhk.edu.hk.
More photos of the 60th Anniversary Banquet are available here.
