June is usually the month of Honorary Fellowships. This is the university's hallowed tradition of recognizing outstanding individuals who are models of excellence and sterling service to the community.

This year, the honor goes to four praiseworthy leaders.

Prof Roger King, Non-Executive Director of Overseas Orient International Limited and Adjunct Professor in our Business School, is known in the business community as a "corporate doctor" who can restore the financial health of ailing businesses. On campus, he is the avuncular teacher who devotes much of his time to HKUST in his pro-bono role as director of our Center for Asian Family Business & Entrepreneurship, and the Center for Business Case Studies. His dream is to see that our university becomes a worthy rival to Harvard in case studies in Asia.

Prof Harry Shum, a much-honored Corporate Vice President of Bing Development at Microsoft and another Adjunct Professor but attached to our Department of Computer Science and Engineering. He is the nerve center of Microsoft’s super-search engine, known as a decision engine that can understand user intent. The Internet is big in our lives and will only become bigger in future, and Prof Shum is right at the heart of its growing impact. In the meantime, as our faculty member, he will add greater luster to our already famous computing expertise.

Ir James Kwan, is the environmentally proactive Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Towngas that gives Hong Kong and parts of the Mainland an affordable green fuel for our growing needs. A big-hearted corporate leader who helps deliver  food to the old and the needy, his desire is to see that we and our future generations leave a lighter carbon footprint. He is instrumental in sealing a partnership between Towngas and our chemical engineering faculty.

Dr Fong Yun-wah, Chairman of the Hip Shing Hong Group, has done many good deeds over many decades, building schools in Hong Kong and China. For this university, he has generously donated a student walkway, given our student scholarships and has been actively canvassing support for the university. Proud of  HKUST's achievements, he believes that science and technology is the agent for economic prosperity and transformation. His wish is to see the emergence of a world-leading university in Greater China.