Media

Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre on the HKU Centennial Campus:
Focal Point for New Academic and Cultural Explorations

06 Jan 2013

The new Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre, a focal point on the Centennial Campus, will transform the educational environment at HKU with its state-of-the-art facilities and multi-use lecture rooms for academic and cultural explorations.

A Dedication Ceremony was held today (January 6) at the Lecture Centre honouring Dr the Honourable Lee Shau Kee, GBM, Chairman of Henderson Land Group, for his support of HKU with his $500 million gift in 2007 for campus development and student scholarships.

“Dr Lee has always shared the University’s vision of excellence and the missions of education. The Lecture Centre will be an important hub for scholars, students, the University community as well as the people of Hong Kong. His gift is a legacy that will touch generations,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui at the ceremony.

Dr Lee has always been a staunch supporter of the University of Hong Kong.  The Lee Shau Kee Scholarships was established in 2009 to support local and international students in their undergraduate or research postgraduate studies. To date, a total of 343 students from 12 countries have benefited from the Scholarships.

The Lee Shau Kee Hall, situated in Jockey Club Village II, Pokfulam Road, is a residential hall that was opened in 2005 and is the home for 300 students each year.

At the Dedication Ceremony, Dr Lee Shau Kee congratulated the University on the inauguration of the Lecture Centre, and shared his philosophy on wealth and charity.

“There is a time to create wealth, and a time to make use of your wealth. The best way to share the fruits of your work is charity and philanthropy, saving and improving millions of lives.”

The charitable projects that have brought Dr Lee the most personal satisfaction include the Hong Kong Pei Hua Education Foundation that nurture talent for China, the Warmth Project that assists Mainland peasants in employment, and the Overseas Training Program for a Thousand University Chancellors in Central and Western PRC that lifts the standards of universities in the central and western parts of the country.  Dr Lee exhorted students to learn, not just how to gain, but also how to give.

The HKU Centennial Campus is built on the site of the Water Supplies Department reservoir system which had to be demolished and rebuilt during the campus project. One of the most impressive additions in the new campus is the Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre.  At the heart of the Lecture Centre is the Grand Hall, a 1,000-seat venue for both academic and cultural activities. Expertly designed with flexible acoustics to support events ranging from lectures to concerts to film galas, the Hall has excellent noise isolation making it perhaps the quietest venue in Hong Kong. The Lecture Centre also includes 26 lecture halls and classrooms, and a black box theatre.

To mark the occasion, an Inaugural Concert featuring the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of renowned conductor Jun Märkl, was held today in the Grand Hall following the Dedication Ceremony.

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Trinni Choy (Assistant Director (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2606 email: pychoy@hku.hk  or Ms Melanie Wan (Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 email: melwkwan@hku.hk.

HKU holds Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre Dedication Ceremony to honour Dr the Honourable Lee Shau Kee and to thank Dr Lee for his long standing and staunch support for the University

Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre Dedication Ceremony

A ribbon cutting ceremony is held inside the Grand Hall of Lee Shau Kee Lecture Centre before the Inaugural Concert