Hong Kong Shue Yan University celebrated its 49th Graduation Ceremony and bestowed honorary doctorates upon two individuals at Lady Lily Shaw Hall on November 27, 2023. Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, Head
of the Department of Health’s Communicable Disease Branch, and Professor Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, an ophthalmologist and a delegate to the National People’s Congress, were honoured with Doctorates in Social Science for their outstanding contributions to public health and medicine.
Dr. Chuang has dedicated over two decades to the Department of Health, specializing in monitoring and preventing infectious diseases. She played pivotal roles in managing outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2013, enterovirus 71 epidemic in 2008, human streptococcus suis outbreak in Sichuan, China in 2005, and the SARS outbreak in 2003. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020, Dr. Chuang and her colleagues personally visited Wuhan, looking for insights in preventive measures, and clinical treatments from related cases. Her unwavering commitment to public health between 2000 and 2022, including a record-setting 72 consecutive days of pandemic briefing sessions, earned her public recognition for her exceptional dedication and professionalism.
Dr. Kaman Lee Ka-man, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, read the citation. She praised Dr. Chuang, whom for once did not take a single day off in two months to keep the public informed during the COVID-19 pandemic, displayed a rare spirit of dedication and professionalism in her continuous service.
Dr. Chuang expressed gratitude for the honour, and said she would dedicate it to those who contributed to the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. She thanked the community for their resilience, adherence to preventive measures, and the spirit to help one another. “The honour belongs to everyone,” she said.
For Professor Lam, his ground-breaking work in utilizing peripheral iris laser surgery and corneal puncture surgery to treat acute glaucoma has received global accolades. “Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology”, a journal which he is a founding editor, was ranked the number one academic journal in the Asia-Pacific region and 7th globally in 2023, which again reaffirmed his influence in the field.
Professor Lam is actively involved in philanthropy. He founded the non-profit Action for Vision Eye Foundation in 1999 to raise awareness of eye care, and provide free eye examinations and surgeries for those in need. In 2006, he established charity fund Project Vision with an objective to donate ophthalmic equipment to grassroots hospitals in mainland China and provide surgical training for doctors. In 2013, an eye hospital in Shenzhen founded by Professor Lam had provided free artificial eyes implants for Guo Bin, a Shanxi boy who lost both eyes.
Dr. Alex Li Wang-on, Associate Vice President (University Research) read the citation. He lauded Professor Lam’s outstanding contributions in medicine, education, and research. He said Professor Lam has received international acclaim as a pioneer in ophthalmology, including a Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2008. Dr. Li commended Professor Lam’s passion for medicine and concern for the society align with Hong Kong Shue Yan University’s philosophy of “Cultivating Virtues of Benevolence”.
Source: Spring 2024 Issue