At the University’s 20 th Congregation held on 25 October, PolyU sent forth a total of 11,072 graduates, including 182 Doctor of Philosophy, 56 discipline-based doctoral degree, 52 Master of Philosophy, 3,974 Master’s degree, 5,284 Bachelor’s degree, 39 Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate and 1,480 sub-degree award recipients. The ceremony was presided over by Council Chairman Ms Marjorie Yang Mun-tak and President Prof. Timothy W. Tong.
1. PolyU President Prof. Timothy W. Tong delivers his speech
2. Prof. Leon O. Chua
3. Dr Irwin Mark Jacobs
4. Prof. Andrew Yao Chi-chih
5. Dr Christopher Cheng Wai-chee
During the Congregation, the University also conferred honorary doctorates on five prominent figures in recognition of their distinguished accomplishments and contributions. The recipients were Dr Christopher Cheng Wai-chee, Chairman of Wing Tai Properties Limited; Prof. Leon O. Chua, Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California at Berkeley, USA; Dr Irwin Mark Jacobs, Founding Chairman and CEO Emeritus of Qualcomm Incorporated, USA; Prof. Yan Jun-qi, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress and Director of the China Institute of Education Policy, China (in absentia); and Prof. Andrew Yao Chi-chih, renowned computer scientist and educator.
Addressing the Congregation, Prof. Tong emphasized the University’s commitment to social responsibility by recounting the life-changing experiences of students engaged in service learning. As he put it, “tertiary institutions are increasingly expected to interact with society and answer social needs, both locally and globally”. He thus encouraged graduates to set a higher goal for themselves and to look for opportunities to connect their professional knowledge to societal needs.
In closing, Prof. Tong highlighted the need for more practical dreamers who are capable of devising innovative solutions to solve problems at this critical time. As he commented, “idealism is admirable, but it often takes pragmatism to achieve results.” ♦
