Donor
Professor George Woo and Dr Victor Chi Pang Woo
Professor George Woo and Dr Victor Chi Pang Woo are eminent figures in optometry and ophthalmology respectively. Professor George Woo was formerly Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at PolyU and is now Emeritus Professor and Senior Advisor at the University’s School of Optometry. Internationally, he is the former President of the World Council of Optometry, the Asia Pacific Council of Optometry and The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists. Dr Victor Woo is an eye surgeon in private practice. He is the former President of The Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society and an Honorary Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology of The University of Hong Kong.
Professor George Woo and Dr Victor Woo are also well known for their philanthropy through the KB Woo Fund they set up in memory of their late father, Mr Keing Bai Woo, a pioneer in Hong Kong’s optical industry who had advocated the formalization of optical training to improve eye care. Donations from the Fund have greatly helped numerous tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and overseas to establish or develop ophthalmic institutes or departments, education and scholarships.
Over the years, they have also made substantial donations from the Fund or personally to our School of Optometry, including those to support students’ learning and for the creation of a postgraduate research scholarship.
Appointee
Professor Kee Chea-su
Professor Kee Chea-su is a professor at the School of Optometry of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), where he teaches courses related to clinical optometry and ophthalmic dispensing. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Optometry at PolyU, followed by a Master’s degree in Biology/Neuroscience from the City College of New York and a PhD in Physiological Optics & Vision Science from the University of Houston. Before returning to Hong Kong, he served as an Assistant Professor in Physiological Optics at the New England College of Optometry in Boston, USA. He currently holds positions as the Head of School of Optometry, Associate Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision, and Deputy Director of the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) at PolyU.
Professor Kee’s primary research focus is on the development of refractive errors, with particular interest in myopia (or short-sightedness) and astigmatism. He is passionate about the advancement of innovative ophthalmic instrumentation and has co-founded two IT start-ups. Through active collaborations with vision scientists and engineers worldwide, Professor Kee and his team have developed ocular diagnostic instruments and animal models to study the impact of visual experience on refractive development. Notably, they have successfully translated a digital diagnostic imaging device, originally designed for small animal models, into a portable device that enables early diagnosis of astigmatism in children in remote areas.
Professor Kee has earned both local and international recognition for his contributions to teaching and innovative research in optometry and vision sciences. He was honoured with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching for 2019/2020 by PolyU’s Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. He holds four patents, including innovations in vision analysis and corneal topography. In 2024, Professor Kee and his research team received two prestigious awards at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva: the Prize of the Saudi Arabian Delegation and the Gold Medal for their groundbreaking portable corneal topographer.
