PolyU to confer Honorary Doctorates upon Two Distinguished Individuals

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced that the University will confer honorary doctorates upon two distinguished individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their respective professions. The two recipients are (in alphabetical order of surname): Mr CHEUNG Ka-long and Professor YANG Mengfei.

Mr Cheung Ka-long is a renowned Hong Kong foil fencer who represented the Hong Kong fencing team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He won an Olympic gold medal in Men’s Foil Fencing (Individual) for Hong Kong, making him the city’s first Olympic champion after Hong Kong’s return to China. Since his childhood, Cheung has been passionate about fencing. He decided to embark on a full-time career as a fencing athlete at the age of 15. Over the years, Cheung has achieved many accolades and participated in numerous international competitions. He was the winner of the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing championships (individual and team foil) in 2014, Asian Fencing championship (individual foil) in 2016 and Junior World championship (individual foil) in 2017. He also claimed a silver medal for a team event, and a bronze medal for an individual event at the Asian Games in 2018. Cheung has demonstrated his tremendous commitment to fencing with his unparalleled spirit and determination, making him an excellent role model for young people. His remarkable achievements have not only elevated the status of Hong Kong athletes in the international sports arena, but also raised Hong Kong people's interest in sports and brought the city’s sports development to the next new level.

Professor Yang Mengfei is an accomplished expert in space technology, a Researcher at the China Academy of Space Technology, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a Life Fellow of the International Academy of Astronautics. Professor Yang has devoted himself to the field of spacecraft research for years and has made significant contributions to the Nation’s lunar exploration project, manned spaceflight, and satellite development. As chief commander and chief designer of the Chang’e 5 probe, Professor Yang led the team to overcome many complex technical issues and successfully completed China's first extraterrestrial sample return mission, laying a solid foundation for future space missions. PolyU researchers have worked closely with Professor Yang and his team in contributing to the Chang’e 5 and Chang’e 6 projects.

Dr LAM Tai-fai, Chairman of Council, PolyU, said, “On behalf of PolyU, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the two Honorary Doctors. We are pleased to welcome them as new members of the PolyU community. Professor Yang’s achievements in the field of aerospace are remarkable and highly admired, and we look forward to enhancing our future collaboration so as to make significant contributions to our Nation.” He furthermore remarked that “Cheung Ka-long’s accomplishments in fencing have not only brought glory to Hong Kong, but also raised the interest of the general public in sports and helped generate immense positive energy all around the community. We are glad to see that the Government is actively promoting sports in the city by investing more resources in this area.”

PolyU’s President, Professor Jin-Guang TENG, said, “Though Cheung Ka-long and Professor Yang come from very different professional backgrounds, they both possess an indomitable spirit. They are courageous in setting big goals and seeking breakthroughs. In the pursuit of excellence, they have demonstrated outstanding qualities of perseverance and persistence, setting a fine example for the younger generation.”

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