Dr Haywood Cheung, President of the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society, was conferred the 5th Distinguished Alumni Award of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) on 22 March in recognition of his achievements and contributions to the finance sector, CityU and society in Hong Kong. 

University representatives and social leaders attended the presentation ceremony to extend their congratulations to Dr Cheung.

The ceremony was officiated by Dr Chung Shui-ming, CityU Pro-Chancellor, Mr Lester Garson Huang, CityU Council Chairman, and Professor Way Kuo, CityU President.

Hailed as the “King of Gold”, Dr Cheung is an expert in the finance sector with over 30 years’ experience in precious metal trading, securities and futures brokerage and forex dealing in Hong Kong. He has made significant contributions to Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre by facilitating the launch of the first offshore Renminbi settlement system for gold products and participating in the implementation of Shanghai–Hong Kong Gold Connect and Shenzhen–Hong Kong Gold Connect.

 

Actively participating in public services, Dr Cheung is Chairman of the New Territories General Chamber of Commerce, and has served as Director of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and Honorary Advisor to the Pok Oi Hospital. He founded the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society Charity Fund and serves as its president. His aim is to help the underprivileged through donations to social service organisations and charity organisations.

Dr Cheung has a close relationship with CityU. Graduating with an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree and a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree in 2012 and 2014, respectively, he serves as a member of the Alumni Advancement Committee under the CityU Foundation. As Honorary Chairman of the EMBA Association Charity Trust, Dr Cheung takes the lead to solicit donations for promoting the EMBA programme and funding students through scholarships. To appreciate Dr Cheung’s contributions to CityU’s development, the University conferred the title of Honorary Fellow on him in 2016. 

 

More than 150 guests celebrated with Dr Cheung at the presentation ceremony. Among them were Ir Dr Raymond Ho Chung-tai, CityU Honorary Graduate and former CityU Council Chairman; Dr Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, CityU Honorary Graduate and former President of the Legislative Council; alumnus Mr Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, former Secretary for Justice; Professor Chan Ka-keung, former Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; and Mr Ignatius Chan Tze-ching, Independent Non-executive Director of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.

Dr Cheung said he was grateful to Professor Lai Kin-keung, retired Chair Professor of the Department of Management Sciences, for guiding him through his DBA programme. Thanking his fellow students on the EMBA programme, he said seeing them reminded him of the warm feeling of help and support in the early days of their studies.

In the sharing session titled “From Success to Social Significance” hosted together with Dr David Harilela, CityU’s Honorary Doctor of Business Administration and former District Governor of the Rotary International District 3450, Dr Cheung pointed out that the meaning of charity was to contribute to society. “CityU gave me the greatest honour of my life. I’d like to contribute to my alma mater through the EMBA Association Charity Trust,” he said.

 

Launched in 2009, the Distinguished Alumni Award is presented biennially. Dr Chung, Chairman of the Selection Panel, said he had witnessed many outstanding alumni nurtured by CityU since serving as a member of the CityU Council in 1998. As the number of candidates nominated from various sectors had reached a new high this year, he thanked all panel members for completing the difficult task of selection.

Members of the Selection Panel this year included Mr Chan Ka-kui, Recipient of the 4th Distinguished Alumni Award and Chairman of Construction Industry Council; Ms Lily Chow, Executive Director of Chevalier Group; Dr Harilela; Professor Kuo; and Professor Matthew Lee Kwok-on, CityU Vice-President (Development and External Relations). The Selection Consultant was Ernst & Young.

Professor Kuo said in his welcoming remarks that CityU alumni’s significant contributions to society and staunch support for their alma mater were key factors behind the substantial academic achievements attained by CityU in recent years. He said he hoped that both Dr Cheung and CityU could scale new heights in the near future.