On this happy occasion of HKBU’s 55th Anniversary, I extend heartfelt thanks to all my predecessors, whose immense legacy represents an ideal foundation upon which we can build success stories of which they would be proud.

Over the past decades, HKBU has successfully fulfilled its mission of nurturing generations of young men and women to realise their full potential in all spheres of their development. Evolving from a private post-secondary college, the University has grown rapidly into a premier institution with an international reputation for its world-class academic and research achievements. HKBU ranked 45th in the Quacquarelli Symonds Asian University Ranking 2010, and 111th in the world in the Times Higher Education Rankings 2010. With these emphatic validations of our vision of Whole Person Education, the University will assuredly scale new heights through its continuous pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Anniversaries are a time not only of taking stock of past achievements but also of looking ahead. As stated in Vision 2020, a blueprint that charts HKBU’s development over the next decade, the University will gain further strength in three strategic focus areas – quality teaching and learning, innovative research and dedicated service to the community.

An exciting decade lies ahead. There will be challenges, inevitably, but I have every confidence that with the concerted efforts of all members of the University community and of our valued stakeholders, we can add a new page of Excellence, Innovation and Whole Person Education to the glorious 55-year history of our beloved University.