Q & A

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Q9. Do you foresee spending more or less time in fundraising activities in the future?

A. If we look at the reality of our present funding, there are in effect only two major sources: the government and the private sector. It is the latter that holds the greatest promise of providing the extraordinary support we need for the University’s growth and its research endeavours over the long term.

And a ‘long term’ view is also an important aspect of our fundraising and development strategy. Our aim is to use the resources raised with an eye on the future, as a foundation for continued growth. To this end, I am committed to establishing more endowment funds, such as Endowed Professorships, so that the donations we receive today will become long-term, regenerating sources of support for future HKU scholars.

At the heart of it, fundraising is really about building trust, about reaching out to those who believe in our work, about sharing our pride in the University and inviting others to be a part of our family. It also reflects the community’s recognition of the University’s achievements. In that sense, therefore, I actually enjoy doing fundraising. I am particularly glad to see the significant increase in donations, both in terms of the total amount and the number of donors, in the past few years. I am also pleased that HKU has been able to influence the culture of philanthropy towards higher education in Hong Kong.

There are indeed many projects at the University, large and small, which require funding from both the government and private donors; for example, the Centennial Campus Project alone will cost $2.5 billion. It has been estimated that we would need $10 billion in addition to our regular government subvention in order to realise all our Centennial goals.

So, on the one hand, it is a necessity for the University to step up its fundraising efforts in the coming years, and on the other hand, for the reasons given above, it is a stimulating part of my job. I look forward to working with you as we continue to seek collaborations with and donations from all those who believe in our endeavours.