The South China University of Technology (SCUT) alumni in Hong Kong, having achieved remarkable past successes, pledged on June 11 to further their contributions to China's future development, particularly in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Representatives of the South China University of Technology alumni associations worldwide make a toast on stage at a meeting in Hong Kong on June 11, 2023. [Photo courtesy of the South China University of Technology (HK) Alumni Association]

"The development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a strategic arrangement of the central government. Hong Kong, in particular, serves as a leader in the development of the Greater Bay Area," said Choi Kin Chung, a business mogul and honorary president of the South China University of Technology (HK) Alumni Association, at an alumni meeting.

The gathering brought together leaders in business, academic and political circles, as well as other alumni from all over the world. Among the attendees were influential entrepreneurs such as Zhu Jianghong, founder and former chairman of Gree Electric and Li Yongxi, chairman of Guangzhou Gold Credit Industrial & Investment Group Co. Ltd. 

As the oldest university alumni organization in the city, the SCUT Hong Kong chapter boasts an array of talented and successful members who have made significant contributions to the development of Hong Kong and the mainland over the past 54 years. 

In her address, Tao Shaojing, deputy Party secretary of SCUT, shared stories of SCUT's collaboration with the GBA. A highlight was the establishment of the Grand Alliance of SCUT Alumni  Association of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay in 2018, a project made possible by a substantial HK$11 million donation from alumnus Choi. The alliance aims to foster exchanges and development among alumni in the GBA.

Tao also shared her vision for SCUT's future, pointing to the impending launch of the university's international campus, which will further elevate SCUT's standing among global universities.

During the event, Lillian Cheong Man-lei, undersecretary for Innovation, Technology, and Industry of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), emphasized Hong Kong's innovation and technology industry environment, as well as its policies for talent attraction. 

She underscored Hong Kong's unwavering commitment to fostering innovative technologies and integrating them into the national development framework. Cheong also expressed a sincere welcome to SCUT alumni from various regions to explore entrepreneurship and employment opportunities in the city.

Professor Thomas Yizhao Hou, an alumnus of SCUT and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, also addressed the gathering. In 2022, Hou gained international acclaim for proving the finite time singularity of the axisymmetric Euler equations with smooth data and boundary conditions – a problem that had perplexed mathematicians for centuries. Professor Hou reminisced about his days on the campus and shared words of encouragement for young people, urging everyone to stay true to their original aspirations and be courageous in innovation.

Following the exchanges, the SCUT Hong Kong alumni chapter conducted an inauguration ceremony for its new leadership, with Vivian Liu Hui, chairwoman of Lead Step Development Limited, assuming the role of association president.

She noted Hong Kong's active participation in the development plan for the GBA, focusing on innovation, aviation, cultural exchange and regional intellectual property rights services. 

She hopes alumni can seize new opportunities to contribute to HKSAR's future and China's development. 

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