The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) received a three million donation from Dr Ko Pui-shuen, Chairman of Kingrich Asia Holdings Limited for the Library's Special Collections Gallery and University Archives project. In honor of Dr Ko's generosity, the Library is naming its Archives and Special Collections Reading Room as Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Ko Pui Shuen Gallery.
HKUST President Prof Tony F Chan expressed his wholehearted gratitude to Dr Ko for her generous and thoughtful gift at the cheque presentation ceremony and said, "Dr Ko is a firm believer in the power of knowledge to drive social progress and improve human livelihood, as made manifest by her unswerving commitment to education and unrelenting efforts to create a more desirable set of learning conditions. For years Dr Ko and the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce have been most supportive of the development of HKUST, with their latest gift for the University being at its most significant and spirited. Featuring a masterful blend of culture and technology, the Library's project on Special Collections Gallery and Archives will enable faculty and researchers to fully utilize information technology to search and peruse essential literature in all fields."
Dr Ko Pui-shuen has been deeply involved in a variety of social causes and making multiple contributions to local educational and cultural development, including the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce Postgraduate Scholarships awarded to HKUST students. Dr Ko remarked, "Despite being a remarkably young university, HKUST has come with rich and comprehensive holdings of tremendous historical and research value, including old Chinese thread-bound books and invaluable antique maps drawn by early westerners. I am very pleased that through endorsing the Library's project, these rare collections can be digitalized and made accessible for a wider circle of readers and researchers. I am looking to HKUST to continue its momentum for innovation, giving more contributions to society through advanced technology."
The Library's project comes in two parts: the first is the creation of a gallery within Library, to be opened in September of 2013, for displaying the original and electronic copies of antique Chinese maps lasting over hundreds of years and classical science and technology-related texts, which facilitates student, faculty and researcher access to these invaluable materials. In addition, talks, special collections exhibits and exchange activities will be held at the new gallery space. The second part of the project concerns the digitalization of university Archives and Special Collections. In the coming three years, the Library will digitalize the essential collections and materials pertaining to HKUST's establishment and history and establish an electronic image management system, indexing and search systems among others. A portion of the collections are to be converted into digital images to be made available on the internet.
Guests present at the ceremony included Dr Ko Pui-shuen, HKUST President Prof Tony F Chan and Vice-President Dr Eden Y Woon, the Honorable Professor Jao Tsung-I, an erudite scholar and world renowned sinologist, Dr Stephen Chow Chun-kay, President of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Chamber of Commerce and its Life Honorary Presidents Mr Chan Wai-nam and Mr Hui Hok-chee.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Mavis Wong
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: maviswong@ust.hk
