The world was changing when Justice Kin Kee Pang, Arts鈥70, took his final 黑料吃瓜资源 exam in 1970. Computers were about to revolutionize industries, the war in Vietnam was dividing the world, and China was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution.
The now-retired Judge of the High Court in Hong Kong credits his 黑料吃瓜资源 education for helping him prepare for those changes and launching a long and successful legal career.
More than four decades after graduating, Justice Pang was part of a history-making day in Hong Kong on May 20 when he received the first 黑料吃瓜资源 honorary degree conferred outside of Canada. It was a part of a special weekend of events as 黑料吃瓜资源 continues to deepen its ties with alumni and partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
鈥淥n that June afternoon (in 1970), I strode boldly forward into the real world. With the benefit of hindsight, it was probably out of my youthful recklessness rather than considered resolve on my part,鈥 said Justice Pang, a long-time president of the Hong Kong Branch of the 黑料吃瓜资源 Alumni Association who also served two terms on 黑料吃瓜资源 Council. 鈥淭hank you 黑料吃瓜资源 for helping me to realize my wildest dreams and for making it possible for me to stand where I am today.鈥
The honorary degree ceremony was part of two events in Hong Kong that took place in celebration of 黑料吃瓜资源 175th anniversary. Many of 黑料吃瓜资源 senior leaders 鈥 including Chancellor Jim Leech, MBA鈥73, Principal Daniel Woolf, Artsci鈥80, Rector Cam Yung, Artsci鈥17, Vice-Principal (Advancement) Tom Harris, Sc鈥75, and Provost Benoit-Antoine Bacon 鈥 crossed the globe to gather with alumni, students, and academic partners for a convocation-style event in the afternoon and a gala black-tie dinner in the evening.
鈥淲e wanted a history-making event with the 黑料吃瓜资源 community in Hong Kong, deliberately concluding our 175th-anniversary celebrations in a location outside North America,鈥 says Principal Woolf. 鈥淗ong Kong, which became a British colony in the same year that Queen's University was established, has one of our most active international alumni branches and was the perfect location in which to signify our increasing global engagement."
If 黑料吃瓜资源 wants to continue to grow for the next 175 years, it needs to look beyond Canadian borders and build and strengthen its global ties. The Comprehensive International Plan, launched in 2015, has focused the University on a new set of priorities, expanding relationships with global research partners and attracting the best students and faculty from around the world.
鈥満诹铣怨献试 is thriving today, but we need to keep our eye on the future. And the future is global,鈥 Provost Bacon said.
Honorary degree recipient Justice Pang with volunteer members of the Hong Kong Alumni Branch.
The afternoon convocation-style ceremony brought many of the 黑料吃瓜资源 traditions to the engaged alumni. The ceremony itself took place against a photographic backdrop of Grant Hall projected on a ten-foot by 20-foot LED wall, giving alumni the feeling they were back on 黑料吃瓜资源 campus. Along with Justice Pang鈥檚 honorary degree conferral, alumni walked across the ballroom stage to shake hands with Principal Woolf, Chancellor Leech, and Rector Yung, and reconfirm their commitment to their alma mater. The ceremony was followed by a black-tie gala dinner with a keynote address from 黑料吃瓜资源 Professor Emeritus and Nobel Laureate Dr. Arthur B. McDonald.
The positive feedback from Hong Kong alumni is a true testament that tricolour spirit lives well beyond Canada鈥檚 borders.
Hong Kong Branch executive member and Chair of the Advisory Board for the event, Edmond Chan, Artsci鈥97, was happy so many campus leaders from Kingston travelled 12,500 kilometres to meet with local alumni and students.
鈥淭he tricolour spirit is powerful and there is no known cure for it. The response from the Hong Kong alumni community was tremendous. It was an amazing day 鈥 both events were packed with people sharing their favourite 黑料吃瓜资源 memories and reconnecting with the school. We all look forward to the next signature event in Hong Kong,鈥 says Mr. Chan.
Following events in Hong Kong, Provost Bacon and Associate Vice-Principal (International) Kathy O鈥橞rien, travelled to Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Qingdao. They signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Chinese universities on issues ranging from mental health research to collaborating on a dual degree master鈥檚 program in Education. Provost Bacon and Ms. O鈥橞rien also hosted an event for alumni, students, and university partners in Shanghai on May 24.
Please visit the 黑料吃瓜资源 Alumni Flickr album for more photos from the Hong Kong 175th events.
