1. Home
  2. About Shaw
  3. Shaw People
  4. An interview with Professor Tsang Hon-ki, new Associate Head
  5. An interview with Professor Tsang Hon-ki, new Associate Head

An interview with Professor Tsang Hon-ki, new Associate Head

Photo of Professor Tsang Hon-ki (first from right) with (starting from second from the right) Mr Clement Fung, Chair of Board of Trustees of Shaw College, Professor Andrew Chan, then College Head and Professor Hau Kit-tai taken at the Board of Trustees meeting 2019

Photo of Professor Tsang Hon-ki (first from right) with (starting from second from the right) Mr Clement Fung, Chair of Board of Trustees of Shaw College, Professor Andrew Chan, then College Head and Professor Hau Kit-tai taken at the Board of Trustees meeting 2019
 

Professor Tsang Hon-ki was born in Hong Kong but grew up in the United Kingdom and received his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in engineering from the University of Cambridge. He returned to Hong Kong to join CUHK in 1993 and has been a member of Shaw College since then. During the early days of his affiliation with Shaw, Professor Tsang focused on academic research and teaching, and only occasionally participated in college’s sports activities such as swimming and table tennis. In the 1990s his teaching portfolio included a Shaw college general education course and he had more opportunities to meet with Shaw students from non-engineering majors.

Professor Tsang contrasted the difference between the students at universities in the UK and students in Hong Kong. The main difference he noticed was the apparent greater maturity and independence of students in UK universities, typically because they were living away from home and forced to develop more independence, while many of the local students at CUHK seemed to be still living at home (even those with campus accommodation typically returned home at weekends). Professor Tsang understands that students are facing various challenges such as academic studies and adaptation of university life and dormitory life, but he reminded students of the transitory nature of undergraduate studies, so it would be important for them to learn to be independent, make good use of their short time at CUHK, and to try to participate in university and college activities to get to know their peers from different majors. Professor Tsang believes that many long-lasting friendships can be established in the university.

Professor Tsang joined the College Canteen Management Committee as member since 2004, and took up the role of Chair of the committee and also Associate Head of College starting from this year. Professor Tsang said frankly that he did not have much interactions with Shaw students outside Engineering, but hoped that as Associate Head he could develop more connections with Shaw students. He hoped the new canteen in college would become a gathering point, providing Shawers with a place to communicate and get together; and also hoped that college activities would be able to give Shaw students a channel to relieve their stress. Professor Tsang encouraged students to organise activities on their own, make good use of college resources, and give back what they received to the next generation of Shaw students and strengthen the community spirit in Shaw.

Professor Tsang Hon-ki (second from the left) in the Shaw College staff table tennis team 2012
Professor Tsang Hon-ki (second from the left) in the Shaw College staff table tennis team 2012
Photo of Shaw College Electronic Engineering graduates 1994-95 with teachers. First from the left in the first row was Professor Tsang Hon-ki. Professor Yeung Yue-man (middle in the first row), then College Head, Professor Omar Wing (fifth from the left, first row), then Dean of Engineering, Professor John Yeung, then Dean of students (fifth from the right, first row), and Professor Ching Pak-chung (second from the right, first row), the third College Head also took the photo with graduates
Photo of Shaw College Electronic Engineering graduates 1994-95 with teachers. First from the left in the first row was Professor Tsang Hon-ki. Professor Yeung Yue-man (middle in the first row), then College Head, Professor Omar Wing (fifth from the left, first row), then Dean of Engineering, Professor John Yeung, then Dean of students (fifth from the right, first row), and Professor Ching Pak-chung (second from the right, first row), the third College Head also took the photo with graduates

This article was originally published in the Newsletter of the College, Shaw Link in Oct 2024.