P r ofessor POON Chung Kwong
President Emeritus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China)
Session Involved: Keynote Speech


Professor Poon is a Buddhist. He is currently the Chairman of Virya Foundation Limited (a registered non-profit charitable organisation) which he established in 2005. Professor Poon is an Emeritus Professor and the President Emeritus of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He had devoted 40 years of his life to advancing university education in Hong Kong before he retired in January 2009 from his 18-year presidency at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Professor Poon was appointed a non-official Justice of the Peace in 1989 and received the OBE award in 1991, the Gold Bauhinia Star award in 2002 and also the “Leader of the Year Awards 2008 (Education)”. In addition, he was appointed as a member of the Legislative Council (1985–1991) and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (1998–2013).