Celebrating The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorships - HKU Dedication Ceremony to thank The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for its unwavering support

A dedication ceremony was held on May 5, 2026, to celebrate the establishment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorships at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). This initiative follows the creation in 2024 of the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute (Institute) with the support of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust (the Trust).

The Institute is positioned as a world-class hub for Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) and sustainability best practices in Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond. Its mission is to promote excellence in the field by bringing together globally distinguished scholars from diverse disciplines to integrate knowledge and practice, inspire innovation, foster collaboration, and conduct impactful research.

To further advance research excellence, the Trust, beyond supporting the establishment and operation of the Institute, has also supported the creation of four Endowed Professorships at the Institute: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorship in Accounting; two The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorships in Economics; and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorship in Finance and Entrepreneurship.

The ceremony was graced by distinguished guests including The Hon Rimsky Yuen, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, and senior representatives from HKU: Professor Xiang Zhang, President & Vice-Chancellor; Professor Yang Wang, Vice-President & Pro-Vice-Chancellor; and Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of the Business School. The Endowed Professors in attendance were Professor Guojun He and Professor Uta Schönberg, each holding a Hong Kong Jockey Club Professorship in Economics, and Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting. Professor Roni Michaely, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Finance and Entrepreneurship, was unable to attend.

The Hon Rimsky Yuen, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd left); Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor, HKU (centre); Professor Yang Wang, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement), HKU (1st left); Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean of Business School, HKU; Professor Guojun He, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (3rd right); Professor Jeffrey Ng, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Accounting (1st right), and Professor Uta Schönberg, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Professor in Economics (2nd right) attend the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

In his welcome address, Professor Xiang Zhang expressed The University's profound gratitude for The Hong Kong Jockey Club's unwavering support. He stated that sustainability is an essential topic of our time and that, with the Trust's backing, the Institute is poised to pioneer work in the economics, policy, and business practices of sustainability. He added that the Endowed Professors will have significant opportunities to develop scholarships, assist the government in policy formulation, and help society at large. "We appreciate The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s support, vision, and leadership," Professor Zhang said.

Professor Xiang Zhang expresses the University's profound gratitude for The Hong Kong Jockey Club's unwavering support.

The Hon Rimsky Yuen, in his speech, remarked that by supporting these four professorships, the Institute is well-placed to become a world-class knowledge hub, capable of providing actionable insights that can deliver meaningful impact in Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond.

The Hon Rimsky Yuen delivers a speech at the dedication ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The event concluded with a souvenir presentation, where Professor Xiang Zhang presented the Endowed Professorships Commemorative Chair to The Hon Rimsky Yuen.

Professor Xiang Zhang presents the Endowed Professorships Commemorative Chair to The Hon Rimsky Yuen.

More about the Endowed Professorships Scheme.