HKSYU conferred the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, on St. Stephen's Society founder Dr. Jacqueline Pullinger and the degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, on Centaline Group Chairman Mr. Shih Wing-ching at its 50th Graduation Ceremony and Honorary Doctorate Conferment Ceremony.
Hong Kong Shue Yan University (“HKSYU” or “the University”) conferred the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa, on St. Stephen's Society founder Dr. Jacqueline Pullinger and the degree of Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa, on Centaline Group Chairman Mr. Shih Wing-ching at its 50th Graduation Ceremony and Honorary Doctorate Conferment Ceremony. The honorary doctorates were bestowed in recognition of their significant contributions and profound impact on Hong Kong society.
Professor Cheung Yuet-wah, Head of the Department of Sociology and Distinguished Professor at HKSYU, noted that Dr. Pullinger, referred to as ‘Hong Kong's Mother Teresa’ by the local media, supported drug addicts' rehabilitation by providing a loving and hopeful environment free of discrimination and punishment. According to Professor Cheung, Dr. Pullinger pioneered the ‘Spiritual Community’ model, one of the earliest forms of ‘Therapeutic Community,’ 60 years ago. This approach remains effective to this day, inspiring drug abusers to break free from drug dependence and start a new life. He commended Dr. Pullinger for ‘her role as a pioneer in the rehabilitation of drug addicts since the mid-1960s, and her continuous contributions to Hong Kong's drug treatment and rehabilitation system over the decades’.
Dr. Lee Ka-man, Assistant Vice President and Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication at HKSYU, noted that Mr. Shih adopted the ‘3-3-3 strategy’ in his business, which allows employees, shareholders, and the company to share profits equally, so that workers receive their fair share of rewards. She added that Mr Shih stays attuned to the pulse of the times and regularly shares his business insights, life experiences and management philosophy in his free newspaper am730. Dr. Lee also lauded Mr. Shih for his establishment of the Shih Wing Ching Foundation to ‘give back to society and to improve it,’ and that his contribution to society ‘serves as an inspiring example for students to follow'.
Dr. Pullinger thanked HKSYU for the honorary doctorate conferment. She said St Stephen's Society remains true to its founding mission of helping those trapped in poverty. She also encouraged the graduates of HKSYU to make an impact on the people around them, in good times and in bad.
Mr Shih expressed his honour in receiving the honorary doctorate and shared his views on the pursuit of knowledge. He reminded graduates not to be complacent about the few years of schooling, but to understand that the knowledge mastered by humans has been accumulated over the years and decades by their ancestors, and encouraged students to pass the knowledge on.
Dr. Jacqueline Pullinger embarked on a solo mission to Hong Kong from the UK in 1966, and later served in the Kowloon Walled City for more than 20 years, inspiring thousands of drug addicts and triad members to start afresh. In 1981, Dr. Pullinger founded the non-profit St. Stephen's Society, which serves the grassroots and provides a variety of rehabilitation and family services throughout Hong Kong. In 1997, St. Stephen's Society was granted a site at A Kung Kok, Sha Tin by the city government to set up the ‘Shing Mun Springs’ to provide residential drug treatment and rehabilitation services.
Mr. Shih Wing-ching co-founded Centaline Property in 1978 with his classmates. The group's business now spans hundreds of cities across China and employs nearly 40,000 people. In 2005, Mr. Shih founded Hong Kong's third free newspaper, am730. In his column ‘C Views’, he shares his business wisdom and management philosophy in layman's terms. Known for his philanthropic nature, he established the Shih Wing Ching Foundation in 1994, which supports the development of rural China and provides aid to underprivileged families and disadvantaged groups in Hong Kong, funding over 100 projects every year.
