The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute officially commences operations, promoting vaccine development in support of disease prevention

A plaque unveiling ceremony for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) was held today (17 October) at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong to mark the official commencement of operations at the institute. Supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the institute aims to enhance pandemic preparedness regionally and globally through vaccine research, development and capacity building.

Guests tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute global headquarters and laboratory.

The plaque unveiling ceremony was opened with a welcome remarks by Professor Leo Poon, Co-Director of the HKJCGHI, followed by a video message from Dr Cecilia Fan, HKSAR Government Acting Secretary for Health; and was witnessed by Dr Ronald Lam, HKSAR Government Director of Health; Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward; Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong; Wong Yan-lung, Deputy Chairman of the Friends of Cambridge University in Hong Kong, among other guests.

Dr Ronald Lam, HKSAR Government Director of Health (4th right); Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward (5th left); Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong (4th left); Wong Yan-lung, Deputy Chairman of the Friends of Cambridge University in Hong Kong (3rd right); Professor Lau Chak-sing, Dean of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (3rd left); Professor David Bishai, Director of the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong (2nd left); and the three co-directors of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute at the plaque unveiling ceremony of the institute.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Club Steward Dr Henry Chan said the HKJCGHI will advance vaccine research, development and implementation. This will synergise with the Club’s support for the HKSAR Government’s epidemic preparedness measures, building on the work of the Centre for Health Protection, which was established with Club funding following SARS.

Club Steward Dr Henry Chan delivers a speech at the plaque unveiling ceremony for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute.

The Memorandum of Understanding to establish the HKJCGHI was signed in November 2023 between the University of Hong Kong, the University of Cambridge and the International Vaccine Institute, with the Club’s Charities Trust approving HK$563 million in funding support.

Group photo of Dr Henry Chan, Club Steward (2nd left), and the three co-directors of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute, including Professor Leo Poon (1st right), Professor Ravindra Gupta (2nd right), and Professor Florian Marks (1st left).

The HKJCGHI aims to enhance global pandemic preparedness through vaccine development. It aligns with the National 14th Five-Year Plan to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub, specifically in biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals.

Guests tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute global headquarters and laboratory.

The institute’s major areas of work include epidemiology and pandemic preparedness; health economics and modelling; vaccine process development; vaccine platform development; immunology; capacity building, training and global partnerships. The six functional units will host experts, employ specialised operating procedures, and utilise advance equipment and infrastructure to carry out the research.

Guests tour The Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute global headquarters and laboratory.

The Club’s support for the HKJCGHI, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and responsible sports wagering generate substantial tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (the Club), as the sole Partner Sponsor of the Hong Kong Competition Region of this year’s National Games, today (24 November) announced cash incentives to support HKSAR athletes competing in the upcoming 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities.

The flag presentation ceremony for the HKSAR delegation to the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NGD & NSOG) was held at Tiu Keng Leng Sports Centre today. Attending guests included: HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sun Shang-wu; HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law; China Hong Kong Paralympic Committee President Jenny Fung; President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China Timothy Fok; and Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Lester Huang.

The upcoming NGD & NSOG will cover 46 sports, including the NGD & NSOG The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Wheelchair Fencing Competition and the NGD & NSOG The Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy Para Table Tennis (T11) Competition, which will be held in Hong Kong. To encourage HKSAR athletes, the Club will, for the first time, provide cash incentives under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme (JCAIAS) in all medal categories of the NGD, with individual and team gold medallists receiving HK$187,500 and HK$375,000 respectively (See table below for details).

Lester Huang expressed his wholehearted support for the city’s para athletes, encouraging them to follow the inspiring example of HKSAR athletes at the 15th National Games. “The Hong Kong team has written a new and glorious chapter in our city’s sporting history with a total of 19 medals, including nine golds, two silvers and eight bronzes. The Club has long promoted sport at community and elite levels, enabling people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate. We therefore wish every HKSAR athlete the very best of luck at the upcoming 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.”

The three-year JCAIAS was launched in 2023. Under the scheme, the Club sponsors the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide cash awards to Hong Kong, China athletes who excel in major sporting events. These include the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Asian Para Games, World University Games, National Games together with their respective Winter Games and the National Games for Persons with Disabilities.

In support of the National Games, the Club has committed over HK$500 million to the Hong Kong and Guangdong Competition Regions. In the Hong Kong Competition Region, it is supporting volunteer service programmes, territory-wide community and school promotional activities, as well as initiatives to help underprivileged groups and young people attend the events as spectators. Some 100 members from the Club’s Volunteer Team are helping out as Group Volunteers in the Hong Kong Competition Region.

In the Guangdong Competition Region, the Club is providing high-quality technical support for the equestrian events in Shenzhen, leveraging its extensive experience in organising horse sports competitions. To help ensure the equestrian events are conducted to a high standard, the Club is also deploying an expert team and loaning specialist equipment. Additionally, the Club will support the Guangdong Competition Region’s official activities, volunteer services and promotion work.