Lingnan University to Confer Four Honorary Fellowships

Lingnan University will confer four honorary fellowships, recognising the outstanding professional achievements and valuable contributions to the community and the education sector of the distinguished recipients, Mr Chan Chun-ying, BBS, JP; The Hon Ip Kwok-him, GBM, GBS, JP; Mr Lam Tin-fuk, GBS, JP; and Mr Ng Leung-sing, SBS, JP, whose biographies follow:

Mr Chan Chun-ying, BBS, JP

Mr Chan Chun-ying's ancestral roots are in Xinhui, Guangdong. After completing primary and secondary school, he went on studying and earned his Chartered Secretary qualification and a Master of Business Administration from Northeast Louisiana University (later renamed the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in the US. He is a long-serving Fellow of the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute.

After graduating, Mr Chan started work in the accounting department of the China Travel Service (CTS), conducting internal audits for its overseas branches. This was the beginning of his career with Hong Kong-based Chinese enterprises. Over the years, he received successive promotions, eventually rising to the position of Deputy General Manager of the CTS Overseas Department. In 1992, Mr Chan joined the Nanyang Commercial Bank, and was appointed as Deputy General Manager of the Bank in 2008. From 2011 to 2016, Mr Chan served as Board Secretary and Company Secretary to BOCHK Holdings Limited and the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, and is currently an advisor to the latter.

Mr Chan has consistently sought to improve his expertise through continuous learning and practice. He has completed executive management programmes at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, Washington, Illinois, and Tsinghua. The year 2016 marked a turning point in his professional life, when he was elected a Legislative Council Member representing the Commercial functional constituency, and entered public office.

The Legislative Council was a decisive step in his commitment to giving back to society, and a major personal challenge. Guided by his absolute determination to serve citizens, Hong Kong, and the nation, Mr Chan overcame many obstacles and earned the trust of his fellow Council members. At the end of 2022, he was re-elected a member of the Seventh Legislative Council and, subsequently, Chairman of the Finance Committee, injecting and sustaining momentum into Hong Kong's journey "from stability to prosperity".

Mr Chan's personal integrity and professional experience align seamlessly with the deliberative spirit of the Legislative Council, making him a role model among leaders in Hong Kong society.

The Hon Ip Kwok-him, GBM, GBS, JP

The Honourable Ip Kwok-him was born and grew up in Hong Kong, although his family was originally from Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Mr Ip attended Hon Wah College in Hong Kong, and later graduated from South China Normal University. He then returned to Hon Wah College, where he taught for almost 20 years. Mr Ip entered politics in the 1980s, and engaged in community service with colleagues in the Central and Western District. In 1991, he was elected as a Central and Western District Councillor, embarking on an eventful decades-long career in District Council service.

In 1992, Mr Ip co-founded the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (later renamed the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, acronym DAB) to foster regional stability and development. He served as DAB vice-chairman from 1998 to 2009, establishing himself as a key figure in politics in the HKSAR.

Mr Ip was first elected to the Legislative Council in 1995, representing the Election Committee constituency in the final colonial legislature. During his legislative tenure, he was a member of the main public bodies, including the Urban Renewal Authority, and became known for his work organising and uniting the pro-establishment camp.

Mr Ip has served as an HKSAR Deputy to the National People's Congress for four consecutive terms (10th–13th), underscoring his central role not only in local governance but also as a bridge between the HKSAR and the central government. In 2016, he was appointed a non-official member of the Executive Council, where his extensive legislative experience and command of public affairs were valuable assets in policy discussions and in advising the government.

Besides his valuable service in the political arena, Mr Ip has demonstrated outstanding dedication to education, where he has played an important part in multiple levels of the sector including as Chairman of the Hon Wah Education Organisation, and School Superintendent of H.K.T.A. Shun Yeung Primary School. Mr Ip's contributions have been recognised with numerous prestigious awards, and in addition to being made a Justice of the Peace (JP), he received the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) in 2004 and the Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM) in 2017, the highest honours conferred by the HKSAR.

Mr Lam Tin-fuk, GBS, JP

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Mr Lam Tin-fuk completed his early education here before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Computing Science from Imperial College, London. He began his life in public service as an Administrative Officer in the Hong Kong Government, and in 1986 he joined the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), embarking on a remarkable 28-year journey. Rising through the ranks to become Executive Director in 2004, he led an international team dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong businesses.

In 2014, Mr Lam demonstrated his remarkable capacity for reinvention by making a direct transition to the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). With the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) facing saturation, Mr Lam championed the Three-Runway System to secure Hong Kong SAR's future as an international aviation hub. He also introduced the transformative Airport City concept, which was given a new identity in January 2025 as SKYTOPIA, a brand designed to attract investment and talent. Recognising the importance of expertise, he also resolved to establish the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy in order to nurture the professionals who keep the skies safe and the economy vibrant.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, Mr Lam's leadership stood out. He motivated the airport community, ensuring resilience while actively preparing for recovery. His initiative in giving away 500,000 air tickets free created worldwide goodwill and kept Hong Kong on the global tourism map. In June 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the AAHK.

Mr Lam was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) by the HKSAR Government in recognition of his contribution to the development of the HKIA and aviation industry. Beyond these honours, Mr Lam is much admired for his integrity and for his core belief that great infrastructure must serve the community. His principles of being steadfast and responsible in every task are reflected in his dedication to the highest standards of safety, security, and environmental sustainability. This enthusiasm for responsible, value-creating modernisation resonates deeply with Lingnan University's liberal arts values and the University's commitment to serving society.

Mr Ng Leung-sing, SBS, JP

Mr Ng Leung-sing joined the Bank of China, Hong Kong Branch in 1967 and has spent 58 years in the financial sector, where he has dedicated his career to China through his financial and public service, and become a role model. His great expertise spans commercial banking, corporate strategy, and operational management, and has played a key role in the modernisation, consolidation, and presence of Chinese banks in Hong Kong. Mr Ng has been a director of the BOCHK Charitable Foundation since 1994 and, since 2009, Chairman of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Trustees Limited, demonstrating his talents and commitment as a leading figure in the banking industry.

Mr Ng's legislative service has been vital. Before and after Hong Kong's return to China, he served four terms as a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress and four terms as a member of the Legislative Council. For over 20 years, he advised both the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, particularly on economic and financial policy. He chaired the Legislative Council's Finance Committee, overseeing government budget allocations for major infrastructure projects and fostering economic growth, but his diverse services have also included the Community Chest, the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, and the Banking Advisory Committee. A passionate sportsman, Mr Ng was a torchbearer in the Hong Kong region for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Mr Ng has devoted his long career to education and served as a member of the Council and Court of Lingnan University, contributing significantly to the University's evolution with strategic foresight and a deep commitment to nurturing future generations, providing invaluable guidance during key phases of the University's development, and helping to steer its financial stability and academic growth. During his tenure as a director of the BOCHK Charitable Foundation, he promoted social welfare by advising on initiatives to fund education, healthcare, and community welfare. The Hong Kong SAR Government has made Mr Ng a Justice of the Peace and given him the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in recognition of his contributions.

The four honorary fellowships that will be conferred by Lingnan University

In response to the global demand for clean energy transition, tandem solar cells are recognised as a crucial next-generation technology that will significantly improve solar power efficiency. Scholars from Lingnan University’s Wu Jieh Yee School of Interdisciplinary Studies (WJYSIS) and their collaborators have innovatively developed a novel interfacial structure, which substantially reduces energy loss and successfully overcomes the current limitations of perovskite solar cells in voltage, further improving the efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity. Their findings, published in the top-tier international journal Nature Communications, affirm Lingnan University’s research capabilities in the fields of renewable energy materials and photovoltaic technology.

Conventional strategies often lead to the uncontrolled diffusion of ligand molecules into the perovskite bulk or their severe loss during solvent washing, failing to form an effective ligand layer. The research team proposes a novel strategy that successfully immobilises the ligand molecules onto the SAM molecules, constructing a localised 2D/3D structure.

The joint research team, comprising Prof Chen Xi, Dean of the WJYSIS and Chair Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Lingnan University; Prof Wu Shengfan, Assistant Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the WJYSIS at Lingnan University, and colleagues from the City University of Hong Kong, has developed a novel method to form a localised 2D/3D structure within the perovskite solar cell, reducing energy loss and improving charge extraction efficiency and interfacial contact. At the same time, by utilising tandem solar cell technology, in which the top material absorbs short-wavelength light and the bottom material absorbs long-wavelength light. This arrangement substantially improves light utilisation efficiency.

The figure illustrates the novel SAM molecule designed by the team, named CbzBT-B. This molecule exhibits excellent stability, and its energy levels are better aligned with the perovskite. The sulfur atoms within this molecule can interact with the ligands, ensuring the formation of a localised 2D/3D perovskite heterojunction structure at the bottom interface.

The team explained that this innovative technology optimises the solar cell in multiple ways. Firstly, it improves the quality of the thin film, allowing this light-absorbing material to grow more uniformly, thereby reducing intrinsic defects. Secondly, the technology greatly reduces defect density at the interfaces, suppressing undesirable energy loss and thus minimising voltage loss. The technology also improves the energy level alignment at the interface, enabling more efficient charge extraction.

Solar cell test results indicate that wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells employing this strategy achieve significant enhancements in open-circuit voltage and efficiency, while exhibiting excellent operational stability. This strategy is applicable to various wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells and has broken multiple performance records. Based on this, the team fabricated tandem solar cells, achieving a high efficiency of 27.11 per cent.

The research team has successfully developed highly efficient and stable wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells, setting multiple cell performance records. The cell demonstrated excellent performance during long-term operational testing, maintaining over 95 per cent of its efficiency even after continuous operation for 700 hours. According to the team’s projections, the efficiency of this cell can still be maintained at over 90 per cent after 1,800 hours of long-term operation. Meanwhile, based on this technology, the power conversion efficiency of the perovskite-organic tandem solar cell reaches 27.11 per cent, among the highest efficiencies for this type of tandem solar cells.

Prof Chen Xi, Dean of the WJYSIS and Chair Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Lingnan University.

Prof Wu, co-corresponding author of the paper, said “This achievement builds upon our sustained and in-depth exploration of interface engineering and tandem photovoltaic devices. It provides a reliable foundation for future large-scale applications. We will continue to drive the advancement of related technologies toward commercialisation, transforming efficient and stable energy solutions into commercial products to address climate challenges and energy security needs, contributing to societal sustainable development.”

Prof Wu Shengfan, Assistant Professor (Presidential Early Career Scholar) of the WJYSIS at Lingnan University.

Prof Chen Xi commended the outcome highly, saying “Lingnan has been actively promoting interdisciplinary research in recent years. This breakthrough demonstrates the University’s strengths and commitment to tackling global energy challenges and developing clean energy technologies. Our team will continue to transform innovative research achievements into practical solutions, supporting the global transition towards a green and low-carbon future.”

The research paper was published in the top-tier international journal Nature Communications. Read the full study here: Localized 2D/3D heterojunction enhances photovoltage for perovskite-organic tandem solar cells.