Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre opens at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden

The Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) officially opened today (21 January) in Tai Po. Supported by a donation of HK$130 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the new centre serves as a key base for environmental conservation, sustainable living and nature education programmes, strengthening KFBG’s role as a regional hub for Hong Kong’s biodiversity conservation.

The Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre will strengthen KFBG’s role as a regional hub for nature conservation.

Officiating at the opening ceremony today were Chan Kwok-ki, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Andrew McAulay, Chairperson of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden; and The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre were Chan Kwok-ki, the Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government (2nd left); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (2nd right); Andrew McAulay, Chairperson of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (1st right); and The Hon Sir Michael Kadoorie (1st left).

Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, remarked that Sustainability is one of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust’s nine impact programmes.  The Trust’s support for the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre reflects its strong commitment to advancing sustainability and building a liveable Hong Kong.

Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

The Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre replaces the existing conservation building constructed in the 1960s, enhancing KFBG’s capacity for conservation education. The new five-storey building is equipped with multi-purpose rooms and roof gardens for public education. These will support exhibitions, experiential programmes and guided tours to foster appreciation of the environment, alongside workshops and international knowledge sharing. The centre is expected to receive more than 42,000 visitors a year.

Guests tour the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre.

The centre incorporates multiple energy-saving and eco-friendly features, including natural daylighting, integrated low-e glass and a solar heating system. It has achieved a Provisional Gold rating under the BEAM Plus New Buildings standard. The centre’s design blends with the natural landscape, featuring a terraced profile that complements the surrounding hillside. Nature-friendly elements include bird-safe glass and artificial nest boxes to support local wildlife.

Guests tour the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre.

The Club’s support for the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre, 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 Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre will strengthen KFBG’s role as a regional hub for nature conservation.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club today (28 April) celebrated Hong Kong’s next generation of leaders and innovators at its Scholarships and Fellowships Award Presentation Ceremony and High Table Dinner. In total 110 scholarships and 10 STEM fellowships were presented and 45 graduating JC Scholars recognised. The annual event, which also saw the inauguration of five Endowed Professorships, underlined the Club’s long standing commitment to education and talent development.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 5th right); Club Deputy Chairman Lester Huang (front row, 5th left); Club Stewards Nicolas Hunsworth (front row, 4th left), Dr Henry Chan (front row, 3rd right), Anita Fung(front row, 3rd left), Jackson Woo (front row,2nd right), Philip Lo (front row, 2nd left), Rimsky Yuen (front row, 1st right) and John Lo (1st left); Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 4th right); Club Executive Director, Sports Business, Casper Stylsvig (back row, 1st right);Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, Dr Gabriel Leung (back row, 3rd left);Club Executive Director, People and Organisational Development, Dr Lake Wang (backrow, 2nd left); Club Executive Director, Security, Integrity and Information Security,Moray Taylor-Smith (back row, 3rd right); Club Executive Director, Legal andCompliance, James Bidlake (back row, 2nd right); and Club Chief Transformation Officer,Serena Lin (back row, 1st left) attended the dinner to witness and share the joy of the awardees.

The ceremony was hosted by Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao, who was joined by keynote speaker Professor Anita Elberse, Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School. Witnessing the occasion were Club Stewards, the Club’s CEO and members of the Club’s management team, together with representatives of participating tertiary institutions. Also sharing the joy were family members and friends of award recipients.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao delivers a speech at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships and Fellowships Award Presentation Ceremony and High Table Dinner.

Speaking at the ceremony, Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao said that the Club well understands that people are Hong Kong’s most precious resource. That is why the Club has long invested in human capital and education, to propel the city’s economic development and sustain the prosperity of our nation.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, centre) with recipients of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chairman’s Scholarship.

In her keynote speech, Professor Anita Elberse reflected on her research into the world’s most accomplished sports and entertainment organisations and emphasised that success is not left to chance, but built on placing people at the centre, setting the highest standards and learning continuously – even in times of success. She encouraged scholars, fellows and professors to pursue excellence with discipline, trust those they work with, and lead in ways that uplift others when it matters most.

Keynote speaker Professor Anita Elberse congratulates awardees at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships and Fellowships Award Presentation Ceremony and High Table Dinner.

Launched in 1998, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships were established to nurture compassionate, socially minded leaders for the betterment of society. Over the years, the programme has expanded to encompass vocational education, undergraduates from the Chinese Mainland and overseas studying in Hong Kong, and students who have overcome significant adversity. A new music and dance scholarship has also been introduced for young talent pursuing professional studies in music and dance at leading institutions outside Hong Kong. To date, over HK$1.25 billion1 has been approved, benefiting more than 1,200 outstanding young people.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, centre) with The Hong Kong Jockey Club Striding On Scholarship awardees.

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, centre) with graduating JC Scholars.

JC Scholars have continued to make meaningful contributions to society. Over the past year, Striding On Scholars won a number of medals in national and international para table-tennis competitions. Winnie Pang, recipient of a Striding On Scholarship this year, was born with congenital cerebral palsy affecting her right limbs. Despite the challenges, she has demonstrated remarkable discipline in balancing her studies with elite sports training. She represented HKSAR at the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities which took place in December last year, where she won one gold and two silver medals in table tennis.

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (centre) with JC Scholars Sunny Wong (2nd right), Winnie Pang (1st left), Samantha Yeung (1st right) and JC STEM Early Career Research Fellow Dr Jeff Lam (2nd left).

Striding On Scholars have achieved outstanding results at national and international para table-tennis competitions. Among them is Winnie Pang (left), who has also received cash awards under the Hong Kong Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme in recognition of her outstanding performance.

JC Scholar Sunny Wong (2nd left) and JC Scholar Winnie Pang (1st right) at a JC Scholar volunteer event.

To cultivate a strong pipeline of innovation and technology talent, the Club established the JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application in 2024. The Fellowship provides comprehensive support and unique opportunities for early-career researchers to advance research translation, expand professional networks and create social impact.

Deputy Chairman Lester Huang (front row, centre) with recipients of the JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application.

Dr Jeff Lam is one of this year’s JC STEM Early Career Research Fellows. After completing his PhD at the University of Cambridge, he chose to return to Hong Kong to research Alzheimer’s disease among the Chinese population. Though East Asians who carry APOE4, the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, face a higher risk of developing the disease, Asians, particularly Chinese population, are currently underrepresented in existing studies. He aspires to help fill this critical research gap by generating findings more relevant to Asian communities.

Club Chief Executive Officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (centre) with JC Scholars Sunny Wong (3rd right), Winnie Pang (1st right), and Samantha Yeung (2nd right); JC STEM Early Career Research Fellow Dr Jeff Lam (1st left) and graduating JC Scholars Rex Cheuk (3rd left) and Natalie Mak (2nd left).

JC STEM Early Career Research Fellow Dr Jeff Lam conducts research at the JC STEM Lab of Neurobiology and Therapeutics of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The ceremony also marked the first induction of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships, reflecting the Club’s holistic investment in higher education. The Endowed Professorships aim to advance research in areas of global health and sustainability, benefitting communities in Hong Kong and beyond.

Deputy Chairman Lester Huang (centre) with recipients of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professorships.

The Club’s support for The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships, Fellowships and Endowed Professorships, 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.

Pictured with JC Scholars, JC STEM Early Career Research Fellows and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Endowed Professors are Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 7thleft); keynote speaker Professor Anita Elberse, Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School (front row, 7th right); members of the Club’s Board of Stewards; Club management members and representatives of participating tertiary institutions.