Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung, associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, CUHK, was conferred the 2005 Cheung Kong Achievement Award, being the only Hong Kong scholar to have won the honour. The presentation of the Cheung Kong Achievement Awards and the appointment of Cheung Kong Scholars took place in a ceremony held on 29th March in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The ceremony was officiated by Mr. Chen Zhili, State Councillor and Mr. Zhou Ji, Minister, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China gave an address.
The Cheung Kong Scholars Programme was jointly established by China's Ministry of Education and the Li Ka Shing Foundation to raise the competitiveness of China's higher education, groom outstanding talent and promote the country's development. In the first phase of the programme, 300 to 500 professorships in key disciplines are established at tertiary institutions to be taken up by quality local and overseas scholars appointed by a selection panel comprising world-renowned international scholars.
The application and selection process of the award takes place twice a year, and the professors receive a special stipend of RMB 100,000 in addition to the regular remuneration package offered by the university in accordance with state guidelines. Professors of outstanding academic distinction or with commendable contributions have a chance to win the annual Cheung Kong Achievement Award and up to RMB 1 million.
Beginning in 2005, the award has expanded beyond mainland China to include tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as research institutions under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Tertiary institutions can recommend candidates directly to the Ministry of Education and mainland research bodies can make recommendations through the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2005, 25 candidates were recommended by 22 institutions, including 18 from the mainland, four from Hong Kong, and three individuals belonging to institutions under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
This year, Prof. Li Ning, China Agricultural University, was awarded the first prize; Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung of The Chinese University, Dr. Li Jiayang, Institute of Genetics and Development Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Cao Xuetao, Second Military Medical University, were all bestowed the second prize. Prof. Jia Jiamin of the Department of Marketing and Prof. Joseph Chan of the School of Journalism and Communication, CUHK were also appointed as the Cheung Kong Chair Professors at the same ceremony.
Prof. Sung's research interests include gastrointestinal bleeding, H. pylori and peptic ulcer and gastric cancer, and viral hepatitis B. His study on viral genomics and carcinogenesis was awarded funding by the Innovation and Technology Fund and the Area of Excellence of the University Grants Committee. In 2003, Prof. Sung led his research team to embark on a series of studies on the clinical and epidemiological aspects of the SARS coronavirus. In 2003, he won Time Magazine's Asian Hero Award for his contributions to the combat against SARS.