Science Faculty Distinguished Alumni Award – Mr. Yu Chun Keung Leo, JP
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Faculty of Science, the Science Faculty Distinguished Alumni Award was set up to recognise the exceptional achievements of our alumni in different professional fields worldwide.
Mr. Yu Chun Keung Leo, JP is the recipient of the Science Faculty Distinguished Alumni Award. The award was presented at the faculty’s 60th Anniversary Banquet on 16 September 2023 and the award recipient will be invited to give a presentation at the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series in the coming months and attend faculty events to meet with students, alumni and staff.
Gold Medal for the Bridge Event at Asian Games 2023 – QFRM Graduate Mr. Gordon Ho
QFRM graduate Mr. Gordon Ho and his teammates won a gold medal in the men’s bridge at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
“The famous co-founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, is also a bridge lover. He once said ‘Bridge is deliciously simple in the rules but deliciously complex in doing well’. Therefore, what is bridge and how does it attract celebrities like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Deng Xiao Ping?
Two players form a partnership and three partnerships (i.e., six players) form a team. A team will play against another team using 52 playing cards as in many other card games. Similar to other mind sports games, a good bridge player usually has excellent logical, analytical and puzzle solving skills. Cooperation between partners is the most important aspect to bridge, such that good communication skills and teamwork are factors that contribute to successful bridge teams.
This was my second time participating at an Asian Games Bridge Event. In 2018, my team dramatically won the silver medal after a major comeback. This year, with better preparation, my team was stronger and won the gold medal convincingly.
Our team comprised three solid partnerships, including two partnerships of silver medallists (among which I am one) at previous Asian Games. In recent years, we have represented Hong Kong and won gold medals at the Asia Cup and APBF Online Tournament, which boosted our confidence. Our major opponents were China and India. The Chinese team comprised six professional bridge players, who played well in the recent World Bridge Championships and finished fifth, only slightly behind giant teams from Europe. Given also that the Chinese team were playing at home, they were one of the pre-tournament favourites. The Indian team also comprised six professional bridge players, most of whom are veteran players having played bridge for over 40 years. India won the bronze medal in 2018 and aimed to make a breakthrough this year.
The Hong Kong team performed steadily throughout the 10-day marathon competition (with sessions running 9 am to 7 pm). We had 17 wins in 22 sets in the qualifying round and secured the first position to enter the semi-finals. In our semi-final, we played six sets against Japan. The Hong Kong team maintained good shape and beat Japan 187:139. The other semi-final, between India and China, was much closer, with India ultimately defeating China 180:170. In the final, we played six sets against the Indian team. Although mentally exhausted, we withstood the pressure and won 229:152.
I sincerely hope that this gold medal brings media attention to the sport of bridge. Bridge itself is a healthy game that I believe all people should learn.” – Gordon Ho (Class of 2014)
Itarle Scholarship 2021/22 – Dr. Shen Guohao
Our former PhD student Dr. Shen Guohao (currently an Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), who was supervised by Prof. Lin Yuanyuan, was awarded the Itarle Scholarship 2021/22. Itarle is a sponsor of PhD awards at CUHK. The Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science each give an award to the student who presented the most outstanding thesis. An internship at Itarle (Hong Kong) is offered to each prize winner.
Further details:
https://itarle.com/itarle-sponsors-phd-awards/
