Frederick Ma Si-hang, chairman of the MTR Corporation, has been appointed by the government as the chairman of the Education University of Hong Kong’s governing council. Ma was not a member of the university’s council before the appointment.
The appointment, for a term of three years, will be effective from April 25, 2017. Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim welcomed the appointment.
“A prominent leader in society, Professor Ma has extensive experience in business management and public administration. I am confident that he will be able to lead EdUHK to pursue excellence and scale new heights,” Ng said.
Ma joined the government in 2002 as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and assumed the post of Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development in 2007. He resigned in June 2008 citing health reasons, but he was later appointed the non-executive director of several listed companies and other public positions including the MTR Corporation chairmanship.
In terms of university positions, Ma was appointed an Honorary Professor in the School of Economics and Finance of the University of Hong Kong in October 2008. He was also appointed a Professor of Finance Practice in the Institute of Advanced Executive Education at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in July 2012, and an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Business Administration at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in August 2013.
The Education University of Hong Kong – previously the Hong Kong Institute of Education – was awarded the title of university in May this year, after ten years of campaigning. It became the eighth publicly funded university in Hong Kong.
Ng also paid tribute to Dr Pang Yiu-kai, the outgoing chairman of the EdUHK Council.
