EdUHK to Confer Honorary Doctorates on Distinguished Individuals

07 Dec 2020

The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) will confer honorary doctorates on three distinguished individuals in recognition of the significant contributions they have made in their respective fields in advancing education and inspiring the next generation. They are (in alphabetical order by surname):

Professor Michael Connelly
Dr Joseph Lee Chung-tak, GBS, OStJ, JP
Dr Tan Dun

Professor Michael Connelly

~ Doctor of Education, honoris causa

Professor Michael Connelly is a leading authority in the field of curriculum and instruction. He is Professor Emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) and a long-time former Editor of Curriculum Inquiry, a leading international journal in the field of education.

Since he joined the OISE/UT in 1968, Professor Connelly has received numerous research grants for his research projects on curriculum studies, science education, school reform, teacher education and development, and multiculturalism. Over the years, Professor Connelly has written nearly 200 publications, including The Sage Handbook of Curriculum and Instruction and Narrative Inquiry for School-based Research.

As the founding Director of the OISE/UT Centre for Teacher Development, Professor Connelly has actively spearheaded the development of teacher education around the world. He co-directed a doctoral programme with Professor Cheng Yin-cheong, the Vice President (Research and Development) of the then Hong Kong Institute of Education; and established the Sister School Network with Professor Xu Shijing from the University of Windsor, which involves visitor exchanges and an array of school-to-school links between teachers and students to foster university collaboration between Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Changchun, Windsor and Toronto. He has also written policy papers for government bodies and organisations such as UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Egyptian and Australian governments. His current work is directed to harmonising East-West education relations.

In recognition of his outstanding academic achievements, Professor Connelly has received many accolades, such as the Outstanding Canadian Curriculum Scholar Award from the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, the Whitworth Award for Educational Research from the Canadian Education Association, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division B Lifetime Achievement Award, and an AERA Outstanding Publication Award. 

Dr Joseph Lee Chung-tak, GBS, OStJ, JP

~ Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa

Dr Joseph Lee is a successful and philanthropic industrialist, who has community wellbeing in his heart. He has strived to cultivate social harmony, by supporting various initiatives dedicated to promoting sustainable development in Hong Kong.

After graduating from the Illinois Institute of Technology in the United States, Dr Lee founded Wofoo Plastics Limited in 1980, which subsequently became one of Asia’s largest PVC manufacturers.

Following his success in the business sector, Dr Lee has been devoted to giving back to the community. In 1997, he set up the Wofoo Foundation, which provides diversified services in elderly care, youth development, education and community work. He is a staunch supporter of education and has generously championed a number of philanthropic projects benefitting the younger generation. In 2015, he established the Wofoo Whole Person Development Centre at the then Institute, to foster youth development. Dr Lee has also collaborated with local tertiary institutions to establish the Wofoo Leaders Network, which has become a flagship initiative to promote the responsible citizenship of future leaders. Realising the importance of foundation education, Dr Lee established W F Joseph Lee Primary School in 2002 to promote whole person development and character education.

In recognition of his contributions as a community leader, Dr Lee was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star, Silver Bauhinia Star and Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2000, 2008, and 2013, respectively. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2011 and from City University of Hong Kong in 2017, and was named University Fellow by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Honorary Fellow by the Vocational Training Council in 2015.

Dr Tan Dun

~ Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa

Dr Tan Dun, an Oscar-winning Chinese composer and internationally acclaimed musician and maestro, has left an indelible mark on the world’s music scene.

After receiving a Master’s Degree in Composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Dr Tan went on to Columbia University in 1986 to pursue a doctoral degree and has been based in the United States ever since. As a conductor of various innovative programmes around the world, Dr Tan has led some of the world’s most esteemed orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. He was invited to compose music for the medal ceremonies at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and for the Grand Opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016.

Through his knowledge of music and instrumental resourcefulness, Dr Tan has transcended stylistic and cultural boundaries and created several ground-breaking artistic formats, including orchestral theatre, organic music and multimedia extravaganzas, for which he has received many prestigious honours, including a Grammy Award, a Grawemeyer Award, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, the Bach Prize, Shostakovich Award, and the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale.

Dr Tan is passionate about training and inspiring young musicians and has been the Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music in New York since 2019. Dr Tan is a global cultural leader, who uses his creativity to raise awareness of environmental issues and to protect cultural diversity. In recognition of his efforts to promote intercultural dialogue through music, he was designated a UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador, and in 2013, he conducted a special concert, entitled Music for Water, which was dedicated to the precious resource.