On a joyful and bittersweet evening of 9 July, the Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education (FSTE) had the privilege of hosting a thanksgiving gathering to bid farewell to Ms Michelle LI, GBS, Former Permanent Secretary for Education. The event paid tribute not only to her longstanding and unwavering support for FSTE, but also to the enduring inspiration she has provided to all who care deeply about higher education.
Ms LI’s vision and belief in education has elevated the higher education sector in Hong Kong. In her speech, Ms LI fondly recalled working with several FSTE Chairmen during her tenure in the Education Bureau (as well as former Education and Manpower Bureau). Being a champion of lifelong learning, Ms LI walks her talk by wittily giving us a heads-up that we may be running into her in one of the programs offered by FSTE Member Institutions in the future. Her words resonated with the spirit of the evening: heartfelt, optimistic, and forward-looking.
The gathering was attended by a roomful of current/former colleagues from FSTE Member Institutions, as well as FSTE Past Chairmen. Despite the last-minute invitations, their presence displayed our sincere gratitude towards Ms LI and reflected the magnitude of her profound influence. As we bid her farewell, we also celebrated her legacy that continues to inspire us — thoughtfulness, fairness, and an enduring love for learning — remain woven into the fabric of FSTE and the self-financing tertiary education community. The FSTE Community extended our deepest gratefulness and best wishes to Ms LI as she embarks on her next chapter.
Filled with warm reminiscence, earnest gratitude, and catch-up conversations, that evening also allowed us (especially for members and friends who were not at the Annual General Meeting back in March) to express appreciation to the Immediate Past Chairman, Prof Ronald CHUNG, who had passed the Chairmanship torch to Prof Reggie KWAN, effective July 2025. Prof CHUNG will continue to contribute to FSTE in other capacity.
Please click here for more pictures of the gathering.
2025.08.22