Hong Kong Doctor expresses creative vision for a brighter tomorrow
While internal strife may threaten Hong Kong's competitiveness, a crossover between different disciplines can pave the way to better times
Q: What is one thing Hong Kong can do to boost its competitiveness?
A: It would be cross-disciplinary productivity, which will create new things that are impactful
A man of vision - that just about sums up Professor Dominic Lam Man-kit, a doctor who specialises in eye surgery; an artist whose works have been exhibited around the world; a philanthropist who believes in the power to change lives.
A former Harvard University professor, the ophthalmologist is chairman of the World Eye Organisation which works around the world, and particularly on the mainland, to restore vision to the poor.
He is frank about what he sees in the city he chose to return to 16 years ago after burnishing his professional reputation in the United States. "If I was to consider now about relocating to Hong Kong as I did in 1999, I would reconsider my decision," he says.
"I like living in harmonious places," he explains. "But Hong Kong is not as harmonious as it used to be, and there's too much hostility around with people saying I don't like this, I don't like the Chinese and so on."
Alongside these complaints is another oft-repeated theme: that the city's competitiveness is under threat. During the 79-day Occupy protests late last year, the fear that other parts of Asia would benefit economically from Hong Kong's troubles was frequently raised. And to those who dismiss that suggestion, Lam, the author of five books, has this counter: "I think competitiveness is not just about how successful we can be in business, but also about taking care of people at all levels."