Shue Yan University co-founder's life of selfless devotion to students

The dramatic expansion of higher education over the last 40-odd years owes nearly everything to public investment. Hong Kong is not known for private universities or a culture of philanthropic and corporate support for centres of learning. The latter has changed for the better with a few large donations from tycoons. The city has only one private degree-awarding institution, Shue Yan University, which has been in the news because of the recent death of its legendary co-founder, Dr Chung Chi-yung, 93, for whom a public memorial service is being held today at the Braemar Hill campus.

Shue Yan has a place in the city's educational history that dates from the 1970s, when only 2 to 3 per cent of 17-to-20-year-olds were able to study for degrees. This inspired Chung and her husband, former legislative councillor Henry Hu Hung-lick, to establish a liberal arts college. But Shue Yan's degrees were not recognised locally. The price of maintaining its educational ideal of four-year courses, with emphasis on traditional Chinese culture, instead of the usual three-year degree (since increased to four years under education reforms) was denial of public funding and a fast track to university status for 35 years. It was finally granted in 2006, after the Council for Academic Accreditation validated its degree programmes.

Chung graduated in law on the mainland in 1944 and became a judge before marrying Hu and moving to France, where she took a doctorate in law. The couple moved to Hong Kong in 1955. Chung was awarded a Gold Bauhinia Star for service to higher education in 2000. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and Secretary for Education Eddie Ng Hak-kim have both praised her selflessness, exemplified by financial and personal support for the institution and its students.

Amid public debate from time to time about the quality of graduates of publicly funded universities, degrees awarded by the city's only private university will attract scrutiny. Hopefully, for the sake of diversity and choice, the verdict will be positive. That would secure the unique legacy of a dedicated educator.