Just as we were about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our full-time programmes, we received the exciting news in December 2010 that our bid for a nearby site in Ho Man Tin to build a new college was successful.

The planned New College will build on our existing strengths to offer full-time programmes in cultural and creative arts, testing and certification and medical services, contributing to three of the six crucial industries being promoted by the Hong Kong SAR Government. The establishment of the New College will enable OUHK to play an even greater role in offering cost-effective and high-quality programmes for the community.

The OUHK's successes in the past have laid important groundwork for it to thrive and excel, and to meet the challenges that lie ahead. The University would not have been able to carry out its mission of 'Education for all' without the enthusiastic support of friends in the community. The establishment of the New College will enable the OUHK not only to expand and develop innovative programmes to meet society's needs, but also to build a campus with the appropriate amenities, such as Active Learning Classrooms and Learning Commons to foster guided self-learning and active learning. The project is an important milestone for the OUHK in its latest development.

I am privileged to be involved in planning and leading the fundraising work of this New College project. The New College will provide a significant boost to our full-time programmes and enable the University to fulfill its mission of widening access to higher education and helping our society to advance further. This goal can only be realized with sufficient support of physical facilities and adequate funding from government, public and private sources.

The new site on Chung Hau Street will be used for building a new OUHK college to expand our campus and provide a better environment and modern facilities to support learning. The land grant is particularly gratifying as it highlights the Government's endorsement of our full-time face-to-face programmes. It is also an acknowledgement of the important role played by the OUHK and our New College in providing self-financing higher education in Hong Kong.

I am pleased to see the project is receiving enormous support and donations are coming in. I wish to call on our supporters, alumni and graduates to get involved in this project.