Biography

Professor Yuk-Shan Wong became the President of the Open University of Hong Kong in April 2014.

Brought up and educated in Hong Kong, Professor Wong later obtained his PhD in Plant Biochemistry on Dean’s Honor List from McGill University of Canada in 1979. He was admitted as Fellow of Society of Biology in the United Kingdom in 2006 and Fellow of Hong Kong Institution of Science in 2009.

Prior to joining the Open University of Hong Kong, Professor Wong has been involved in various teaching, research and administrative work at a number of universities. Professor Wong was conferred as a Medical Research Council Fellow of Canada at the University of Toronto in 1979. Upon his return to Hong Kong in 1980, he joined the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and subsequently in 1985, the Chinese University of Hong Kong until 1988. In 1990, Professor Wong became one of the founding faculty members of the newly established Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where he was actively involved in setting up the curriculum and designing the new laboratory facilities of the institution. At HKUST, Professor Wong had directed numerous active research programmes in environmental biotechnology and in 1997, he was promoted to Associate Vice-President for Research and Development. He was then appointed as Vice-President for Institutional Advancement and Chair Professor of Biological Sciences at the City University of Hong Kong in 1998. In 2006, Professor Wong rejoined the HKUST as the Vice-President for Administration and Business to oversee the financial, personnel and infrastructural development of the university. During this period of time, Professor Wong has played a leading role in the design and construction work of some 10 buildings both on and off-campus to facilitate the rapid development of HKUST. He was also the project leader of a large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project which encompassed three major administrative information systems, namely student administration, finance and human resources.

Professor Wong’s research interests lie mainly in the areas of environmental biotechnology, plant biochemistry and mangrove conservation/utilization. He has pioneered a long-term collaborative research program on mangrove ecosystems in Hong Kong, which was participated by some 20 leading scientists from the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. Professor Wong also initiated the founding of the Futian-CityU Mangrove Research and Development Center in Shenzhen in 2003. Between 2006-2011, Professor Wong had played a vital role in the building and operation of the Industry, Education and Research Complex (IER 2) in Shenzhen.

Teaching Areas & Research Interests

• Environmental Biotechnology
• Plant Biochemistry
• Plant Physiology

Academic & Professional Experience

2006-14    Vice-President for Administration and Business, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.

2006-14    Professor of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.

2002-06    Vice-President (Administration), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

1998-06    Professor (Chair) of Biological Sciences, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong.

1998-02    Vice-President (Institutional Advancement), City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

1997-98    Associate Vice-President (Research & Development), The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong.

1993-97    Associate Director, Research Centre, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong.

1996-98    Reader (Adjunct), Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong.

1990-93    Senior Lecturer, Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong.
 

Selected Publications

Books

• Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (1994) Mangrove Ecosystems of Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong (205 pages).
• Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (1995) Asia-Pacific Symposium on Mangrove Ecosystems. Kluwer Academic Publishers, the Netherlands (362 pages).
• Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (1996) Wastewater Treatment with Microorganisms. The Commercial Press, Hong Kong (215 pages).
• Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (1997) Asia-Pacific Conference on Science and Management of Coastal Environment. Kluwer Academic Publishers, the Netherlands (303 pages).
• Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (1997) Mangrove Research of Guangdong, China. The South China University of Technology Press, the PRC (571 pages).
• Wong, Y.S. and Tam, N.F.Y. (1998) Wastewater Treatment with Algae. Springer - Verlag and Landes Bioscience, USA (234 pages).
• Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (2000) Hong Kong Mangroves. City University of Hong Kong Press, Hong Kong (148 pages).
• Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (2000) Field Guide to Hong Kong Mangroves. City University of Hong Kong Press, Hong Kong (88 pages).

Book Chapters

• Tam, N.F.Y., Wong, Y.S. and Simpson, C.G. (1997) Removal of Copper by Free and Immobilized Microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris. In "Wastewater Treatment with Algae", eds. Y.S. Wong and N.F.Y. Tam, Springer, pp. 17-36.
• Lau, P.S., Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (1997) Carrageenan as a Matrix for Immobilizing Microalgal Cells for Wastewater Nutrients Removal. In "Wastewater Treatment with Algae", eds. Y.S. Wong and N.F.Y. Tam, Springer, pp. 145-163.
• Lau, A., Wong, Y.S., Zhang, T., Tam, N.F.Y. and Liu, S.Q. (1998) Design and Operation of a Microalgal Wastewater Treatment Reactor (Algabiotor). In “Defence Ministry Research on Environmental Sciences and Engineering Technology”, eds. Defence Ministry Research Institute on Engineering Design, China Environmental Science Publisher, Beijing, pp. 9-17.
• Tam, N.F.Y. and Wong, Y.S. (1999) Mangrove Swamps as Pollutant Sink and Wastewater Treatment Facility. In “Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Pollution in the East Asian Seas”, eds. Thia-Eng Chua and Nancy Bermas, MPP-EAS Conference Proceedings 12/PEMSEA Conference Proceedings 1, pp. 471-484.
• Ma, M., Jia, Y.T. and Wong, Y.S. (2000) Molecular Mechanism of Heavy Metal Tolerance in Higher Plants. In “Plant Molecular Biology for the 21st Century”, ed. Lin, Z.P., Science Press, pp. 178-185.

Journal Articles

• Wong, Y.S., Fincher, G.B. and Maclachlan, G.A. (1977) Cellulase Can Enhance ß-Glucan Synthesis. Science, 195: 679-681.
• Wong, Y.S., Fincher, G.B. and Maclachlan, G.A. (1977) Kinetic Properties and Substrate Specificities of Two Cellulases from Auxin-treated Pea Epicotyls. J. Biol. Chem., 252: 1402-1407.
• Wong, Y.S. and Maclachlan, G.A. (1979) 1, 3-ß-D-Glucanases from Pisum sativum Seedlings : II. Substrate Specificities and Enzymic Action Patterns. Biochim. Biophys. Acta., 571: 256-269.
• Wong, Y.S., Tam, N.F.Y., Lau, A.P.S. and Xue, X.Z. (1995) The Toxicity of Marine Sediments in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bull., 31: 464-470.
• Wong, Y.S., Tam, N.F.Y. and Lan, C.Y. (1997) Mangrove Wetlands as Wastewater Treatment Facility: A Field Trial. Hydrobiologia, 352: 49-59.
• Wong, Y.S., Tam, N.F.Y., Chen, G.Z. and Ma, H. (1997) Response of Aegiceras corniculatum to Synthetic Sewage Under Simulated Tidal Conditions. Hydrobiologia,352: 89-96.

Selected Professional & Community Services

• Chairman, Consumer Council, SAR Government of Hong Kong.
• HKSAR Deputy, National People's Congress, the PRC.
• Member, Committee of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the PRC.
• Chairman, Veterinary Surgeons Board, SAR Government of Hong Kong.
• President, The Society of Hong Kong Scholars, Hong Kong.
• Chairman, Academic Committee, Hong Kong Scholars Program, Hong Kong.
• Chairman, Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service (Judicial Committee), SAR Government of Hong Kong.
• Chairman, Wetland Advisory Committee, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, SAR Government of Hong Kong.
• Member, High-level Steering Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance, SAR Government of Hong Kong.
• Member, University Grants Committee, SAR Government of Hong Kong.

Further Information

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