Citation delivered by Professor CHAN Wing Wah, Deputy Director (Academic and Professional Programmes)

Dr Maria Lee is a well-known Hong Kong figure and has been associated with Maria’s Bakery, not only for success and growth of the chain but also for her tremendous dedication to ensuring that, following its unfortunate bankruptcy, every dollar owed by the company was paid back. This is a fine example of corporate responsibility. In addition, she has been a lifelong learner and teacher. She has also been involved in a number of charitable organisations where she both fundraises and participates in activities to support the elderly, in teaching the young and those with disabilities. She has received many honours in recognition of her work including an Honorary Fellowship of The University of Hong Kong as well as the MBE from the British government and honours from Chinese universities.

She herself remarks that she has been doing social work for more than 50 years as well as her own activities. In addition to fundraising, she has given time to children with learning disabilities, to those in need of counselling and to the elderly. She has also never stopped learning. She has recently been studying a part-time course at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

For these reasons as an excellent role model for lifelong learning in so many fields and activities, it is appropriate that she is one of the first recipients of a HKU SPACE Fellowship.