Life at HKU SPACE Our Stories

At the School’s 2026 Long Service Awards Ceremony, a heartwarming scene unfolded. Professor William K.M. Lee, Director of HKU SPACE who is normally on stage presenting the awards, stood as a recipient himself this year. Receiving the accolade from Professor Ian Holliday, Chairman of the Board of Directors, the moment beautifully marked his decade of walking hand-in-hand with the School. 

Life's most unforgettable scenery 

Rewinding to July 2015, Professor Lee had just assumed office as Director of the School. In his inaugural interview at the time, rather than dwelling on management theories, he shared a touching story. He recalled, "When my grandmother was on her deathbed, she had lost most of her memory, yet she still remembered the happy times we spent together." This made him realise that sharing joyful moments with people is truly life's most unforgettable scenery. 

This deep value placed on "people" has set the compassionate tone for his governance over the past ten years. He believes education is not merely about passing on knowledge, but about human interaction, collaboration, and companionship. In HKU SPACE’s lifelong learning family, he acts not just as a decision-maker, but as a fellow traveler braving the wind and waves alongside all staff and learners. 

The success of the school lies in its people 

The path over the last decade has never been short of storms. Buffeted by economic cycles, an ageing population, and COVID-19, the education sector has faced challenge after challenge. Yet, with wisdom and steady leadership, Professor Lee has not only guided the School through the storms but also achieved remarkable growth. 

The School has become the largest provider in Hong Kong for sub-degree programmes (enrolling over 17,000 students annually), Continuing Education Fund (CEF) courses (offering over 1,800 courses), and transnational education programmes (serving around 3,000 students). The School serves close to 60,000 learners each year and has accumulated over 3.4 million course enrolments since its founding. Despite these achievements, Professor Lee candidly stated in his Long Service Awards speech: "Numbers are not the part that moves me the most." 

"The part that moves me is what those numbers represent," he explained, "individual learners with busy lives, family responsibilities and career pressures—who choose to study with us. And school leavers disappointed with the DSE results come to us with a hope to do better, and many do." 

To him, the transformation of learners reflect the true meaning of education, while the countless colleagues working hard behind the scenes form the core that allows the School to stride steadily forward and continue innovating. 

Achievement is a shared medal 

Standing at this new milestone of his tenth anniversary of service, he remarked: "This award may carry my name, but it reflects the people who have supported me and worked alongside me—through difficult times, and times when we had to find a way forward together." 

Professor Lee emphasised that the most precious element is not the award itself, but the collective sense of achievement that all colleagues share after striving together toward a common goal.