Raising the glass to outgoing Council Chairman Dr Norman Leung
CUHK’s outgoing Council Chairman Dr Norman Leung was farewelled at a special dinner gathering of the University Council earlier last month. Dr Leung served as Council Chairman for six years, and was a major source of guidance, leadership and support for the University at a pivotal time in its history.
At the dinner, Dr Leung quoted prolific Buddhist author Master Sheng Yen’s musings on how to deal with life’s twists and turns, saying that one should “face it, accept it, deal with it, and let it go”. This quote is a neat summary of Dr Leung’s approach to weathering storms with agility and intellect along the way.
Dr Leung is a major captain of industry with a distinguished career in public service. Despite his formidable CV and networks which are second to none, humility is a hallmark of Dr Leung’s approach to life and leadership. Humility was also a defining feature of his tenure as Council Chairman, believing that the University should never take its competitive edge for granted and could not afford to be complacent about its strengths.
At the dinner, Dr Leung took inspiration from a classical Chinese poem to reflect on his feelings as he concluded his term as Council Chairman. Quoting Yang Shen’s The Immortal by the River, “waters of the Yangtze River flow towards the east; heroes are washed away by the tides. Swiftly vanished are the rights and wrongs, success and failure. Mountains retain the shade of green and sunsets hold on to the tint of orange. Residing in an islet, a grey-haired solitary recluse is used to observing autumn moons and spring breezes”.[1] The poem suggests that heroes fade but history and the universe live on over the course of time. Fame and failure will eventually perish into temporal nothingness. Watching the cycle of the sun rising and setting, the accomplished wise man masters the skills to sail through peaks and valleys, and to embrace the cycle of ebbs and flows.
Dr Leung finished with his characteristic warm smile, and raised his glass to the room and said “the wins and losses along the way all blossomed into laughter. As we gather on this joyous occasion, let’s celebrate all happenings with happiness and gratitude”.[2]
The dinner was an occasion for the University Council to formally farewell Dr Leung and welcome incoming Council Chairman Professor John Chai Yat-Chiu. You can read more about Professor Chai and his appointment here.
[1] 滾滾長江東逝水，浪花淘盡英雄，是非成敗轉頭空。青山依舊在，幾度夕陽紅，白髮漁樵江渚上，慣看秋月春風。
[2] 一壺濁酒喜相逢，古今多少事，都付笑談中。
