Giving back to society

Corporate social responsibilities top the agenda of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA), which was established in 1934. The CMA is known not only for its commitment to corporate social responsibility but also for its sterling work in supporting local education initiatives.

CityU is lucky to have been receiving longstanding support as far back as 1985 from the CMA, which has been donating many CityU scholarships due to the help of warm-hearted persons like Dr Eddy Li Sau-hung, President of CMA, who work diligently behind the scenes.

“Upholding our principle that ‘we should give back to society in accordance with what we have earned’, we not only sponsor scholarships, we also collaborate with CityU on business research,” says Dr Li. Over the years, he says, the CMA has witnessed CityU’s marked progress in world academic ranking, teaching quality, research achievements and CityU graduates’ distinguished career advancement and hopes to enhance its relationship with and support to CityU and its students for nourishing talent for Hong Kong.

Dr Li has been personally very supportive to education. He has vivid memories of his previous experience as an adjunct professor at CityU, discussing real-world cases with MBA students. “CityU students are intelligent and practical, and many corporate members of the CMA like to hire them,” he says.

Taking into account Hong Kong’s unique political and economic context, the CMA offers business proposals to the government. Moreover, Dr Li believes the CMA and universities can work closely to enable students to seize opportunities in mainland China for their career development and to encourage more contributions to society.

For instance, the CMA recruited eight students from each of the local universities when it organised the 2015 Hong Kong Trendy Products Expo, Tianjin not too long ago. The students helped to promote Hong Kong products at the booths for different companies. Afterwards, they reported that they felt that the activity had enhanced their understanding about the business sector and the mainland and broadened their visions.

In today’s information age, the market and communication mode as well as people’s mentality have changed dramatically compared to dozens of years ago. Dr Li believes that the only way to business success lies in continuously adapting to the ever-changing Hong Kong context. “The most important thing is to find ways to use resources more effectively,” he says.

One such example is recruiting student volunteers to help out senior citizens living alone and people with disabilities who visited and shopped at The 70th Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, Dr Li says. They demonstrated their willingness to participate and passion to serve the community. This innovative activity, on the other hand, exemplifies the CMA’s commitment to social responsibility and promoting harmony.

Dr Li believes that Hong Kong’s most distinctive feature is its adaptability and the opportunities the city offers. He encourages young people to find out more about history and current affairs in order to construct their own understanding concerning Hong Kong and the mainland. He suggests that they should “make the most of their youth to seize opportunities for personal development”.

Dr Eddy Li Sau-hung, GBS, JP 

• Managing Director, Campell Group (Holdings) Limited
• Member, The Selection Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• Committee Member, Trade and Industry Department SME Development Fund
• Member, Economic Development Commission
• Member, Hong Kong Trade Development Council
• Member, Family Council of Home Affairs Bureau
• Committee Member, The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, PRC
• Ten Outstanding Young Persons of 1991 Hong Kong
• Young Industrialist Awardee 1993
• The HKSAR Bronze Bauhinia Star Award 2000
• Justice of the Peace 2012

This article is extracted from CityU Today.