As an active scholar and a visionary leader, Prof. Cheng Yuk Shing has led the Department of Economics from strength to strength during his seven-year headship from 2014 to 2021. While his unrelenting efforts have enhanced the Department’s research environment and profile of teaching programmes, he has also extended his services to the wider community through his active involvement in a variety of committees in the public sector and in non-government organisations (NGO).

One of Prof. Cheng’s greatest legacies in the Department has been the momentous changes brought about in its research environment. He successfully brought in high-calibre researchers of different ranks, including two scholars recruited in the Talent 100 PhD Scholarship Scheme. This has led to a sweeping improvement in the Department’s research performance, as demonstrated in the rapid increase in publications in prestigious academic journals and the winning of external grants.

Prof. Cheng also led the revamp of the Department’s undergraduate and postgraduate studies portfolio. He built a consensus among key stakeholders prior to implementing a new strategic direction, which saw the transformation of the traditional undergraduate economics programme into one with emphasis on data analytics and the launch of the in-demand Master of Science in Data Analytics and Business Economics programme.

After successfully obtaining US$500,000 funding from the Ford Foundation (Beijing Office), Prof. Cheng founded the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies to facilitate research, teaching and learning, and knowledge transfer activities related to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Centre has worked on projects that address pressing real-world problems, including poverty in Hong Kong and renewable energy development around the world.

Prof. Cheng has served on numerous committees and task forces at the School and the University levels. In his new roles as GEC Chairman and a member of the Quality Assurance Committee, he is expected to make further contributions to the University.

Outside the HKBU campus, Prof. Cheng has played an active role in advisory committees and activities. For example, he has been appointed by the Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government to be a member of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee since 2020; and a member of the Investor and Financial Education Council, a subsidiary of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). He has also actively made contributions to NGOs, serving as an adviser to Oxfam Hong Kong in its China-related project and leading a team to work for the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) in studying the socioeconomic characteristics of mainland immigrants in Hong Kong and offering advice on its data strategy.

As the Vice Chairman of its council, Prof. Cheng also took part in the incorporation of the Windpipe Chinese Music Ensemble, a registered non-profit organisation performing Chinese music. The Ensemble has proven its worth as excellent performers who have appeared at the renowned Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, the Silk Road International Arts Festival and the China-ASEAN Music Week.

The admirable services and achievements of Prof. Cheng have permeated throughout the Department, the University, and the local community. The Selection Committee recognises him as a worthy recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Service.