Road, although not funding for a new building. It would be up to her two immediate successors to bring these initiatives to fruition and lay much of the groundwork for the modern faculty. Professor Chow persuaded academic staff to accept the adoption of problem-based learning (PBL – see next story), despite some initial resistance. This was a time when deans were still elected by their colleagues rather than appointed and he drew on the strong personal relations and trust he had developed with them over the years. ‘I graduated from the Faculty, so I know the culture and how people think. I think Faculty members could see that I was committed, visionary and willing to listen, and I did not work for my own interest,’ he said. He also organised funding for the new building complex. Professor Grace Tang Wai-king (MBBS 1971, Dean 1998-2001) was tasked with implementing both PBL and construction of the new building. Her no-nonsense style was a definite asset as she insisted there was no going back on either initiative. ‘We built the building because there was not enough space. We introduced the new curriculum because we realised the trend of medical education was changing towards more integration between specialties,’ she said. The new complex opened in 2002 and was important for research because it included an entire block with modern research facilities. Professor Lam Shiukum (MBBS 1967, MD 1975, Dean 2001-07), who became the Faculty’s first appointed executive dean, ramped up the research focus by helping to secure major donations (including $1 billion from Mr Li Ka-shing) and giving impetus to new research Elevations of Departments into Schools of 學系升格成學院 groupings. SARS also struck during his tenure, when HKUMed staff not only produced worldleading research but demonstrated exceptional commitment to patients. ‘Our senior professors went into the wards themselves and identified the people with SARS and treated them. They were very courageous and did a wonderful job,’ he said. A few years later, the Faculty had a low period with leadership instability and poor morale, but Professor Raymond Liang Hinsuen (MBBS 1979, MD 1990, Acting Dean 2007, Dean 2008) smoothed the waters and kept staff focused on their main purpose. ‘Business has to be as usual. We just carried on with what we were doing and kept the momentum going,’ he said. He was succeeded by Professor Lee Sum-ping (MBBS 1970, MD 1980, Dean 2008-13), who oversaw the elevation of several departments into schools, including the School of Nursing and School of Chinese Medicine in 2010 (they were joined by the School of Public Health in 2013 and School of Biomedical Sciences in 2015 which amalgamated the pre-clinical specialities under Professor Gabriel Leung’s deanship), and was in charge when the HKUShenzhen Hospital was planned and launched. He also placed emphasis on integrity, including the integrity of students through the Humanities and Medicine curriculum. ‘It took a couple of years to restore morale. After that, I just felt the Faculty was on fire. They knew we were going to achieve something great, not just for ourselves but for Hong Kong, as well as China and the rest of FEATURE Professor Grace Tang Wai-king (MBBS 1971, Dean 1998-2001) Professor Lam Shiu-kum (MBBS 1967, MD 1975, Dean 2001-07) Nursing 護理學院 2010 Chinese Medicine 中醫藥學院 2010 Public Health 公共衞生學院 2013 Biomedical Sciences 生物醫學學院 2015 6
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