The Hong Kong Academy of Finance (AoF) was formally established today (26 June). The Inauguration Ceremony was officiated by Mr Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Honorary President of the AoF, and Mr Norman Chan, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Chairman of the AoF.
The Inauguration Ceremony was immediately followed by the first Fellowship Conferment of the Academy. The AoF conferred Fellowship on ten distinguished leaders in the field of finance who have made outstanding contributions to Hong Kong. The Fellows are:
The Hon Mrs Laura CHA SHIH May-Lung, GBM, GBS, JP
Dr the Hon Moses CHENG Mo-Chi, GBM, GBS, JP
Dr the Hon Victor FUNG Kwok-King, GBM, GBS
Prof Lawrence Juen-yee LAU, GBS, JP
Dr the Hon David LI Kwok-Po, GBM, GBS, JP
Dr Anthony NEOH, QC, SC, JP
Mr Carlson TONG, SBS, JP
Dr Edmund TSE Sze-Wing, GBS
Mr Peter T S WONG, JP
The Hon Joseph YAM Chi-Kwong, GBM, GBS, JP
More information about AoF's Fellowship and the ten Fellows can be found on the AoF's official website (https://www.aof.org.hk/about-aof/fellows).
The mission of the AoF is to serve as a centre of excellence for developing financial leadership and a repository of knowledge in monetary and financial research, including applied research. On the leadership development front, the AoF will develop and run a Leadership Development Programme for senior management and promising talents from financial institutions, regulators, professional firms and academia in the field of finance. The AoF will invite top financial leaders from around the world to speak and share their insights through seminar series, workshops and small group discussions. On the research front, the Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR), as a subsidiary of the AoF, has expanded its scope of work to cover Applied Finance Research and Thought Leadership in addition to its work in Monetary and Financial Economic Research.
In his opening remarks at the Inauguration Ceremony, Mr Paul Chan said, "The Academy is a smart complement to a host of other financial initiatives, all designed to consolidate our strengths and create new competitive advantages for the economy, and the future of Hong Kong."
In his welcome remarks at the Inauguration Ceremony, Mr Norman Chan said, "I strongly believe that the most crucial factor that differentiates an IFC from the other aspiring financial centres is its superior "soft infrastructure" or "soft power". The quality and professionalism of the people in the financial services industry are the building blocks for the "soft infrastructure" that determines the competitiveness of an IFC. The establishment of the AoF will help enhance the "soft power" of Hong Kong as an IFC."
In her message to the Inauguration of the AoF, Ms Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, said, "By fostering transformative thinking and systemic awareness, the new Academy can help ensure that Hong Kong SAR's financial system will come out even taller and stronger. This, in turn, will be a vital contribution to sustainable and inclusive growth here in Hong Kong SAR and across the Asia Pacific region."
More information about the AoF's work can be found on the AoF’s official website (https://www.aof.org.hk).
Hong Kong Academy of Finance
26 June 2019
Please click here for the Message from Ms Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.