It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to a new year at the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong. As President, I am proud that we have always been recognised as one of the most active Oxford and Cambridge alumni societies worldwide. Our objectives are simple and remain unchanged: to foster a connection between Hong Kong and the UK with a focus on Oxford and Cambridge; to promote intellectual and cultural exchange amongst Oxford and Cambridge alumni in Hong Kong, and to undertake charitable endeavours for the benefit of the Society through project-based scholarships to Oxford and Cambridge’s Hong Kong students of limited means, whilst supporting various charities through fundraising.

Membership
As the world faces continuing challenges, our society has developed and grown in many ways. We now have over 800 members, 55% of them having attended Oxford, and 45% from Cambridge. Some attended both. I hope members will continue to find inspiration and enlightenment in the range of academic, social, and cultural events we organise.

Committee and Administration
I would like to thank the Society’s outgoing committee members and, in particular, Gail Southward, who has stepped down after serving the Society as a committee member for over 25 years.

May I also extend my sincere thanks to our Patron, Sir David KP Li; Immediate Past President Mr. Richard Tsun; Vice-President Mr. Vincent Ko; Mr. Stephen Liu as Honorary Treasurer, and Mr. David Fu, our Honorary Secretary, whose enormous contributions have been invaluable in the day-to-day operation of the Society.

Ms. Erica Chan was appointed as the Administrator on a part-time basis from November 2023. I would like to express my gratitude to Ms. Chan for her tireless efforts and diligent management of our website, members’ communications, and our Society’s events.

Final Words
Looking ahead into 2024, our first full year without COVID restrictions provides a welcome and timely opportunity to celebrate what our society is really about, with Oxbridge traditions filling our Society’s calendar. There are far too many events to mention here, but those who have attended our functions before can be in no doubt about how far the society has come since its foundation. 

I look forward to seeing you at many of our events this year.

Dr. Blanc Wan
President
The Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong