Professor HO Kin-chung, BBS, JP
Member of HKEnCA
Prof. Ho has a wide spectrum of academic interests, including but not limited to marine ecology, harmful algal blooms (red tide and blue green algae), water quality and water environment management, environmental policies (with specialties on cross-border environmental cooperation, EIA, environmental legislation and sustainable development), environmental ethics (mainly focused on environmental philosophy and ecological theology), environmental education (e.g. development and administration of green schools at kindergarten & primary and secondary schools; roles and functions of NGO (green groups) in civil society; community environmental actions and public engagement) and, polar research. Up to now, Prof. Ho has published (authored, co-authored and edited) more than 37 books, ~250 academic papers in peered-reviewed international journals and proceedings, >10 technical reports for the Government and Corporations and, 8 sets of distance-learning study materials for OUHK. With regard to polar research, he visited the Antarctica three times and the Higher Arctic seven times. He has a prestigious position in academic research and has obtained numerous honours and awards at local, regional and international levels.
Prof. Ho’s public services include: current member of the Transport Advisory Committee, former Chairman (2006-12) and member (2000-2006) of the Advisory Committee to the Quality of Water Supplies (ACQWS); former member of the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) and its Strategic Development Committee (2008-2014); former member of the Town Planning Board (TPB) (2000-2006) and Town Planning Appeal Board (2007-2012), the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) (also served as its Deputy Chair of the EIA Sub-committee for 6 years) (1994-2007) and current member of the Advisory Committee on Red Tides. He was the former Council Member of Hong Kong Baptist College (1995-96), former Court Member of Hong Kong Baptist University (1998-2000; 2002-2007) and, former Council of Hong Kong Baptist University (2008 –2013). From 2013, he has been appointed a member of the Liberal Studies Committee of the Curriculum Development Committee (CDC) as well as a member of the CDC-HKEAA Committee on Liberal Studies (One Committee). He was also appointed the Chairperson for the Assessment Panel on Liberal Studies, the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2013-14). From January 2014, he has served as a member of the Lantau Development Advisory Committee (LDAC) and, concurrently the Deputy Chairperson of the Public Engagement and Community Education Subcommittee.
With regard to community services, Prof. Ho has served in Green Power, a renowned green group in Hong Kong, as Chairman (1995-2004), President & Treasurer (2005- April 2015) and Honorary President (from May 2015 – present). He is also the former Chairman (2011 – 2014) and current Council Member of the Hong Kong Climate Change Forum (HKCCF) and the council member of the Hong Kong Green Council. Serving the community with his academic specialties, he is the Convener of the Green Harbor Actions. In Macau SAR, he has served as the President of the Macau Green Environmental Protection Association since 2011.
The prestigious academic and professional positions and services of Prof. Ho include: Chairman of the Association on Harmful Algal Blooms in the South China Sea (AoHABSCS) (2000-2014), President (2010-2013) and Executive Council Member (203-4) of Hong Kong Institute of Carbon Emission Reduction and Energy Management (HK-ICEREM), Council Member of the International Association on the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA) (2006-2012), Council Member of the Chinese Environmental Science Society (CESS) (2002- present) and State Representative (Hong Kong SAR) of the China Association of Science & Technology (CAST) (2007 -8). In Hong Kong, he is a Fellow and a Council member of the Hong Kong Association for the advancement of Science & Technology. Recently, he was appointed one of the members of the Chairpersons’ Committee for the Celebration of National Day by Hong Kong Science and technology Experts. From early 2000, he has been appointed the Vice Chairman of the China Polar Museum Foundation.
The academic contributions of Prof. Ho in recent years included but not limited to: An excecutive council member of the International Society on the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA); Chairperson of the 13th International Conference on Harmful Algae (ICHA-2008), Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th International Conference on Prevention and Management of Harmful Algal Blooms in the South China Sea (HABSCS), Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the Mainland China-Hong Kong Conference on Regional Environmental Impact Assessment (REIA), Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Environmental Forum, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of Water Resource and Water Quality Forum in the South China cum relevant international conferences and Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of Cross Strait Forum on Science & Technology – New Energies and New Materials, Chairperson of the International Conference on Beneficial Uses of Algal Biomass (2013), Chairperson of Local Organizing Committee (Hong Kong) of the Chinese Web-Conference on Wetland Conservation and Biodiversity (2013) and Chairman of the International Conference on Wetland Conservation and Biodiversity Management (2014) which were two of the various key projects of China-USA Partnership on Green Environment (Wetland Protection) under the leadership of State Government of PRC.
Prof. Ho is an enthusiastic Christian. He was ordinated a Deacon of the Kowloon City Baptist Church in December 1990. Contributing to educational ministries of the Church, Prof. Ho was appointed the Supervisor of the Hong Kong Pui Ching Primary & Secondary Schools (Hong Kong Green School, Gold Medal Prize 2010) in 2004-2009, Supervisor (1999-2005), Council Chair (2004-2010) and current Honorary Manager of Macau Pui Ching Middle School, School Manager of Macau Pui Dao School (2012-), former Supervisor of the Hong Kong Baptist Convention Wing Lung Secondary Schools (Champion of 1st Hong Kong Green Secondary School Award) (1996-2002), Chairperson of the Middle Level and Continuous Education Department of Hong Kong Baptist Convention (2005-2010), Supervisor of Kowloon City Baptist Church Hien Lin Primary School (2010-) and Vice President of Hong Kong Baptist Convention (May 2013- April 2015).
Professor Ho was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) badge by the Chief Executive of HKSAR to honour his outstanding contributions to environmental protection and environmental research. Moreover, he was conferred the “National Character Environmental Achievement Award” in 2009, “People of the Year - Scientific Chinese 2010” in 2011 and “Leader of the Time Award” in 2013. From July 2014, Prof. Ho has been appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP).
Prof. Ho was appointed (by open-election) one of the 1200 members of the Chief Executive of HKSAR Election Committee (representing the Higher Education Sector) in 2012.
In 2006, 2008 and 2010, Prof. Ho was conferred the “Excellent Worker in Environmental Science & Technology Award” by the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences (CSES) which is one of the most authoritative environmental institutions in China. In 2008, Prof. Ho and his research team was awarded the “Silver Medal” by the International Innovation Exhibition, Geneva in recognition of their distinguished contributions in developing the Haidex, an innovative index in predicting the appearance of harmful algal blooms (red tides), In 2009, Prof. Ho was awarded the “National Character for Environmental Achievements Award” by the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Association. His other received honours and awards include: “Distinguished Leadership Award for Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Society” by the American Biographical Institute (ABI) in 1997; “The 20th Century Award for Achievement” by International Biographical Centre at Cambridge in 1997; “Key of Success in Research” by ABI in 1998; “Excellent Research Paper Award” by the Journal of Urban Environment and Ecology in 2000, “President’s Awards for Distinguished Achievements” by the Open University of Hong Kong in 1997, 2001 and 2004 respectively. Last but not least, he was named “The Millennium Who’s Who in Hong Kong” in 2000 and “Marquis Who's Who” since 2007.
Prof. Ho has a wide variety of personal interests. He has served actively in local Baptist churches for evangelism and missionary ministries. He enjoys writing poems, painting (cartoon & water ink) and classical music. He is a qualified trainer in Track & Field sports and has participated in a number of sport activities including the Hong Kong Marathon and Hong Kong Green Hiking. With good management of his time, he has frequently interviewed by the media and contributed to commentary in newspapers and magazines.