CUHK Presidential Race Heats Up: Lo Yuk-ming Emerges as Sole Contender for Top Spot

Renowned Expert Lu Yuming Selected as Next President of Chinese University of Chinese Medicine

According to recent media reports, Lu Yuming, associate dean of the School of Medicine at the Chinese University of Chinese Medicine, has been chosen as the sole candidate to succeed the current president, Duan Chongzhi, who will step down in January next year. The school board of directors made this decision, and if Lu Yuming receives the support of three-quarters of the board members, he will become the next president.

Lu Yuming was born in Hong Kong in 1963 and pursued his medical studies in the UK. He returned to Hong Kong in 1997 and joined the Chinese University, where he has worked for 27 years. His current positions include Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Head of the Department of Chemical Pathology, Chair Professor, and Director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences.

Lu Yuming is a globally recognized expert in the clinical application of molecular biology, focusing on DNA and other genetic molecules in human plasma. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences last year and is also an academician of the World Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, and a foreign academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. He invented non-invasive prenatal diagnosis technology, which enables the early detection of Down syndrome and various genetic diseases. This technology has also been extended to cancer detection, earning him the title “Father of Non-invasive Prenatal Testing.”

Throughout his career, Lu Yuming has received numerous awards, including the Clarivate Analytics Citation Laureate Award. He has been selected as one of the world’s top 20 translational research scientists by the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology for three consecutive years. In 2021, he was awarded the Royal Medal in Biology by the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, becoming the first Chinese to receive the award in the past 200 years.

Huang Jinhui Supports Lu Yuming as a Suitable Candidate for President

Wong Kam-fai, associate dean of the School of Engineering at CUHK and a member of the Legislative Council, believes that Lu Yuming is an ideal candidate for president. He highlights Lu Yuming’s numerous awards and global recognition, stating that his academic achievements and status are unquestionable. Wong Kam-fai is confident that Lu Yuming will have more opportunities to aspire to the top in the future.

Huang Jinhui also points out that Lu Yuming is distinct from the current president, Duan Chongzhi. Lu Yuming returned to teach at CUHK after graduating from a foreign country and is familiar with the university’s culture. He has participated in administrative work and is respected by senior professors at the school. Huang Jinhui is confident that Lu Yuming is qualified to serve as president, given his personal experience and network.

In response to media inquiries, CUHK stated that the selection process for the next president is ongoing, and the selection committee will recommend candidates to the school board later. After the school board makes a decision, the university will make an announcement in due course.

CUHK President Duan Chongzhi tendered his resignation at the beginning of the year, stepping down two years early and leaving office in January next year. Duan Chongzhi faced criticism from the pro-establishment camp after the anti-extradition bill storm in 2019 but was re-elected the year before last. The university has since faced controversy over changing the school emblem, and the school board underwent reorganization, resulting in the dismissal of Wu Shupei, secretary-general of the school board and vice president.