Celebrating Excellence: Rosie Young 90 Medal Award Honours Outstanding Young Women Scholars

The Rosie Young 90 Medal for Outstanding Young Woman Scholar Presentation Ceremony recognised the 2025 awardees on November 7. This prestigious award celebrates Professor Rosie Young's immense achievements and inspire talented young academics to follow her esteemed legacy for years to come. Established in 2020 to commemorate her 90th birthday, the award pay tribute to her remarkable career and contributions.

(Front row from left) Professor Derek Collins, Chairperson, Steering Committee of the Rosie Young 90 Medal; Professor Xiang Zhang, President; Mrs Jennifer Cheng, member of the HKU Court and Steering Committee of the Rosie Young 90 Medal; Professor Rosie Young; Professor Julian Tanner, Acting Dean, LKS Faculty of Medicine; Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Acting Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences; Professor Pauline Chiu, Steering Committee of the Rosie Young 90 Medal. (Second row from left) Professor Kathy Shum (2023 awardee); Professor Francis Law (2024 awardee); Dr Patrick Poon, Deputy Chairman of HKU Foundation; Professor Carmen Wong and Professor Jiangnan Zhu (2025 awardees)

The President, in his opening remarks, highlighted Professor Young’s profound influence, “Her legacy sets up an example for many of us, not only female scholars but also male scholars as well.” He also noted HKU’s exceptional standing, citing a report from Research.com, that HKU ranks first in China and 16th globally for female leading researchers — a testament to the HKU’s women scholars. Reaffirmed The University’s commitment to supporting female researchers, he extended warm congratulations to the awardees.

Professor Derek Collins underscored HKU’s achievement as Asia’s top-ranked university in the latest QS rankings. “This year is particularly special,” he remarked, “as we honor two outstanding awardees — top female scholars recognised by Asia’s leading university.” With 19 highly competitive nominations, the steering committee faced a challenging selection process to identify the most deserving candidates.

Following the speeches, the awardees — Professors Carmen Wong and Jiangnan Zhu—presented their work, showcasing their academic leadership and service to HKU and the broader community.

Professor Rosie Young concluded the ceremony on a joyful note, stating HKU’s commitment to equal opportunities in employment and promotion. She acknowledged the challenges women face in balancing family and academic careers, praising the awardees as “role models for their peers”

2025 Awardees:

1.      Professor Carmen Chak-Lui Wong, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, LKS Faculty of Medicine

2.      Professor Jiangnan Zhu, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration

To view full list of awardees, please visit here

(From right): Professor Rosie Young, Professor Carmen Wong, Mrs Jennifer Cheng and Professor Julian Tanner

(From right): Professor Rosie Young, Professor Jiangnan Zhu, Mrs Jennifer Cheng and Professor Kwan Nok Chan

(From left) Dr Patrick Poon, Professor Pauline Chiu, Mrs Jennifer Cheng, Professor Rosie Young, Professor Jiangnan Zhu, Professor Carmen Wong and Professor Derek Collins