Prof. Frank Fu, Associate Vice President
Ms. Melanie Lee, Director Of Alumni Affairs

Since its establishment in 1956, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has over 60,000 alumni.  Developing and handling alumni affairs and relationships is therefore no easy mission.  The BUddy Post reporter has interviewed two heads of the Alumni Affairs Office - Associate Vice-President Prof. Frank Fu and Director of Alumni Affairs Ms. Melanie Lee who shared with us their views and many more.

Reporter: Can you share with us your views on alumni affairs?

Prof. Fu: Alumni are hidden treasures of the University that we must not overlook.  In many overseas universities, work of alumni affairs is strongly linked with fund raising.  In other words, support from alumni is very important to the sustainable developments of any universities.  The success of alumni reflects the commitment of the University and faculty members in nurturing leaders for the society.  Alumni affair is a long-term investment and its importance must be accepted by the University’s administrators, faculty members and students.

Melanie: I joined the HKBU family this June and in just three months, I feel that HKBU is a university that strives to achieve excellence in teaching, research and community service.  It is not only a cradle of Whole Person Education but also a caring university that promotes harmony among staff and students.  I hope that I can leverage on my experience and network gained in the commercial sector to contribute to the development of HKBU.

Reporter: What are the future plans for alumni affairs development?

Prof. Fu: The development and success of alumni affairs is a long-term mission.  The most important thing is to raise awareness of the importance of the work of alumni affairs.  We should explore different possibilities and channels to connect with alumni.  We have to identify realistic goals and timelines to formulate a strategic plan with Key Performance Indicator (KPI).  We also need to start establishing relationship with students when they are studying such that they will have a strong sense of belongings to the University and become loyal alumni when they graduate.  I trust that Melanie, our new Director of Alumni Affairs will take alumni affairs to the next level as she has many excellent ideas.  I have my vote of confidence for her.

Melanie: I am thankful to Prof. Fu’s support and trust.  As Prof. Fu said, it takes time to demonstrate the impact of alumni affairs’ work.  I believe that our relationship with alumni and their sense of belongings can be further strengthened through launching different projects, staging alumni events and assisting them to form alumni associations.  We will keep alumni posted of the University’s latest developments so as to promote the alumni giving culture.

Reporter: How do you see HKBU alumni?

Prof. Fu: My association with HKBU students and alumni during the past 19 years suggests that most of them are highly motivated and dedicated professionals who have already made their marks and become leaders in their fields.

Melanie: HKBU alumni have multi-faceted talents.  In fact, our alumni have outstanding performances in different professional sectors which are fully demonstrated in our alumni sharing forums held recently.  

Reporter: What are your hobbies?  How do you relax yourselves from work pressure?

Prof. Fu: Sports has been my life-time hobby.  I like playing basketball, ping-pong, tennis and the like.  In 1968, I represented Hong Kong to play in the International Badminton Tournament at Tokyo, Japan.  In recent years, I play tennis most of the time.  Sometimes, I play bridge.  I am also interested in community services. 

Melanie: I love travelling.  I can truly relax when I’m traveling.  In May, I travelled to Tenerife Island of Spain in the Atlantic.  It is a rugged and volcanic island sculpted by numerous eruption throughout its 12 million years of history. One night, I was up to see the stars.  That moment, I realized the wonder of nature and we sometimes have very little that we can do.  And so, we need to try our very best to contribute but at the same time, enjoy every moment of our life and take it easy. 

Reporter: What are your mottos in life?

Prof. Fu: Displaying team spirit is an essential quality for a successful leader and don’t take “No” for an answer easily.

Melanie: Be passionate, Be brave and Be grateful!

Interviewees’ Biographies:

Professor Frank Fu
		Professor Frank Fu is presently the Associate Vice-President, Chair Professor of Faculty of Social Science and the Director of Dr. Stephen Hui Research Centre for Physical Recreation and Wellness.  He was appointed to oversee the alumni affairs of the University starting October 2011.  Prof. Fu was born in Hong Kong and continued his study in the U.S. after secondary education.  He received his BA degree in geography and geometry from Dartmouth College and MSc and DPE in physical education from Springfield College, U.S.A. He is currently an International Fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, a Fellow of the Research Consortium of the AAHPED, and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Recreation Management Association.  Prof. Fu worked at the University of Ottawa, Springfield College as well as the Chinese University of Hong Kong before joining HKBU in 1992.  He was one of the founding members for the full-time programme of Physical Education.  He has published over 100 journal articles and has also published over 15 textbooks.  Prof. Fu is very committed in serving the community.  He is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Coach Education Committee, Hong Kong Anti-Doping Committee, and the Elite Sports Committee and the President of the Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness.  He was appointed as a Justice of the Peace in 2004 and awarded the Medal of Honour in 2009 by the HKSAR Government

Ms. Melanie Lee
		Ms. Melanie Lee was appointed as the Director of Alumni Affairs in June 2011.  She is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Business Administration in the School of Business, HKBU.  She received her Bachelor degree in Arts, majoring in English Literature from the University of Hong Kong and holds a Master degree in communications and journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  Melanie held various senior positions in the advertising industry including Ogilvy & Mather and Grey Advertising.  She then joined the telecommunication industry and was the head of SUNDAY’s marketing communications team in 1997 where she created and launched the brand with great success.  A veteran in the telecommunication industry, Melanie was appointed various senior positions in PCCW and CSL.  She is a seasoned marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in the field of marketing, branding and communications.  She is active invariably in the marketing community and frequently speaks in forums and judges for marketing and branding awards.  She is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor, at HKU SPACE.  Melanie was awarded Outstanding Successful Women Award by Marie Claire in 2004 and Distinguished Marketer in the HKMA/TVB Marketing Excellence Award in 2005.