University of Hong Kong names veteran professor and rheumatology specialist Wallace Lau as dean of medical school

The University of Hong Kong has named veteran professor and rheumatology specialist Wallace Lau Chak-sing as the new head of its medical school after he served as the interim dean for more than a year.

HKU president and vice-chancellor Xiang Zhang said he was pleased to announce that the university council had approved the appointment on Tuesday.

“Professor Lau would be leading the faculty to excel academically and professionally both in the region and globally,” he said after the council meeting.

Lau, who has been with the university for more than 30 years, is expected to take up the formal deanship starting next month for a five-year term.

A graduate of the University of Dundee in Scotland, Wallace Lau first joined HKU in 1992 as a lecturer. Photo: Nora Tam

The veteran professor confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that he had been selected as the 41st dean of medicine.

“It is my mission to nurture our students, instilling in them the qualities of compassionate healthcare professionals,” he said. “Additionally, I am dedicated to bolstering our research capacity and impact, ensuring that the faculty continues its vital mission of improving health for all.”

Lau said he acknowledged the trust and faith placed in him by the university and the faculty, adding that he would maintain strong ties with alumni, partners and stakeholders, while also enhancing the curriculum to stay at the forefront of medical advancements.

“Having dedicated over three decades of my career to the faculty, I sincerely appreciate the unwavering support provided by the university and the faculty,” he said.

‘It is incredibly satisfying to collaborate with a team of passionate and professional colleagues as we strive towards our common goals.”

In addition to overseeing the faculty, the dean is also expected to work closely with the university’s teaching hospitals, including Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam.

Last month, multiple sources told the Post that president and vice-chancellor Zhang was set to endorse Lau for the permanent role after he had entered the final stage of the selection process.

Two insiders said Lau was the preferred candidate over a US professor specialising in surgery, who had also made it to the final round of the hiring process.

Lau assumed the interim head position in August last year following the departure of previous dean Professor Gabriel Leung, who joined the Jockey Club to oversee its charities and community affairs.

The appointment comes amid recent allegations against Zhang’s management approach, including the hiring process for key university roles, such as the medical dean position.

A source told the Post earlier all council members had received documents from whistle-blowers who had made a series of accusations against Zhang, such as recruiting a headhunter from the United States without a tendering process to hire a vice-president and medical dean for the university.

The source also claimed that Zhang had specifically requested that candidates should have experience working at a US tertiary institution. But the university president said in a statement that the information leaked by “rumour-mongers” was taken out of context and that he was targeted personally.

HKU president and vice-chancellor Xiang Zhang has faced allegations over his management approach. Photo: Jelly Tse

Lau’s background does not include any professional experience in the country, according to his biography on the university website.

The other candidate for the medical dean position was Timothy Billiar, a professor of surgery from the US-based University of Pittsburgh, according to two sources.

A graduate of the University of Dundee in Scotland, Lau first joined HKU in 1992 as a lecturer, and later returned to his alma mater to take up a chair professor position. He rejoined the institution in 2010.

The rheumatology specialist also served from 2016 to 2020 as president of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the city’s specialist training institution.

The university on Tuesday also announced that Professor David Srolovitz, acting dean of engineering, had been appointed as the faculty’s new head.

It was understood that Srolovitz had earlier tendered his resignation as acting dean of engineering to focus on research, but later retracted it as he was offered the role on a permanent basis. He told the Post later that efforts were now being made to “re-establish a good working relationship” with the university.