In the face of the growing pressure on Hong Kong’s healthcare services brought about by an ageing population, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has agreed to donate HK$281 million to the Open University of Hong Kong (OUHK) to establish the OUHK Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare, which will be home to a suite of academic programmes aimed at nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals to address community needs.

Officiating guests at the Institute’s ground-breaking ceremony today (15 December) included the Club’s Deputy Chairman Anthony W K Chow; Acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Matthew Cheung; and OUHK’s Pro-Chancellor Dr Charles Lee, Council Chairman Michael Wong, Council Deputy Chairman Silas S S Yang and President Prof Yuk-Shan Wong. 

Mr Chow told the audience that education had long been a major focus for the Club. “Healthcare is an important pillar of society, and a cause strongly shared by the Club and the Open University,” he said. “The OUHK Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare will accommodate programmes that create more opportunities to develop and equip students to meet the rising healthcare demands of our ageing population. It will also help establish Kowloon City district as a benchmark for a healthy city, an example that can hopefully be extended to Hong Kong as a whole. ”

In his vote of thanks, Prof Wong said that the OUHK was deeply grateful to the Government, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the community for their staunch support over the years which enabled the University to go further to bring important benefits to the society. He remarked that the new OUHK Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare will provide a better learning environment for students and bring the OUHK to the next level of excellence. He looked forward to partnering with the community to build a healthier and better Hong Kong through the new Institute. 

The 13-storey OUHK Jockey Club Institute of Healthcare, with over 18,000 square metres of gross floor area, is scheduled for completion in 2020. Altogether 16 healthcare-related academic programmes, including new undergraduate programmes on Nutrition and Dietetics, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, are to be provided under the Institute.  

Since 1993, the Trust has supported a number of OUHK projects including the construction of its existing campuses and the Jockey Club Community Healthcare Education Programme, which offers Certificate and Diploma-level courses to healthcare workers and scholarships for students, as well as training programmes for volunteers to provide community-based care for the elderly and chronically ill.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is a world-class racing club that acts continuously for the betterment of our society. The Club has a unique integrated business model, comprising racing and racecourse entertainment, a membership club, responsible sports wagering and lottery, and charities and community contribution. Through this model, the Club generates economic and social value for the community and supports the Government in combatting illegal gambling. In 2016/17, the Club’s total direct return to the community was HK$30.5 billion. It is Hong Kong's largest single taxpayer, one of the city’s major employers and one of the world's top ten charity donors. The Club is always "riding high together for a better future" with the people of Hong Kong.