If you look up Lam Chiu Ying, there is a chance you will stumble upon a microplanet. Even then, you wouldn’t be too far off from its namesake!
At the tender age of 12, Lam Chiu Ying’s interest in astronomy was born. Two years later, he would set his gaze on entering the Hong Kong Observatory. An excellent scholar, Lam studied maths and physics at HKU, meteorology at the Imperial College London, and he spent a few weeks at Princeton, before deciding to work instead. The year 1974 saw Lam join the Observatory as a Scientific Officer, and he steadily rose up the Observatory’s ranks so that by 2003, he was its director.
Lam Chiu Ying’s policy has always been people-centric. Be it establishing a family-friendly workplace at the Observatory, adapting the typhoon warning system to cater better to the public's need for safety, or advocating against the use of Long Valley and country park land for housing, Lam has always strived to optimize his society’s well being, while safeguarding the environment.
Lam is also committed to giving back to society. He famously agreed not to work for pay after his retirement in 2009, and true to his word, he has continued to share his opinions free of charge since. He also runs a personal blog- Cao Yun Ju- where he discusses the two causes to which he has dedicated his life- social and environmental issues.
Don’t miss Lam’s TEDxEncompass sharing, where he will speak on "Climate Change and Hong Kong Metamorphosis"- exploring what is necessary for Hong Kong to exist for at least 30 more years.