Message from HKUAA UK Chapter:
We were overjoyed to welcome around 40 alumni and friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Horse at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in ICA (Islington Chinese Association) last month on 28 February 2026. For many of us, it felt like a long-awaited moment — the first AGM “back on track” during the festive Chinese New Year period since the pandemic lockdown, when physical gatherings had come to an abrupt pause.
What made the day even more meaningful was how distance proved no obstacle. Irene Man (BA 1968) flew in from Hong Kong, Alex Chow (BA 2016) travelled from the United States, and George Payne (BEcon&Fin 2009) joined us from Madrid. Time, too, seemed wonderfully irrelevant. Among us were members who had graduated long before I was born, alongside others who were born after I had already left HKU. Yet in that room, we were simply part of the same community.
The AGM gave us a chance to look back on the past year — the events we organised, the conversations we shared, and the friendships that continued to grow. It was also a moment to remember those who were no longer with us. We paused for a silent tribute to Ms Grace Payne and Ms Mamie Chan, honouring their place in our community and in our memories.
As the formal meeting gave way to conversation, the room filled with ideas for the year ahead: countryside walks with wine tasting, academic talks, board game gatherings, and other ways to keep the HKU spirit alive among us.
Food, as always, brought everyone together. Although the traditional poon choi has sadly not been available since the pandemic, the four-course meal with flavours from Hong Kong still managed to warm both our appetites and our hearts. The meal ended sweetly with sesame seed glutinous rice balls — what a gweilo friend of mine once jokingly called “sticky eyeballs.” By then, laughter and conversation had settled comfortably around the tables.
In the spirit of the times, we even embraced a little technology: Gemini helped us draw the lucky winners of special souvenirs gifted by our alma mater. When the final prize was announced — reserved for someone born in the Year of the Horse — only Professor Merry Malcolm stood up to claim it. Perhaps traditional Hongkongers are still a little shy about revealing their ages.
For many of us, time and distance had been carefully carved out of busy lives to make the gathering possible, especially for mentees who travelled from outside London. Not quite ready to say goodbye, a few of us continued the day over coffee, stretching the conversations just a little longer before finally heading home. An A Heartfelt Reunion in London to Celebrate Chinese New Year d as we parted ways, there was a quiet but comforting feeling that the sense of togetherness we shared that day would carry with us throughout the year ahead.
Yan Lau
(BA(ArchStud) 2003)
President, HKUAA UK Chapter
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