By Meredith Dault, Senior Communications Officer 

 Principal Woolf gathers with alumni after a dinner at the Canadian Consul General's residence in Hong Kong.

Principal Daniel Woolf recently made his first trip to Hong Kong on official Queen’s business to meet alumni in the region, visit regional high schools, and experience a part of the world where the university has an established history of educational activity.

“It was an inspiring trip,” says Principal Woolf. “I met a remarkable group of alumni and volunteers who are working hard to promote Queen’s in Hong Kong and Greater China. It was also wonderful to be able to connect with Canada’s Consul General in Hong Kong, Ian Burchett, who is a Queen’s graduate.”

At a reception attended by more than 100 people, the principal greeted alumni, current Queen’s students studying in Hong Kong, and students who had visited Queen’s on exchange. He also had the opportunity to meet with Ming Huang (Arts ’51), the oldest Queen’s alumnus in Hong Kong.

In honour of the principal’s visit, Consul General Ian Burchett (ArtSci ’82) held a dinner for alumni at Canada’s official residence, where attendees discussed raising the university’s international reputation in the Asia Pacific region. The principal also had the opportunity to speak with students at Hong Kong’s Canadian International School about Queen’s, where the Head of School, Dave McMaster (PHE ’88, ArtSci ‘88, ED ’89) is also an Alumnus.

 Principal Woolf speaks with students at the Canadian International School, Hong Kong. 

“More of our international students come from the Asia Pacific region than from any other part of the world,” says Principal Woolf. “It’s been wonderful to be back in this dynamic part of the world that so many of our students call home.”

In the last academic year, nearly 20 per cent of all international students at Queen’s came from the Greater China region – more than any other part of the world – and nearly 600 Queen’s alumni live in Hong Kong.

Queen’s currently has academic partnerships with a number of universities in Hong Kong, including: the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the University of Hong Kong.