Reward and Recognition Scheme — Individual Award
Mr. Christopher CHAN
Student Housing Manager
Office of Student Affairs
Known for his harmonious personality and unwavering commitment to his work, Mr. Christopher Chan is instrumental in the preparation and operation of HKBU’s new student hostel, Village CARE (Creative Arena for Residential Education). With a willingness to go the extra mile, he has made significant contributions to the Student Accommodation Section by constantly adding value to its effective and reliable support services.
As the key contact person for internal departments and external contractors in Village CARE, Mr. Chan displayed exceptional coordination skills that are crucial for ensuring the readiness of more than 1,700 new bed spaces. This was achieved within a tight timeframe between handover and students moving in. He also took charge of planning the admission arrangements, managing bedspace allocation strategies and overseeing other complex preparatory tasks.
He has strengthened the foundation of residential education by organising Village CARE’s first-ever High Table Dinner. A resounding success, the event was attended by more than 100 students, University Officers and distinguished guests. In total, five of these events were organised in Semester 1 of Academic Year 2024/25, fostering a sense of community among students in the new hostel.
Additionally, Mr. Chan is responsible for ensuring smooth operations in the Student Residence Halls (SRH) and the Dr. Ng Tor Tai International House (NTT). In managing the user requirements for the smart features at these accommodation facilities, he has exhibited sophisticated know-how and liaison skills by working closely with the Estates Office and the Office of Information Technology
In support of the increased intake of non-local students in recent years, Mr. Chan has proactively explored various off-campus housing options. His efforts resulted in the engagement of more than 10 property management agents and developers, securing a few free hotel accommodation for needy students and affordable housing packages for others.
Mr. Chan often goes beyond his duties to execute strategic initiatives for the Section. For instance, he spearheaded the outsourcing of property management functions of numerous HKBU student hostels with the aim of optimising work efficiency and achieving cost savings.
To manage the doubled bedspaces and workload from the new hostel with limited new resources, Mr. Chan has played a vital role in streamlining work processes and assisted in the restructuring of the SRH and NTT teams, ultimately enhancing service quality across hostels in an effective manner.
In serving as a core member or the secretary of several advisory and governing bodies within the Section, Mr. Chan is heavily involved in overseeing the budget, operations, and residential education of student residences. His wealth of experience in committee work is expected to facilitate the establishment of similar governing bodies in Village CARE.
Through his high calibre and “can-do” attitude, Mr. Chan has delivered improved operational efficiency, better decision making, higher team morale, and cultivated a culture of excellence to the Section. His significant contributions to the students’ residential education experiences are worthy of the Individual Award under the Reward and Recognition Scheme.