Nobel laureate Charles Kao (center), his wife Gwen Wong (3rd left), Chief Executive Donald Tsang (3rd right) and other guests stand in front of the newly renamed Charles K Kao Auditorium at Hong Kong Science Park yesterday. The renaming pays tribute to professor Kao for his achievement in fiber optics. EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY

Centerpiece conference center renamed 'Charles K Kao Auditorium'

Nobel laureate and "father of fiber optics" Charles Kao and his wife Gwen Wong attended a ceremony yesterday, during which the structural centerpiece of Hong Kong Science Park was renamed as the Charles K Kao Auditorium.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang joined the couple to chair the ceremony. Kao, in good spirits, shook hands with the guests, always with a smile.

The oval building, formerly called the "golden egg", is a distinctive structure supported by pillars in mid-air above the middle of the park and is used as a conference center.

Wong, speaking on behalf of her husband, indicated the renaming carries special meanings. Kao was one of the founding directors of the provisional Hong Kong Science Park from 1998 to 2003.

She recalled the establishment of the park was like the pain of birth and has been through a lot of "ups and downs". Both are happy seeing the park successfully running now, she said.

Tsang noted the renaming is to pay tribute to Kao. He indicated Kao has contributed substantially to Hong Kong's technological development, including Kao's direct impact on the park's development blueprint. "I remember the land lease contract was signed by Charles Kao at that time," Tsang said.

He noted the SAR government will continue its efforts to develop the Science Park Phase III, to promote innovation and technology to become an important industry in Hong Kong, and to build the city into a knowledge-based metropolis.

"Kao always believes science and technology should be used to improve society and human life," Wong said. Wong encouraged the young to do research and make contributions to both.

Wong also believes that Kao's winning a Nobel Price can arouse the community's concern about Alzheimer's disease.

Although suffering from motor and speech difficulties, Kao appeared healthy yesterday, with his wife by his side, guiding his attention. By contrast, Kao felt unwell and prematurely left a public dinner with the staff and students of the engineering department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in early February.

Kao and his wife, invited by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the SAR government, arrived in Hong Kong one month ago, and will stay for another month. In addition to meeting old friends, the couple will also attend several public events during their stay.

They have attended public events at CUHK and Kao's high school. The couple also donated a part of the Nobel Prize cash award to a charity association specifically to provide health services and support for dementia patients.

(HK Edition 03/02/2010 page1)