Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) held the fifth talk in the “Talk of the Metropolis” series today (26 July). Ms Winnie Ho Wing-yin, Secretary for Housing of the HKSAR Government, was invited as a speaker to share her experience in the construction of community isolation facilities during the pandemic under the topic “Turning Impossible to Possible – Construction of the Community Isolation Facilities and Beyond”. The talk was well attended by over 100 participants in person and online.

Ms Ho was appointed as Secretary for Housing on 1 July 2022. She joined the Government as an Architect in 1992 and was promoted to Chief Architect in 2009 and Government Architect in 2012. She was the Director of Architectural Services from 2020 until her appointment as Secretary for Housing. Apart from serving in the Architectural Services Department, she was posted to work as the Deputy Head of the Energizing Kowloon East Office of the Development Bureau. During the COVID-19 outbreak from 2020 to 2022, Ms Ho actively participated in the construction of quarantine camps, temporary hospitals and community isolation facilities at Penny’s Bay, Kai Tak and many other locations using the Modular Integrated Construction method.

HKMU Council Chairman Ir Dr Conrad Wong Tin-cheung mentioned the new University motto “Transcendence through Erudition and Renewal” in his remarks. He said that organizing the “Talk of the Metropolis” series embodies the practice of the motto to help disseminate knowledge among the public through the sharing of experience by different speakers.

To actively engage with the local community and to share knowledge with Hong Kong citizens, all the talks in the “Talk of the Metropolis” series will be broadcast in the University's weekly “Knowledge for All” TV programme on TVB Pearl. To learn more about the public lecture series or review the past videos, please visit https://www.hkmu.edu.hk/pao/talk-of-the-metropolis/.