Since 2021, the Hong Kong Youth and Tertiary Students Association has presented the ‘Ten Outstanding Tertiary Students of Hong Kong’ award annually to identify, honour and nurture students who demonstrate academic excellence, civic responsibility, and commitment to societal progress. This initiative champions holistic development, inspiring future leaders to embrace social responsibility and contribute meaningfully to national advancement. The presentation ceremony for 2025 was recently held on September 13, where two remarkable HKU students, Cherry Tam and Harold Lam, received their awards.
Cherry is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences programme, where she majored in interdisciplinary studies and music. She began her piano journey at the age of two and has since shone in various local and international piano competitions. However, it was not until last year through a series of mini concerts at the Jockey Club Home for Hospice, that she realised music transcends showmanship and competition, and can profoundly impact lives and bring comfort to end-of-life patients. “I evolved from being a pianist into an advocate for interdisciplinary learning, death education, and mental health awareness,” she notes. This inspired her to take on a role as a fundraising intern at the hospice under the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care, where she initiated several innovative fundraising projects.
Benefitting from the interdisciplinary education at HKU, Cherry has two other start-ups under her wing. Empath, which she co-founded, is dedicated to enhancing the mental well-being of the elderly through an AI chatbot. With the start-up Ivories, she says: “I hope to bring comfort and joy to patients through music. I found it very meaningful to harness AI and technological elements to amplify music’s healing power, assisting terminally ill patients and caregivers in maintaining mental health.”
Looking to the future, Cherry aspires to leverage her diverse experiences in music, life-and-death education, interdisciplinary studies, and entrepreneurship to actively participate in impactful advocacy initiatives, inspiring more young people to pursue their dreams and contribute significantly to society.
Harold Lam, a recent graduate from the Faculty of Architecture specialising in Surveying, has long been passionate about understanding cities and the importance of community. “I believe cities are not just about roads and buildings; they are about the stories between people,” he says. During his university years, Harold earned recognition with various urban planning and community design proposals, including those submitted to the HKSAR Government’s Architectural Services Department and the Happy Ageing Lab. With the support from the D. H. Chen Foundation, he co-founded the Mapcraft initiative, saying: “I wanted to showcase the unique talents of autistic children and co-create intergenerational maps with local communities. I hope to expand this concept across districts, fostering vibrant communities where everyone feels a sense of belonging.”
Harold presently works as an urban planning intern at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), assisting in the planning of community facilities and public transport systems for several cities in Southeast Asia. Harold plans to pursue a master’s and doctoral degree in the future, with a continued focus on integrating urban and transport planning with social innovation to promote a more inclusive and sustainable future for cities. “Whether in research, teaching, or community work, I hope to collaborate with various sectors to connect people with their cities, inspiring more individuals to care for their communities and creating greater possibilities for the cities we share,” he says.
