Nancy Chau Sin-wo

Honorary Fellow, CityUHK
Honorary Vice-President, CityUHK Foundation 

“Giving back to the community what has been earned from society.”

Nancy Chau Sin-wo’s passion for supporting education and charity work significantly impacts many students. With a firm belief that “knowledge can change one’s destiny”, she actively helps children who cannot receive education due to difficult situations. She also encourages capable and virtuous students to pursue their dreams. Her selfless dedication is highly admirable.    

Born in Sichuan, Nancy missed the opportunity to receive a formal education as she contracted polio in her childhood and needed to start work early to support her livelihood. Not knowing Cantonese, she came to Hong Kong to work as a domestic and kitchen helper in the 1980s. She was convinced that hardworking people would be rewarded as the city was full of opportunities. With perseverance and diligence, she built up her own career by gradually acquiring garment techniques, starting a factory and establishing a textile export business. When starting her business, she encountered many setbacks due to her lack of knowledge. It made her acutely aware of the importance of education, and she was determined to support related initiatives when she became better off.

After building a successful career, Nancy could not spare the time to return to school. Hence, she makes donations to support education as a way to compensate for missing the chance to study within a formal school and as a way to give back to society. She set up a charity fund in 2014 and established scholarships at the University of Hong Kong and Tsinghua University to encourage students to pursue academic excellence, nurture talents and contribute to society. She particularly cares about students in financial difficulties and believes that education can change their destiny. Moreover, she donated $500,000 to build a secondary school in Jinggangshan to help improve children's living and learning environment.

Nancy deeply connects with CityUHK’s passion and commitment to education and agrees with its emphasis on cultivating students’ sense of social responsibility. She has donated to CityUHK’s development and nurtured future leaders in the legal sector with the Chau Sin Wo Scholarships that recognise School of Law undergraduates who excel in academic performance and moral conduct. “The rule of law plays a pivotal role in civilisation and the progress of society. I hope that the scholarship recipients will use their legal knowledge for the well-being of society,” she said. The scholarships offer financial support and help students pursue their dreams.    

In addition to her role as an Honorary Vice-President of the CityUHK Foundation, Nancy was conferred the title CityUHK Honorary Fellow in 2024 in recognition of her significant contribution to the development of, and service to, the University and the community. Also, a classroom at CityUHK has been named “Chau Sin Wo Classroom” in appreciation of her generous support. A plaque in Chinese saying “Building a harmonious and inclusive society with a benevolent heart” was installed in the classroom to encourage students to extend their kindness to the broader community. To extend her enthusiasm for cultivating the next generation, Ms Chau has listed CityUHK as a beneficiary in her will and promoted CityUHK’s Endowment Campaign to her relatives and friends.

With the belief that her success is an outcome of the opportunities offered by society, Nancy feels that she should take actual actions to “give back to the community what has been earned from society”. “My biggest hope is to promote education advancement and social development by doing whatever I can as an ordinary woman. I hope to encourage more people from Hong Kong to transform their knowledge and resources into power to contribute to society,” she said. Looking ahead, Nancy said she would continue to embrace a thankful heart to nurture talents and let the next generation see their future possibilities.

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