The Institution is delighted to announce the conferment of the HKIE Gold Medal on Ir Prof Chan Ching-chuen at the 35th Annual Dinner. The Award was set up to bestow distinction on an outstanding member and to recognise commendable achievements and remarkable contributions to his/her fields of engineering.

As a world-renowned expert in electric vehicle technology, Ir Prof Chan has sustained contribution to engineering, education and research over the past five decades and has had a profound and global impact on human welfare.

Ir Prof Chan was born in a Chinese entrepreneur family in Indonesia. He received his Bachelor and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering from the China University of Mining and Technology in 1957 and Tsinghua University in 1959 respectively and obtained his PhD from the University of Hong Kong in 1982. Ir Prof Chan has also been awarded a number of honorary doctorates and honorary professorships by universities worldwide. He was appointed Visiting Professor at several prominent universities around the world including the University of California at Berkeley, MIT, Cambridge University, etc.

Over the years, Ir Prof Chan is dedicated to promoting the engineering profession and international collaboration for the advancement of science and technology. As one of the foremost authorities on electric vehicle technology, Ir Prof Chan has played a pivotal role in advancing the state-of-art of power electronics for electric, hybrid and fuel cells vehicles and has been granted ten patents for his pioneering work, industrial project and commercialised design. Ir Prof Chan initiated the founding of the World Electric Vehicle Association, Electric Vehicles Association of Asia Pacific and Asian Electric Vehicles Society. He was a co-founder and President of these organisations and a Past President of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). He is a senior consultant to several municipal governments in China and multinational companies. He also has been the chairman and keynote speaker of some 30 leading international conferences.

Ir Prof Chan is highly recognised for his accomplishments. He was elected as the first Hong Kong Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), Ukraine Academy of Engineering Sciences, IEE (UK), IET (UK), IEEE (USA), Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences and HKIE. He was selected as one of Asia's Best Technology Pioneers by Asiaweek in 2001, named as "Father of Asian Electric Vehicles" by Global View magazine, and awarded the accolade "Pitamaha (Grandfather) of Electric Vehicle Technology" by the Principal Scientific Advisor of the Government of India. In addition, he has been given numerous awards, including IEEE Best Paper Award, Alcan Award of Technical Excellence, Distinguished Scientist Award, Faraday Memorial Lecture Award, IEE International Lecture Medal, Environmental Excellence in Transportation Award and China Automobile Industry Character, to name just a few.

Ir Prof Chan is also notable for his publishing achievements. He has published over 300 technical papers and 11 books. His book, Modern Electric Vehicle Technology, which was published by Oxford University Press in 2001, is regarded as the first comprehensive reference book on electric vehicle technologies.

The HKIE Gold Medalist, Ir Prof Chan Ching-chuen (R) receiving the Award from the President