I was sad to hear the news. He will be missed.
I want to share a couple of anecdotes – two of my encounters with him in the early days of the University. I was a very junior staff and only ever knew the President casually, but he knew who I was and always had a smile or a nod.
In the early 1990s, HKUST had a dinner party. I don’t recall the event – perhaps a staff association function. After dinner, the mahjong tables were set up and somehow I ended up in a foursome with my boss and the President. I warned them I had barely learned how to play and would be slow – but they needed a fourth and there I was. It was enjoyable, especially as we were only playing for points, and low ones at that. There was much talk, and fun, and tea. At the end of the night, the other players unexpectedly (to me) pulled out their wallets and started settling up, passing $100 notes to each other – while I sat there with almost no cash in my pocket! I recall both Chia-wei and my boss chuckling at the joke and telling me not to worry about it. It was a good night and the President was very down to earth and engaging.
Over the following years, I was often to be seen walking around campus with a book in hand and my nose deeply into it as I read whatever story or research article had captured my notice that day. Sometimes, President Woo would see me and he noted my ability to avoid walking into walls and light poles. He would laughingly threaten to have the facilities management office install some trip wires on campus to see if those would cause me to pull my nose out of the book.
He never did put up those wires – but he did provide many of us with encounters to remember.
He is missed.
Edward Spodick
Associate Director of Library Services
lbspodic@ust.hk
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