Most stories about the founding of the University skip over all of the immense effort needed not just to build the physical place, but to hire initial faculty and staff who would be responsible for getting all the pieces set up and ready to go for the first day of classes. I was hired in the summer of 1990 as part of a team to help the University Librarian ensure that the Library would be ready. I won't go into all the details, but highlighting a few will give you some sense of what was going on back then.

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.