A Warm Welcome to Our Members and Fellows in Hong Kong
We are delighted to share this special newsletter highlighting the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s activity in Hong Kong, along with opportunities and news for our Hong Kong-based membership.
We are proud of our longstanding and prestigious connections in Hong Kong, and grateful for the ongoing support of our committed community of almost 2500 Members and Fellows who champion the College amongst their colleagues, students, and wider professional networks.
Our conjoint examinations (Joint Specialty Fellowship (JSF)) with the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong began in 1992, followed by conjoint examinations with the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Hong Kong College of Otorhinolaryngologists in 1996. The quality, longevity and continued evolution of the JSF examinations demonstrate the value of sustained collaboration between our Colleges in supporting internationally benchmarked standards of specialist surgical training and assessment.
We hope you find the stories and information in this edition both useful and engaging. We warmly encourage you to stay connected and share your own news and achievements with us.
Meet Your Local Representative
We are pleased to introduce our International Dental Ambassador for Hong Kong. Our Ambassadors serve as local College representatives, providing advice and support on RCSEd exams, courses, events and funding opportunities.
Dr Khaing Myat Thu
Hong Kong International Dental Ambassador
I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Hong Kong. Since 2021, I have been working in the field of clinical artificial intelligence to promote oral health among the elderly, and I am now expanding my research to include oral care for individuals with special needs.
Examinations
See below for the list of upcoming diets in Hong Kong for 2026.
For further information, please see our Exams Calendar.
Our History in Hong Kong
A name that may likely be known to those of our members in South-East Asia, “G.B” as he was known to his friends and peers, remains one of the most outstanding surgical personalities affiliated to our College.
Born in Kuching, Malaysia, he was sent to school in Singapore before later attending the University of Hong Kong to study medicine. This was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War and the occupation of Singapore by the Japanese Empire. Fleeing to mainland China, Ong made his way to Chongqing – then the seat of government for the embattled Chinese Republic – to resume his studies there.
He returned to Hong Kong in 1947 to complete his MBBS and then spent the bulk of the next decade travelling and studying around the world, not only with us in Edinburgh, but also with RCSEng in London, at the Bellevue Hospital in New York; and at Harvard University.
Upon his return, he was made Surgeon in Chief at Kowloon Hospital, and in 1964 he was also made Chair of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong – the first Asian man to hold the position since its founding in 1888.
Further plaudits followed in the span of a greatly successful career in Hong Kong. He was made OBE in 1966; became a member of the James IV Association of Surgeons in 1967; was Governor of the American College of Surgeons between 1974 and 1979; and served as President of the International Society of Surgery from 1983 to 1985.
Shortly after his death in 2004, RCSEd honoured his extraordinary surgical legacy by naming a room after him in the then brand-new Quincentenary Building.
To discover more about Library services for Members and Fellows, please visit www.library.rcsed.ac.uk or email library@rcsed.ac.uk.
Funding & Awards Opportunities
The College proudly supports our international community through a number of funding opportunities, established to champion your continued education, training and career development, as well as supporting you in your research endeavours.
The portfolio of funding & awards opportunities has recently become even more accessible with a redesigned web portfolio which we hope will ensure that you can see and engage with all that is open to you.
Our portfolio strives to support your career at every stage, which is why we are excited to welcome applicants to the new Cheruvu Professional Development Grants, which seeks to support individuals who wish to attend professional development opportunities inclusive of, but not limited to; observerships, International Postgraduate Deanery registration fees, conferences, lectures and CPD courses. Up to £1000 is available.
We are delighted to announce the return of the prestigious Li Shu Fan International Professorship which is open for applications to those based in Hong Kong, and endeavours to promote the exchange of healthcare science and knowledge globally. For more information on the Professorship, please click here.
We encourage you to explore the full portfolio, and direct any questions to fundingopportunities@rcsed.ac.uk.