ABOUT US
Curators
Angus
Hui Chong-yin
Angus is a journalist-turned-historian specialising in modern Chinese history and Hong Kong’s local culture and heritage.
He has garnered multiple awards for his work, including the Society of Publishers in Asia Awards and the Business Journalism Awards of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong.
He holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence, and a BA from the University of Hong Kong.
John
Mak Hiu-fai
John is a public policy professional, with an interest in local community development and building bridges across different sectors, cultures, political affiliations and generations.
He has received multiple accolades and recognitions, including being selected as an inaugural Obama Scholar, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honouree, and an Asia 21 Next Generation Fellow by Asia Society.
John holds an MA from The University of Chicago, and a BA from the University of Durham.
Our Journey on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day
Photo credit: Mingpao
Our journey began with a luncheon in 2023.
That day, Angus casually brought up a 2015 newspaper article he found memorable in conversation with John: the discovery of artefacts in the soon-to-be-demolished Western Court, including a diary from 1944 recounting Chinese naval officer Lam Ping-yu’s experiences during D-Day. These artefacts were saved, and Angus had the opportunity to photograph them for research.
The two fell into a deep discussion about the ins and outs of the story. Knowing that 2024 would be the 80th anniversary of D-Day, they began an odyssey to retrace the footsteps of Lam and his companions with the goal of sharing the story through a public exhibition.
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Within months, Angus and John secured support from several museums and universities. They also connected with friends and family of the officers, who have been incredibly helpful in piecing together this voyage to Britain 80 years ago.
Surprisingly, they found many youths eager to join their curatorial journey. Within a year, the team grew to nearly 50 volunteers, comprising secondary school and university students as well as young professionals.
Through collective effort, the exhibition successfully opened in Hong Kong in September 2024, attracting more than 10,000 visitors over four months. It also led to significant breakthroughs in historical research. This year, we will be presenting Lam’s fascinating story in greater depth in Hong Kong, the UK and France to a wider global audience.
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Our Team
Executive Team
Sammi HUI
Tommy LAM
John CHAN
Ivan WONG
Adrian MAK
Elly LAU
Rainbow PANG
Bobo HUI
Jackson CHAN
Lorraine LUI
Carlos CHIU
Mathilde GUYONNAUD
Eloïse QUEVREMONT
Jaden ZHU
Clara CHEVALIER
Paul COLAS
Hannes DEWENDER
Iris TORES
Design
Quentin YIU @Design PY
Emily PO @Design PY
Editorial
Teresa MAK
Yan LEE
Sarah WONG
Hugo PETIT
Video Production
Stanley LEUNG
Exhibition Fabrication
2 Kilometers Design and Production
WONG Ching-fat
ABOUT HOSTING ORGANISATION
Urban Studies Institute
Established in 2017, the Urban Studies Institute (USI) is a registered charitable institution dedicated to urban research, conservation initiatives, architecture and community design in Hong Kong. Its objectives are as follows:
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To foster research of urban planning, architecture, community and urban studies, with interdisciplinary perspectives and knowledge;
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To develop the historical and contemporary narrative of Hong Kong’s urban evolution, in order to lay the foundation for the conservation of Hong Kong’s construction, urbanscape and natural environment;
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To facilitate public dialogue on urban space and built-environment issues in Hong Kong;
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To implement and promote community design in Hong Kong as a way to address social and urban issues.