Mr. Tse Chiu Kit led the procession at the Chung Chi Graduation Ceremony.

When talking about the Chung Chi’s leaders in the founding stage, Mr. Tse Chiu Kit (1899-1966), the first Registrar of the College, was an indispensable one. Mr. Tse studied at Lingnan University in Guangzhou (Lingnan) in his early years, and later pursued further studies in education at Columbia University Teachers College in the United States. He was devoted to education and was appreciated by President Lee Ying Lin (1892-1954). After returning to Lingnan in 1938, Mr. Tse engaged in administrative and teaching work, and became President Lee’s right-hand man.

In 1951, President Lee came to Hong Kong to establish Chung Chi College, and immediately invited Mr. Tse, his old friend, to serve as the College Registrar, overseeing academic affairs. Mr. Tse had served Chung Chi for fifteen years, and experienced major changes such as the initial establishment of Chung Chi in Central, relocation of the College to Ma Liu Shui, and Chung Chi being a constituent college of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. During his tenure, there were a myriad of complicated issues which were rather difficult to address, and the hardships could hardly be comprehended by others. Mr. Tse’s dedication to Lingnan was extended to Chung Chi. He carried forward Lingnan’s excellent traditions to the College, which further prospered and developed into a well-established education institution.

In addition to handling the College affairs, Mr. Tse also cared for poor students and sought assistance from various sources. In order to commemorate his contribution to Chung Chi and keep alive his spirit of caring for students, the Tse family donated money to the College for establishing the “C.K. Tse Memorial Scholarship”, which was to be awarded to students with good academic performance and in financial need. In 1982, it was renamed the “C.K. Tse Memorial Scholarship for General Education” for recognising students with outstanding achievements in general education.