Congratulations to CIPS Fellow Dr. Man Fung LO FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP for being awarded the IFIP IP3’s 2024 David O’Leary Award virtually at the IFIP General Assembly which was held in Lisbon, Portugal on September 19th 2024.
Dr. Man Fung LO is an accomplished academic and IT professional, currently serving as Director for Technology and Infrastructure Development at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong and contributes to various professional organizations, including CIPS as a member of the CIPS Certification Review Committee. In his acceptance speech Dr. Man Fung LO expressed gratitude to IFIP, CIPS, and his colleagues for their support, highlighting the award’s significance in recognizing professionalism, ethics, and diversity.
The award is named after David O’Leary, who made significant contributions to ICT in academic, scientific, government, and industry at the provincial, national and international level. CIPS members may know him best as a former CIPS BC President but he was also an academic Dean, a member of the government ICT Sector Council, speaker at global conferences for the UN and IEEE, and founding general partner of REDDS Capital.
The winner of the award in 2024 is Dr Man Fung Lo. Some of his many roles include:
- The University of Hong Kong – currently serves as the Director for Technology and Infrastructure Development and a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education.
- Roles and responsibilities include developing strategic e-learning plans in support of the academic development goals of the faculty, advising on and supervising the implementation of suitable digital infrastructure, and integrating learning and productivity technologies in the faculty for research, teaching, knowledge exchange, and administration. He also serves on various committees at this University.
- Appointed as the Teaching Advisor and the Technical Advisor (Information & Communications Technology) at the Employees Retraining Board.
- Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ).
- Professional voluntary services at the Canadian Information Processing Society, the British Computer Society, and the Association for Learning Technology.
This is a brief summary of his extensive roles. Find out more about Dr Lo on his LinkedIn page.
Dr Lo accepted the award on 19 September 2024 by remote connection to the IFIP General Assembly held in Lisbon, Portugal. Here is the text of his acceptance speech:
“Firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) IP3 and REDDS Capital for this incredible honor. Receiving the 2024 David O’Leary Award is a profound privilege, and I am deeply humbled to accept it. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to the IP3 Chair, Moira de Roche, the panel of judges from the Global Industry Council and the IFIP board. Your diligent evaluation and final decision are deeply appreciated.
This award holds special significance as it recognizes not just individual excellence, but also the values of professionalism, ethics, and diversity — values that David O’Leary exemplified throughout his illustrious career. David served as the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) BC Board President and Past President, making this award particularly meaningful to me, CIPS, and all our members. His legacy in promoting professionalism and ethics in ICT continues to inspire us all.
I owe this recognition to many individuals and organizations who have supported and guided me throughout my journey.
I would like to start by thanking CIPS for their unwavering support and the nomination. Special thanks to Trevor McDonald, Chair of the CIPS National Board, Chief Operating Officer Mary Jean Kucerak, Chief Marketing Officer Jonathan Elias, and Patricia Glenn, who nominated me as a CIPS Fellow. Your belief in my work has been instrumental in this achievement.
In addition to CIPS, I am also a proud member of the British Computer Society, the Australian Computer Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. These organizations have provided me with numerous opportunities to serve and learn from a community of esteemed IT professionals, and I am truly grateful for that.
I am also profoundly grateful to my University, The University of Hong Kong, for offering me various opportunities to grow and develop. I want to thank Professor Yang, the Dean of The Faculty of Education, the senior management team, the Technology and Infrastructure Development Office, my colleagues, and the students for their constant support. Your encouragement has been a cornerstone of my professional journey. Additionally, I extend my gratitude to my former colleagues and friends from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, Employees Retraining Board, and the Informing Science Institute. Your support and opportunities have been invaluable to me.
My heartfelt thanks also go to my supervisors from the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance. Special thanks to Mr. Dave Yau, the Deputy Commissioner of the Brigade, Ms. Wai Chi Kwan, the Training Manager of the Association, and Mr. James Ng, the Chief Superintendent of the Brigade. Your encouragement and support have been instrumental in my journey.
Lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank my family. To my late father, who passed away in 2020, I hope you are proud of me. To my mother, my wife, and daughters, my brother and sister-in-law, my friends and teachers — your love and support mean the world to me.
In closing, I would like to reiterate my gratitude to everyone who has been a part of this journey. This award is not just a recognition of my efforts, but a testament to the collective support and encouragement from all of you. Thank you for believing in me and for providing me with the opportunities to serve and grow.”