Scientist, Humanist, and Great Intellectual
Launched in Hong Kong, 1981
Our
Mission
To promote the scholarly legacy of Joseph Needham in Hong Kong and beyond for the educational benefit of students and the general public. Specifically this will be done through outreach activities such as:
1. The Joseph Needham Memorial Lecture, symposia and the like;
2. The establishment of endowed professorships and graduate fellowships;
3. Engaging secondary school students and the general public through the joint EDB-JNFSC STEM public lecture series, exhibitions and other outreach events.
The founding members of EAHST, 1981
Chairman's Remark
In 1979 we established the East Asian History of Science Trust in Hong Kong as a branch of the UK Trust, two years after a similar USA Trust was incorporated in New York. The objective of the Hong Kong Trust was to raise funds for the construction of a building for Dr. Joseph Needham’s East Asian History of Science Library in Cambridge, whereas the New York Branch was mainly to seek funding for sustaining the UK operations so that Dr. Needham could continue to focus in his monumental Science and Civilisation in China series.
The success of our Foundation and the contributions to the UK Trust in the 90s were made possible by many dedicated fellow directors. I would be remiss in not singling out the late Dr. Philip Mao, the founding Chairman with whom I served from the early 80s until his retirement in the mid-90s, and my predecessor Dr. K.P. Li, whom I succeeded in 2014. I am truly indebted to them for building up a network of benefactors and their common commitment to sustaining the Needham legacy.
Today, 40 years on, the Joseph Needham Foundation for Science & Civilisation (JNFSC) is embarking on several new initiatives outlined separately under our Mission and Objectives (As presented above). My fellow directors and I are confident that our initiatives will attract future leadership to continue to sustain the Needham scholarly legacy, and the universality of science.
I am indebted to my colleagues at the NRI, particularly to Mr. John Moffett for valuable input and photos of the Needhams from the pre/post WW2 period through to 1995.
I sincerely hope that the revamped website will serve as a dynamic platform for academic exchange and dissemination of new initiatives.
Thank you.
Peter L. Lee, PhD
Chairman
The Needhams with the HK, UK, and US directors / Trustees at the NRI, Aug 1990
The Award of the Honour of Companion,
the Buckingham Palace, 22 October 1992
Dr. Needham still hard at work in 1995
The Joseph Needham Foundation
(Hong Kong)
Board of Directors
(The Joseph Needham Foundation for Science and Civilisation Hong Kong Ltd)
(Chairman)
(Chairman Emeritus)
(Hon. Legal Advisor)
(Honorary Secretary)
Non – Executive Directors
Dr. Arun Bala, Formerly National University of Singapore
Professor Martin K. Jones, Chairman, Needham Research Institute
Senior Advisors
Professor P.C. LEUNG, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor L.C. TSUI, Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, former V.C. of HKU, and former director of JNFSC
Professor Rosie YOUNG, University of Hong Kong and former director of JNFSC
Professor WANG Gungwu, University Professor of NUS, former VC of HKU, and former director of EAHSF
Professor Vivian Taam Wong, Honorary Professor of Hong Kong University
Prof. Naubahar Sharif, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Prof. Raymond W. K. Lau, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Contemporary China Research Centre, Hong Kong Shue Yan University; Adjunct Professor, Department of Social Science, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong
Professor Chack Fan Lee, University of Hong Kong
Needham Research Institute
Trust
(U.K.)
Board of Trustees
(Needham Research Institute Trust, U.K.)
Professor Martin Jones (Chairman)
Dr. Mary Augusta Brazelton
Dr. Imre Galambos
Lord Broers Ph.D., Sc.D, FRS, FREng
Mr. Charles Harpum
Dr. Christopher Hughes
Professor Liu Dun
Ms. Katie Lee
Mr. Stephen Perry
Professor Roel Sterckx, FBA
Mr. Michael Womack
Ms. Elizabeth Wright