A former chair professor of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for allegedly accepting HK$40,000 in bribes and offering red packets to two colleagues to help a student gain admission to a master’s program, the ICAC announced.
The chair professor of the Department of Ocean Science Liu Hongbin, 63, and his friend Priscilla Lam Pui-ling, 60, have been accused of conspiring for a public servant to accept an advantage. Liu faces two additional charges of offering an advantage to a public servant.
Both defendants were granted bail and are scheduled to appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday.
According to the ICAC, Liu served as the program director of the Master of Science in Environmental Health and Safety Program at HKUST from March to May 2025, overseeing applications and interviews for the program. Investigators allege that Liu accepted HK$40,000 from Lam in exchange for assisting a student’s admission into the program for the academic year of 2025/26.
Liu also offered red packets with HK$5,000 and HK$1,000 to two staff members of the Department of Ocean Science, respectively, to help process the admission of the student. However, two staff members refused and reported to the university.
ICAC found that the involved student was not qualified for the requirements of the program, and his application was eventually unsuccessful.
In response to the incident, HKUST said the university strictly adheres to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any illegal or non-compliant acts. It noted that all faculty and staff are required to exercise utmost caution in managing matters that may involve conflicts of interest.
HKUST stressed that the individual concerned is no longer affiliated with the university. As the matter is now the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, the university will not make further comments.
