22 April 2025 

The Library of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) hosted a donation ceremony on 22 April 2025 in recognition of the generous donation of over 1,200 prominent books by Professor and Mrs John Strickland.

During the sharing session, Professor Strickland discussed his lifelong passion for travel and exploration, which began during his school days and continued throughout his career. Born and raised in the UK, Professor Strickland is a graduate of the University of Cambridge. He lived and worked in various countries before settling in Hong Kong, where he spent over 30 years working at HSBC, and was the Chairman of HSBC. Reflecting on his banking career, Professor Strickland emphasised that while artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, the essential attributes of a banker remain irreplaceable.

Both Professor and Mrs Strickland are dedicated to supporting educational progress. Mrs Anthea Strickland, during her tenure as Council Chairperson of the Save the Children Fund (Hong Kong), played a significant role in supporting the construction and renovation of primary schools in rural Mainland China. 

A mini-tour of the Library’s Special Collections Room was also held, highlighting historically significant works from the donation, which included three rare books from over two centuries ago: An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama, Journal of a Tour through Part of the Snowy Range of the Himālā Mountains, and Narrative of a Pedestrian Journey through Russia and Siberian Tartary. The collection also featured Travels into Bokhara by Alexander Burnes, published in 1834. To enrich the visitors’ experience, the tour incorporated Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to visualise geographical content from the collection.

Visit the ArcGIS Storytelling page to learn more about the new collection: https://arcg.is/1zuben0