Retired Trailblazing Ecologist - Professor David DUDGEON: A Lifelong Inspiration

Professor David DUDGEON

Emeritus Professor from School of Biological Sciences

Professor Dudgeon has spent almost 40 years at HKU. While at HKU, Professor Dudgeon has served, inter alia, as Department Head (repeatedly), Science Faculty Board Chairman, and Associate Dean. He was Director of the School of Biological Sciences from 2015 to 2018.

For a newly retired professor, little seems to have changed for Professor David DUDGEON. In his office, folders and documents populated the shelves that line the well-lit room. We began the interview in his home away from home for the past 30 years, and from across his desk, Professor Dudgeon let out a reminiscent sigh as he took a trip down memory lane while recounting his beginnings with Ecology and Conservation. Although it was not his original plan, he found himself reading Zoology at university which led him into an exciting career in Ecology. His passion for this area lay in championing for nature: “Nature is silent, it’s mute”. Looking back at the time when the development of the Chek Lap Kok Airport was still underway, Professor Dudgeon remembered the resultant decline in Chinese White Dolphin populations. “We repeatedly hear this talk about balance, and eventually, our poor dolphins will be ‘balanced’ into extinction because they cannot speak up for themselves!” Professor Dudgeon always sustains his unfazed determination as it is an important quality that ecologists and conservationists should bring. “We have a role to make people aware of and be a spokesperson for the environment, because nature cannot speak for itself.”

A role model of students

If you have ever had the opportunity to take one of Professor Dudgeon’s courses, you would be blown away by the intricacies of each and every lecture. “A lecturer has to be entertaining to an extent, and to have a story to present. A boring lecture for 40 students is 40 hours wasted. The point of the lecturer is to try and inspire the students to feel they want to learn more about the subject themselves.” Professor Dudgeon, with over three decades of research and teaching experience at HKU under his belt, dished out some simple yet valuable advice to our students. “I always say to my students, what’s the ‘so what’ question here? You might be studying koalas, and you might say not very much is known about koalas, but I'd say so what? Not very much is known about a lot of things.” The humorous professor knows how to keep students’ attention. “Or the worst-case scenario, you’re in the Knowles Building trapped in the lift with the President and he asks why you’re studying that you’re studying, you had better have a good reason!”

Article by Kengie TANG, BSc student majoring in Biological Sciences

“I was beyond grateful to be given the opportunity to sit down with Professor Dudgeon for this interview.His contributions towards conservation is undoubtedly remarkable, and his advice truly resonated with me as I hope it would for other students. Leaving the interview, I have newfound motivation to dig deep into my passions as I continue my journey at HKU. It was truly an honour to speak with someone with as much wisdom and passion as Professor Dudgeon, and I sincerely wish him a well-deserved retirement!“