DEPS at 30: A Community Shaped by Earth, Bound by Curiosity

That same sense of belonging echoed a month later when DEPS marked its 30^th anniversary. Founded in 1995 under the leadership of Professor John MALPAS, with generous support from the Hui family, the Department began with a clear purpose: to build geoscience expertise for Hong Kong, grounded in both fundamental geology and the applied challenges of a rapidly urbanising city. From the beginning, learning extended far beyond lecture rooms, into coastlines, hillsides, and field sites where Earth’s history could be read directly from rock and strata.

“We’ve gone from tracing Hong Kong’s bedrock to studying planetary formation and climate futures,” Interim Head of DEPS Professor LIU reflected. “That’s why our celebration theme, ‘Beyond the Earth’, feels so fitting. It captures not just our new scientific direction in space research, but the way this community has always tried to reach a little further than anyone expected.”

 

The celebrations began on 28 November with a reunion that drew nearly 50 alumni from across generations. Stories of first field trips, demanding assignments, and shared discoveries flowed easily, revealing how deeply the Department had shaped not only careers, but identities. The following day’s anniversary symposium brought the focus forward, with 12 distinguished speakers and more than 100 participants reflecting on future research directions. At the same time, a keynote by Mr Tony Ying Kit HO, JP, connected scientific inquiry with public purpose.

The Celebration Ceremony that evening gathered more than 150 guests at Loke Yew Hall, including 17 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Led by Professor Peng GONG, the distinguished guests officiated with a ceremonial balloon launch, marking both achievement and renewal. Warm reflections from University leadership honoured not just milestones, but the people who had sustained the Department across three decades.

The final day captured DEPS’ character in quieter ways. While strategic discussions among Faculty and CAS academicians unfolded indoors, alumni revisited familiar coastlines by boat in the Tolo Channel, guided by retired academic Professor L S CHAN. For many, their connection to Earth science began not with theory, but with the landscape itself. 

 

Together, the anniversaries of SWIMS and DEPS highlight a shared legacy within the Faculty of Science: communities built slowly, sustained by mentorship, generosity, and a deep respect for the natural world. As both look ahead to new technologies, partnerships, and responsibilities, their histories suggest that the most enduring impact comes not only from discovery but from the people who carry that curiosity forward.