（中華時報/中華新聞通訊社17日香港訊）2020年7月16日在香港恒生大學圖書館舉行了一個簡單而隆重的儀式，是為「慶祝恒大成立藝術設計系許焯權教授水彩畫速寫展覽」開幕禮。
雖然香港最近疫情反彈，政府重啓限聚令，但由於恒大的活動屬於在工作地點為工作而進行的羣組聚集獲得豁免，會場也安排了同步的網上參與，讓未能赴會的本地及海外嘉賓觀賞。
恒大何順文校長在開幕致詞中闡述了大學發展藝術設計院系的願景，早在四年前開辦香港首個文化及創意產業文學士課程，當時也是由許焯權教授策劃，推動文創教育，配合政府政策與業界的需求，取得可觀的成就。而大學在2018-2023五年策略發展計劃中將建立藝術設計院系定為首要目標，正好配合最近團結香港基金報告「共塑藝術科技 締造創新思維」的結論，該報告指出，藝術科技將會影響甚至改變人們對藝術以至文化的觀感，是一片充滿潛力的藍海，建議香港建立支援及推廣的平臺，讓香港成為文化之都的目標在世界舞臺上煥發更多優勢。
何校長表示，藝術設計文學士課程將會與文化及創意產業文學士課程歸納組成藝術設計系，成為人文及社會科學學院的第四個學系。而大學將會繼續努力爭取在校園建設上增加一幢或一所包羅藝術設計及創新課程的大樓。
恒大藝術設計系創系主任許焯權教授接著致詞，介紹了新學系的成員，並闡述展覽的題材和內容，是過往六年間遊歷的見聞，而疫情讓人們被困半年，令大家都十分嚮往到外地旅遊，這個展覽提供了一個另類的精神旅程，透過水彩畫讓觀眾到達各自嚮往的浪漫終點，包括巴塞隆納，馬略卡，普羅旺斯，托斯卡納，北歐，甚或香港的離島及西貢。
許教授致詞畢，由恒大校長何順文教授，副校長(學術及研究)許溢宏教授，副校長(機構發展)方永豪博士，人文及社會科學學院院長譚國根教授，翻譯學院院長方梓勲教授一同剪綵，展覽正式開幕。
第一部分展覽由即日起至八月十四日，第二部分展覽由八月十七至九月十六日。網上觀賞可瀏覽: https://library.hsu.edu.hk/Glimpses/
此次展出部分作品：
On July 16, 2020, a simple yet solemn ceremony was held at the Library of the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong (HSUHK) – the opening of the Exhibition of Watercolour Sketches by Professor Desmond Hui in Celebration of the Establishment of the Department of Art and Design at HSUHK. Although the government re-enacted the Restriction Order because of the recent rebound of the pandemic, the gathering at HSUHK belonged to the exempted group gathering at a place of work for the purposes of work. The organizer also arranged an online platform for both local and overseas participants who could not attend the event in person.
President Simon Ho of the HSUHK introduced the vision of setting up the Department of Art and Design at the beginning of the opening, recapturing the initiative four years ago to establish the first BA in Cultural and Creative Industries Programme in Hong Kong at the University, also by Professor Desmond Hui, to provide education in the cultural and creative sector in response to government policy and industry demand and development, and with some admirable results. The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong set out in its 2018-2023 Strategic Plans its first priority of establishing an academic unit in Art and Design which was also echoed by the recent report from the Our Hong Kong Foundation Innovating Creative Cultures – Arts Tech which points out that arts tech will influence and even change people’s perception and understanding of art and culture, and is a ‘blue ocean’ with vast opportunities. The report suggests to establish more platforms of promotion and support for the development of arts tech in Hong Kong so that Hong Kong may have a greater edge on the world stage.
President Ho explained that the BA in Art and Design together with the BA in Cultural and Creative Industries will form the new Department of Art and Design under the School of Humanities and Social Science. The University will strive to develop a new building on campus as a hub of creative and innovative studies.
Professor Desmond Hui, the Founding Head of Department of Art and Design, gave his opening remarks by introducing the members of the new department. He then explained the theme and contents of the exhibition as a collection of his sketches during travels. The pandemic lockdown for the last half year has created a common longing of people to travel and his exhibition hopefully would provide an alternative escape as a spiritual journey to the viewers’ romantic destinations – whether in Barcelona, Majorca, Provence, Tuscany, Scandinavia or even Sai Kung and the outlying islands near Hong Kong.
After Professor Hui’s speech, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony by President Professor Simon Ho, Vice-President (Academic and Research) Professor Y V Hui, Vice-President (Organizational Development) Dr Tom Fong, Dean of Humanities and Social Science Professor K K Tam and Dean of Translation Professor Gilbert Fong.
The exhibition is also viewable online at: https://library.hsu.edu.hk/Glimpses/