As a young girl, Ir Jenny Yeung was passionate about becoming an engineer. With her plastic toy building blocks, she built structures emulating Hong Kong’s tall buildings. “I was fascinated,” she says, “to learn that it was the joint efforts of many engineers who contributed to transforming Hong Kong from a fishing village to this modern city we call home.” Desiring a challenging career, her passion for engineering continued to grow despite the common perception that it is a profession exclusive to men. This made her determined to prove she could build a successful civil engineering career.

Being the first of the first

Ir Yeung is deeply proud of being the first woman graduate of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), a conspicuous presence among the Department’s first batch of undergraduate graduates. She founded and was the first Chairperson of both HKUST’s Civil and Structural Engineering Students’ Society as an undergraduate and its Civil Engineering Alumni Association after graduation. She was the first HKUST graduate joining the HKSAR Government as a Geotechnical Engineering Graduate at the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD). Many years later, she was the first woman promoted to Chief Geotechnical Engineer.

Of her decision to develop her engineering career with the government, Ir Yeung explains, “I am devoted to contributing my professional knowledge and experience to the community, and the government has the sole objective of serving Hong Kong and its people…. government engineers bear the unique responsibility to think strategically and holistically for sustainable development in Hong Kong. This is indeed a privilege to me.”

At the graduation ceremony of HKUST with beloved parents

As Founding Chairperson of the Civil and Structural Engineering Students’ Society, HKUST

Rising to challenges

To Ir Yeung, Hong Kong’s mega infrastructure projects are undertakings through which many civil engineers’ dreams come true. She recalls the year she worked at the Ting Kau Bridge construction site as a fresh graduate. She reminisces, “I met lots of challenges yet had much laughter and job satisfaction to last for years. I think passion is what drives us through difficulties.” She advises young people, particularly young women who wish to pursue engineering, “Do not avoid getting your hands dirty. It is only through hands-on experience that we can gradually become competent engineers.”

Site training at the Ting Kau Bridge construction site

Serving Hong Kong with passion

Currently a Deputy Head of the GEO, she states, “I share the mission of meeting Hong Kong’s needs for the highest standards of slope safety and engineering development through excellence in geotechnical practice, partnership with the community and the profession… Protecting public safety and the opportunities to serve the people of Hong Kong with my professional expertise always make me feel proud of being an engineer.”

One of the proudest experiences in her career was the successful organisation of the 9th Asia-Pacific Ministers’ Forum on Infrastructure Development hosted by Hong Kong in 2011. She elaborates, “I was seconded to the Development Bureau and specially tasked to organise this high-level event. Ideas and experience with international counterparts were exchanged and we showcased Hong Kong’s world class infrastructure development and holistic strategy for a safe and liveable city.”

Another unforgettable experience occurred when undertaking landslide emergency duties in August 2005, at that time the second wettest August on record. Over 100 landslides were reported to the GEO. As Geotechnical Engineer responsible for the Shatin area, she inspected around 40 landslides in this hard-hit area. One rainy weekend morning she was called to conduct an emergency inspection on a serious landslide. Ir Yeung explains, “The large amount of debris with water flowing downhill towards a residential building was stunning… I had to recommend temporary evacuation of the building to safeguard lives against landslide risk.”

Ir Yeung adopts a hands-on approach to safeguarding the public against landslide risk

Passionate about giving back

While studying at HKUST, she joined the HKIE as a Student Representative to the Civil Division. To this day, she remains actively involved with the HKIE. She enthuses, “I have found it most rewarding promoting the engineering profession to the public, especially young people and in particular, young females… I am pleased to see the increasing number of female engineers in Hong Kong nowadays, with many of them taking up key positions in their organisations.”

An active alumnus of HKUST, in 2021 Ir Yeung was named one of the Outstanding Alumni of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

As Delegation Manager of the Civil Division’s youth summer camp in Beijing for Session 1998/1999

As Master of Ceremony at one of the Civil Division’s Annual Dinners in the past

She also enjoys charity work, especially charity work related to children. She treasures her years as a core member of her church’s missionary work in Lijiang, China, taking care of orphans. She feels blessed to have two lovely children of her own, exclaiming, “The simplest fact of just being with them always fills my life with sunshine and love.”

With orphans at a summer camp in Lijiang

Passionate about the future

Ir Yeung is passionate about the future of Hong Kong and the engineering profession. She envisages, “We should reinforce our connections with the East and West, exchange ideas and learn from each other to make Hong Kong a better place… As part of China, Hong Kong needs to align with the Mainland as far as practicable to benefit from its extremely fast development. I suggest young engineers keep their eyes and minds open to these golden opportunities.”

Ir Yeung’s happy family