Prof. Vivian W.W. Yam obtained both her BSc with First Class Honours and PhD from The University of Hong Kong. After two years on the faculty at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong (now City University of Hong Kong), she moved to The University of Hong Kong in 1990, rising through the academic ranks to Chair Professor in 1999. She was Head of Chemistry for 6 years from 2000 to 2005, interim Dean of Science for 15 months from 2020 to 2021, has been the Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy since 2009, and has served and chaired a number of university committees.

Prof. Yam’s major research interests are in the areas of inorganic and organometallic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, photophysics and photochemistry, and molecular functional materials for sensing, organic optoelectronics and energy research. She was elected to Member of The Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2001 at the age of 38 as the youngest member of the Academy, International Member (formerly Foreign Associate) of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2012, Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries (TWAS) in 2006, Foreign Member of Academia Europaea and Founding Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences in 2015. She was the Laureate of the 2011 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award and recipients of numerous awards, such as the Porter Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS) Josef Michl Award in Photochemistry, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Centenary Medal, State Natural Science Award, Bailar Medal, Croucher Senior Research Fellow, etc.

Professor Yam has served on numerous professional and public bodies and grant agencies worldwide over the years. Her local community services related to innovation and technology include Board of Trustees, Croucher Foundation; Board of Directors, Hong Kong Academy of Sciences; Member, RGC; RGC Physical Sciences Panel; UGC Research Assessment Exercise Physical Sciences Panel; Chair, Accreditation Advisory Board, Commerce and Economic Development Bureau; Chair of ITC Expert Panel on Designation of Designated Local Research Institutions, among others. Prof. Yam was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) in 2015, Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in 2022 and was appointed as the Justice of the Peace (JP) in 2019 in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the innovation and technology community.