Our warmest congratulations to our Fulford Junior Research Fellow Dr Tin Hang (Henry) Hung, who has been appointed Scholar at the world’s first museum dedicated to climate change, the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change (MoCC), based within The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

 Henry’s appointment recognises the impact of his research on conserving the rosewood tree, the world’s most trafficked species. The rosewood has lost 90% of wild populations across its native South Asia through trafficking, and now faces the grave additional threat of climate change. As an early member of the rosewood conservation project established by his University of Oxford supervisors alongside international universities and national research institutions, Henry has helped deliver a unique conservation model which is helping to save the rosewood in five countries across the Greater Mekong sub-region.

Henry planting a Siamese rosewood tree (Dalbergia cochinchinensis) in Cambodia, September 2018, to commemorate the launch of the project. Credit: Henry Hung and David Boshier.

The project is special because it does not merely plant trees, but also factors in climate change which might compromise restoration success. Powered by genomic predictions, the project’s SeedeR app enables forestry workers and farmers rapidly to select the optimal seed sources for specific locations in fifty years’ time, when the rosewood will reach maturity and climate change’s impacts will be felt. In addition, the project has unlocked economic benefits for participants and prioritised gender equity by empowering women in forestry.

Henry’s appointment also recognises his efforts in climate actions. Over the years, he has been giving numerous lectures, workshops, and eco-tours in UK and Hong Kong which help people realise their deep connections with the nature. He shares his stories from different parts of the world, illustrating how local actions all serve a global purpose, as everyone is both connected and responsible in today’s environmental crises. He has also endeavoured to empower the next generations, including teaching at Oxford and developing educational materials for the museum over the years.

Henry, who was named a National Geographic Explorer in 2022, and won the Irene Manton Prize in 2024, is the second Scholar appointed to the Museum of Climate Change. Commenting on the news of his election, Henry said, “It is a special moment – being recognised by my alma mater, while continuing my pursuit here at Oxford. It does remind us that nature has no borders, and I look forward to all possibilities and collaborations between my two homes in this new capacity. I also want to thank Somerville for providing me a welcoming environment. Here I have shared my research and stories with like-minded colleagues, and I have met enthusiastic Somerville students who volunteer to intern with me in summer.”

Read more about Dr Hung’s research here.

Read more about the Museum of Climate Change here.

Signing of the MoCC Scholar appointment certificate by Mrs Cecilia Lam, Director, Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, CUHK, and Dr Henry Hung, MoCC Scholar, Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, CUHK (left) and Henry giving his inaugural speech at the Museum of Climate Change in December 2024.

 

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