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Mary Lau found out it is not what we learn but how we use knowledge that makes a real difference

Charity is not about how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. Similarly, education is not about how much we learn, but how much knowledge we put into practice. That is what Mary Lau, a graduate of marketing studies at Lingnan University in 1989, has realised in her 16 years of service at Orbis Hong Kong, a renowned charitable organisation contributing to the fight against blindness and eye disease in developing countries.

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Mary Lau, Programme pursued in Lingnan University: Honours Diploma (Major in Marketing), 1989

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Charity is not about how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. Similarly, education is not about how much we learn, but how much knowledge we put into practice. That is what Mary Lau, a graduate of marketing studies at Lingnan University in 1989, has realised in her 16 years of service at Orbis Hong Kong, a renowned charitable organisation contributing to the fight against blindness and eye disease in developing countries.

Interdisciplinary curriculum widens learning opportunities

Currently Director of Development, China and Hong Kong at Orbis, Mary is taking up an integrated role covering business development, marketing, corporate communications, branding and donor service. Unlike other product types on the market, "charity" is abstract, making it more challenging to get people to buy in, especially when Mary must face a broad range of stakeholders including individuals, schools, and organisations.

"What empowers me to keep refreshing myself is the critical thinking capability and the sense of social responsibility acquired during my studies at Lingnan," Mary says. "Even now, I still believe that what I learned at college was amazing!" Despite being a student of marketing studies, Mary had the chance to study social policy and the art of logical thinking, and also conducted research into special, in-depth topics such as the decriminalisation of homosexuality and euthanasia. Lingnan’s broad-based, interdisciplinary curriculum widened her horizons, enabling her to see things from different perspectives, something particularly beneficial in her current management role. "There are people from all walks of life, from different generations and education backgrounds, working at Orbis. I understand that differences should be handled properly in line with the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while putting aside differences and making steady progress," says Mary. "Only when everybody gets along with tolerance, appreciation and concern can we derive maximum benefit from our taskforce."

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Orbis Hong Kong organises various innovative fundraising campaigns to eradicate blindness, such as the "Orbis Moonwalkers", a 20-km overnight walk in which participants, or "Moonwalkers", walk blindfolded for 10 minutes to experience what it is like to live in a world of darkness while fundraising for sight-saving initiatives.

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