關於創辦人 About Founder
Dr. James Wong Sai-Wing was born in Shanghai, China in 1938. His father, Wong Chor-Choi, was one of five sons in a family with a strong tradition of entrepreneurship and business acumen, foreshadowing Dr. Wong’s own success in this field later in life.
In the first decade of his life, war broke out across China, prompting his family to seek refuge in Hong Kong. In early 1950, at the age of nine, Dr. Wong arrived in the city that would become his lifelong home and the place where he would leave a lasting legacy. The experience of leaving his birthplace, however, with little more than what his family had in hand left a profound impact on him.
From a young age, Dr. Wong demonstrated exceptional intellectual ability at Pui Ching Middle School, eventually graduating with top honors in 1957. He earned first place in the Hong Kong Chinese School Certificate Examination the same year and was recognized as the valedictorian for the graduating class across all of Hong Kong. He initially enrolled at Hong Kong Baptist College before transferring to Baylor University in Texas, where he completed a double major in Physics and Mathematics in 1960.
Determined to advance his academic career, Dr. Wong pursued a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology under Professor H.F. Bohnenblust, a mentor who had an intense influence on his research approach. Between 1960 and 1964, he completed his dissertation in functional analysis, one of his first contributions to a lifelong career in mathematical research.
Dr. Wong began his teaching and research career at the University of Alberta in 1964. He later held positions at the University of Wisconsin and Carnegie Mellon University, where he made significant contributions to the oscillation theory of differential equations. In 1970, he was appointed Professor of Mathematics at the University of Iowa. At 30 years old, he was the youngest full professor ever appointed in the field in the U.S. In 1972, the passing of his father marked a turning point in his life. In 1974, Dr. Wong made the pivotal decision to return to Hong Kong to take over the family business, setting aside his academic career to lead and transform the company. Under his guidance, the business was restructured and Chinney Group was established, marking the beginning of a new era of expansion and diversification. Dr. Wong also served as Managing Director of China Dyeing Works, where he honed his business management skills under the mentorship of his father-in-law, Mr. Cha Chi-Ming. Embracing Mr. Cha’s philosophy of blending “Western principles with Chinese management,” Dr. Wong laid the groundwork for Chinney Group’s longterm growth strategy and international reach.
Today, Chinney Group stands among Hong Kong’s leading enterprises. Initially, the Chinney Group focused on real estate, building construction, and building maintenance. The group expanded into the garment industry, with factories in China, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In 1985, it acquired Hon Kwok Land Investment Company, Limited to grow its property investment business. In addition, the group further extended its operations into foundation works, piling, drilling, aviation system engineering, electrical and mechanical building services, implementing a comprehensive strategy of ‘one-stop’ vertically integrated construction services. In the 1990s, the group entered the real estate market in Mainland China, actively positioning itself in the first-tier cities. By the turn of the millennium, the group officially developed its hotel and serviced apartment businesses in Asia.
Under Dr. Wong’s leadership, Chinney Group achieved remarkable success, with four companies listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited: Chinney Investments, Limited (0216.HK); Hon Kwok Land Investment Company, Limited (0160.HK); Chinney Alliance Group Limited (0385.HK); and Chinney Kin Wing Holdings Limited (1556.HK). The Chinney Group currently employs over 2,300 staffs across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Japan. With a strong foundation in Hong Kong for over half a century, Dr. Wong expanded Chinney Group’s global investment portfolio to manage assets exceeding HKD26 billion.
Despite his business commitments, Dr. Wong remained deeply passionate about mathematics. Over his research career spanning five decades, he published more than 150 research papers, including dozens of papers in the Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications (JMAA). Among his most cited works is an extension of the Banach contraction principle, along with influential studies on oscillations in differential equations. His longstanding collaboration with Professor Man-Kam Kwong resulted in over 17 co-authored papers. He was appointed the Honorary Editor of the JMAA in 2012. And he served as a Trustee of the Fields Foundation in Canada.
Dr. Wong held research professorships at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, and The University of Hong Kong (HKU), where he served as an Honorary Professor from 2004 to 2016. In recognition of his outstanding academic contributions, he was honored with Baylor University’s Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Achievement Award in 2012, the Honorary University Fellow at HKU in 2013, and California Institute of Technology’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. A former colleague once described him as a “renowned expert” who was also humble, generous, and deeply dedicated to his field.
Beyond his professional and academic achievements, Dr. Wong was a devoted father. His son, James Jr., an attorney, now serves as Chairman of the Chinney Group, continuing the family’s legacy into its third generation. His daughter, Emily Wong, is a physician licensed in both the United States and Hong Kong, specializing in Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine. To further support research in mathematics, his family established the James S.W. Wong JMAA Prize, a biennial award matched by Elsevier, recognizing exceptional research contributions.
Dr. Wong actively participated in various public service initiatives, and dedicated himself to promoting the development and progress of Hong Kong. He has served as a Member of the Labour Advisory Board, the Textile Advisory Board where he represented Hong Kong in the WTO’s Multifiber Arrangement, the Council for Academic Accreditation, and the Research Grants Council. He was also a Council Member of the Hong Kong Baptist University as well as the former Open University of Hong Kong (now known as Hong Kong Metropolitan University). In 1987, Dr. Wong was appointed a Justice of the Peace in recognition of his exceptional contributions in public service, highlighting his profound impact and selfless dedication to Hong Kong.
Dr. Wong’s rare ability to excel in both academia and business distinguished him as a visionary leader. He believed in the synergy between mathematics and management, emphasizing that while mathematics instils logical precision, business demands creative and adaptive thinking.
On February 16, 2025, Dr. Wong passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. At 86 years old, his life was a testament to resilience, intellectual pursuit, and cross-disciplinary excellence. His dual career in academia and business continues to inspire many in China and abroad, demonstrating that one can thrive in multiple fields while making a lasting impact on society.
He will be dearly missed and forever remembered in our hearts.
王世榮博士在1938年出生於上海，其父親王佐才先生育有5個兒子，而王家擁有深厚商業及創業背景的家庭，這為王博士日後的成功奠下基礎。
在王博士人生的第一個十年，因中國戰亂緣故，促使他們離開故鄉，赴香港尋求發展。1950年初，當時年僅九歲的他，與家人只帶著少許財物逃難，也沒料到這次出走，對王博士人生產生深遠影響，日後更在香港建立起自己的事業，視香港為家。
王博士天賦過人，他的智慧在讀書時期已經展露無遺。他就讀於培正中學，1957年在香港中文中學會考名列前茅，以第一名的優異成績畢業。其後，他入讀香港浸會學院，進而赴美留學，於1960年在德克薩斯州的貝勒大學完成雙主修，取得物理及數學理學士學位。
學海無涯， 王博士繼續追夢及深造， 先在加州理工學院攻讀哲學博士（ 數學） 學位， 專注於函數分析， 師從H.F. Bohnenblust教授，他對王博士的研究方法產生了深遠的影響。在1960年至1964年間，他首次完成及發表有關泛函分析的論文，成為他畢生貢獻數學學術研究的開端。
1964年，王博士在加拿大亞伯達大學從事教學和研究工作。隨後，再在威斯康辛大學和卡內基梅隆大學任職，他的研究對微分方程的振盪理論為學界帶來重要貢獻。1970年，他獲委任為愛荷華大學的數學系教授，成為美國該系最年輕的全職教授。
1972年，王博士父親去世，這成為他人生的一個轉捩點；至1974年，王博士決定暫別學術研究之路，回港打理家族生意，肩負起帶領公司發展及轉型的重任。在其英明的領導下，公司進行重組，成立建業集團，標誌著公司擴張及多元化發展的新時代。期間王博士還擔任中國染廠有限公司董事總經理，向岳父查濟民先生學習經商之道，秉承「西方哲學，中式管理」經營方針，同時奠定日後建業集團「走出去」的發展策略。
如今，建業集團已成為香港的領先企業之一。集團最初主要從事房地產、建築維修業務，至1980年代擴展至製衣業務，遍布內地、菲律賓和印尼。1985年收購漢國置業有限公司，投資物業。及後，建業集團進一步拓展至地基、打樁、鑽探、航空系統、機電工程等領域，落實建築服務「一條龍」策略。於千禧年代，酒店及服務式公寓業務正式在亞洲起動。
憑藉王博士卓越的管理能力和前瞻眼光，公司發展一日千里。目前建業集團旗下有四間公司現於香港聯合交易所有限公司主板上市，分別為建業實業有限公司（股份代號216）、漢國置業有限公司（股份代號160）、建聯集團有限公司（股份代號385），以及建業建榮控股有限公司（股份代號1556），在中國內地、香港、澳門及日本多地共有約2,300餘名員工，在全球投資和管理資產超越港幣 260億元。
儘管轉戰商業領域，王博士對數學研究仍滿腔熱忱。其學術研究橫跨半個世紀，累計發表超過150篇研究論文，其中包括發表在《數學分析與應用期刊》（「JMAA」）上的多篇論文。最廣泛被引用的論文之一，就是巴拿赫不動點定理的擴展研究，以及對微分方程振盪的相關研究。此外，他與鄺文錦教授展開長期合作及研究，共同撰寫超過17篇論文。在2012年，他更獲邀擔任「JMAA」的榮譽編輯，亦擔任加拿大菲爾茲基金會的受託人。
王博士曾在香港浸會大學、香港科技大學、香港城市大學和香港大學擔任研究教授，並於2004年至2016年擔任香港大學數學系榮譽教授。王博士學術貢獻重大，更在2012年榮獲貝勒大學傑出校友及傑出成就獎；2013年，獲頒發香港大學名譽大學院士；2014年，榮獲加州理工學院最高榮譽傑出校友獎。有前同事形容王博士為行內專家，同時展示出謙遜、慷慨精神，對自己研究的領域相當專注，其無私的精神令人敬佩。
除了商業和學術成就顯赫，在家庭方面，王博士是一位慈愛的父親，育有兩名子女。他的兒子王承偉是一名律師，現任建業集團主席，延續著家族生意的傳承；女兒王姸則為一名持有美國和香港執業執照的內科醫生，專注於內科和整合醫學。為了進一步支持學術研究，王博士家人設立「王世榮博士JMAA獎」，這每兩年頒發一次的獎項，由全球資訊分析公司Elsevier作配對，旨在表彰傑出的數學研究貢獻。
王博士積極參與多項公職，致力於推動香港社會的發展與進步。他曾出任多個委員會成員，包括香港勞工諮詢委員會、香港紡織業諮詢委員會（曾經代表香港參加世界貿易組織關於多種纖
維協定）、香港學術評審會、研究資助局以及香港浸會大學校董會和香港公開大學（香港都會大學前身）校董會成員。1987年，王博士因其在公共服務領域的傑出表現而獲委任為太平紳士，彰顯王博士對香港社會的深遠影響與無私奉獻。
王博士在學術和商業領域的卓越能力，使他成為一位具有遠見的領袖。他深信數學和商業管理可發揮協同效應，皆因數學有助培養數理邏輯的精確性，而商業決策講求創造力和適應思維。王博士在學術與商業兩個截然不同的領域，大放異彩。
在2025年2月16日，王博士在親人陪伴下安詳辭世，享年86歲。他的一生展示出堅韌精神、智慧追求及多元發展，他平衡學術和商業雙職生涯，可激勵國內甚至海外有意追夢的人共同奮鬥，為社會帶來更多貢獻。
深切懷念我們的王世榮博士，您的言行，銘記於心。