About Me — Tommy Wong
How an engineering professor becomes a prolific book author
Hi, my name is Tommy. I was born in a secular family in Hong Kong in 1952. My upbringing was practical, with little exposure to spirituality. Yet, even as a boy, I carried within me a quiet yearning: a desire to make the world better.
Studying and Working in the UK
In 1967, at the age of 14, I left Hong Kong for the United Kingdom to continue my secondary education. I eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in 1974 and, later in 1976, a Master’s in Water Resources Technology. At the time, I chose to study engineering because I believed it was the best way to make the world better. Decades later, I realized there’s an even better way.
After graduation, I stayed in the UK to practice engineering before returning to Hong Kong in 1980.
Returning to Hong Kong
At that time, Hong Kong was caught in the frenzy of a stock market boom. Sensing an opportunity, my father set up an investment company, though it was short of staff. Since I didn’t have a job then, I felt it was only natural to help out. I worked there for one year. While this side-step from my engineering path seemed unwise at the time, it brought me the most treasured gift of my life.
The Most Treasured Gift of My Life
Since I was in the investment business, I regularly attended investment courses. In one of them — which seemed like just another ordinary course — I met a lovely young lady named Christina. We chatted, and later went out. From the first outing, there was an extraordinary mutual attraction — love was in the air. Within months of our first date, we were married. It was a marriage made in heaven. To this day, Christina remains not only my life partner but my soulmate. She has been a steadfast supporter in everything I do.
Working in the investment company, I discovered that making money through stock trading wasn’t my cup of tea. It neither fulfilled me nor aligned with the kind of contribution I wanted to make to the world. I therefore happily returned to my engineering practice. That one year away from engineering proved invaluable, as it brought me the most treasured gift of my life — my lovely Christina.
Moving to Singapore
When I returned to engineering practice, I joined an engineering consultancy firm. I initially worked in the design office, but after a couple of years, I was transferred to work on-site as a resident engineer. It was there that I found myself dealing with an unscrupulous and difficult contractor. I believed my consulting company would back me in such a situation. To my dismay, instead of supporting me, they terminated my employment.
It was a tough and disheartening experience. Fortunately, I had Christina by my side, offering both moral and emotional support. Rather than dwell on what had happened, I focused on moving forward. I began applying for jobs in earnest, eventually sending out nearly one hundred applications. However, with several major engineering projects completed by then, the job market in Hong Kong had entered a downturn.
Among my applications was one for an academic position at a university in Singapore. Although I had no teaching and research experience, they offered me the post of Senior Lecturer. While I was pleased with the offer, I was also hesitant. Accepting it would mean uprooting our lives in Hong Kong and moving to a country I knew very little about.
I discussed it with Christina, and in her characteristic spirit of unwavering support, she encouraged me to seize the opportunity. She was even prepared to resign from her job in Hong Kong and accompany me to Singapore. With her wholehearted support, I accepted the offer. In 1985, Christina and I moved to Singapore — stepping into the unknown, not knowing how things would unfold.
Becoming an Engineering Professor
As it turned out, I loved academia. The teaching, the research, the mentoring of young minds — it felt like home. I even pursued a part-time Doctorate degree, which I was awarded in 1994 while juggling the demands of a full-time job.
In 1999, the university revised the academic titles of its staff. For me, my designation was changed from Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor. Although it wasn’t a promotion in the traditional sense, it came with a certain recognition. From then on, I became known as Professor Tommy Wong — an engineering professor.
After receiving my doctorate, my research activities flourished. 2004 turned out to be a particularly memorable year. I received an international award for having written the best discussion paper in an international engineering journal — a significant honor, especially as I had to compete with some of the leading academics in my field worldwide. In the same year, I was invited to speak at an international symposium in South Korea. In 2007, I was appointed as an associate editor for an international journal.
Being named an associate editor was particularly prestigious. In academic circles, it’s a mark of leadership — a recognition that one is regarded as a leading authority in that specialty. I was deeply honored to be entrusted with such a role.
Looking back, over two decades after stepping into academia, I had become an engineering professor, an academic award-winning author, an invited international speaker, and an associate editor for a respected journal. Not bad for someone who started with zero teaching and research experience in academia.
Growing Family
Life was good and stable then, and it felt like the right time to start a family. Christina and I were blessed with three wonderful sons — Alston in 1988, Lester in 1990, and Hanson in 1993.
Seeking Spirituality
At that time, we were also seeking a spiritual connection. So, we explored organized religions. During the exploration, I found that organized religion did not appeal to me. However, there was a type of spirituality outside religion that resonated with my soul. It is sometimes referred to as new spirituality. Indeed, I considered this kind of spirituality the key to making the world better.
From an Engineering Professor to a Prolific Book Author
While I expected the good days to continue, life took an unexpected turn for the worse. In my late 50s, my academic career came to an abrupt halt under the most unusual circumstances. The series of events that led to this — and what followed — is too long and complex to share here. They are described in my autobiography How the Great Spirit Shaped My Life. What’s important, though, is this: the end of my academic career was not the end of my life, either physically or spiritually.
Fortunately, long before this happened, I had already established a connection with an unseen presence I came to call the Great Spirit. Having made my contribution in the field of engineering, I believe the Great Spirit wanted me to make contributions in other areas — especially in the realm of spirituality. So, it took me out of the university to give me the time and flexibility to pursue this work.
To this end, the Great Spirit inspired me to write books, one after another. My first book, How Sai Baba Attracts Without Direct Contact, was published in 2009. The second, Wisdom on How to Live Life, followed in 2010. I also published my two autobiographies in 2016 and 2022. As part of my contribution to new spirituality, I wrote the six-book Spiritual Living series. Among them, the book Wisdom for Living with New Spirituality is special to me, as it offers particularly profound insights — I hope it will help to make the world a little better.
Now in my 70s, I remain inspired to write. Over nearly two decades, I’ve written and published at least one book each year, with some years seeing as many as three. To date, I’ve authored over 30 books across nine book series, spanning four genres: engineering, philosophy, self-help, and spirituality. This is why I humbly describe myself as a prolific book author.
My Onward Journey with You
I feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to write so many books. Each one was inspired by the Great Spirit and carries messages of wisdom that I’ve been grateful to receive and share. In the coming months, I’ll be posting extracts from these books. I hope they’ll bring you something meaningful, or thought-provoking along the way.
All my books are available on Amazon. I’ve shared more about my life’s journey in my two autobiographies, along with life wisdom in my other books. If you’d like, feel free to explore them.
If you enjoyed this story, here is the sequel.
