October, 2006 - The University of Hong Kong

The Vice-Chancellor’s Message to New Students
at the Inauguration Ceremony for New Students on 4th September 2006
A warm welcome to all our new students! You are now
beginning a new chapter in your lives and these will be very
exciting times for you. I encourage you to make the most of
all the University has to offer.
I also want to congratulate you. In joining us at HKU, you
are doing more than enrolling at Hong Kong’s first and foremost
university. You are now a part of a family which places great
importance on academic excellence and service to society; a
family of which Dr Sun Yat-sen, the founder of modern China,
was a member; and a family that has helped build the Hong
Kong we know today.
Tradition is at the heart of HKU, and you only have to
look around the campus to see it. The University’s oldest
building, the Main Building, was built almost a century ago
and is rich with history. During the Second World War, it
endured the ravages of looting and its timber was ripped
out for firewood. It has seen generation after generation of nervous students
shuffle in for their examination; and, early on in the University’s history, many
of those same students would return to it later, excited and confident, for their
graduation ceremony.
Great traditions also live on in people, and generations of the HKU family
have proudly demonstrated the University’s traditions of commitment to Hong
Kong, a sense of duty to society, and loyalty to the University. These traditions
are now being passed on to you, and I am asking you to add to them, and
take them further.
The future awaiting you will be more internationalised than any
previous generation. As it is, we already have a culturally diverse student
population at HKU: over 15% of our current student population are
from outside Hong Kong, representing over 50 countries. We intend
to increase the number of international students even further, and
soon, our curriculum will be aligned with the majority of education
systems around the world.
The 1,000 seats Loke Yew Hall was filled to capacity. More than 1,800 students
watched the Ceremony by live broadcast in nearby rooms.
Now is also the time for our new students to embrace a
wider, richer, more international and multicultural world view
– because regardless of where you are from, you all share a
common destiny of an internationalised future. Embrace
differences and be open to them, stay true to what is right,
and prepare yourself to be a global citizen.
Global citizenship means feeling a sense of responsibility for
the impact that your choices will have on others – locally, and
across boundaries of nation, race, and religion. It means learning
about other cultures and taking up new languages. It means becoming
independent-thinking, culturally-aware individuals who are prepared
to make a difference in the world.
So whether you are a student from the Mainland or another
country, I hope you will be generous in sharing your home
cultures with your classmates, and that your time with us at
HKU will be intellectually and culturally rewarding.
If Hong Kong is your home, remember the responsibilities that come with
that privilege: our Mainland and foreign students, though part of the HKU family,
are nevertheless guests to the territory and may need your help from time
to time. I hope you will develop strong friendships and learn from each other.
HKU has academic links with more than 400 overseas universities and ongoing
student exchanges with over 150 partner institutions in 20 different countries.
I encourage you to look into the possibility of living and studying abroad, and
learning more about the world first hand.
There are many ways to begin your global citizenship, and there is no better time
to start than now. I am counting on you to strengthen this tradition here at HKU,
and to make it – at a university already rich with tradition – one of our strongest
and proudest. Once again, congratulations to you and welcome to HKU.
Note: Video recording of the Inauguration Ceremony is available at
http://www.hku.hk/osa/whatshot.html September 2006 item (24) Video
of “Inauguration Ceremony for New Students 2006”
New students put on green gowns to signify the beginning of their university career.
Inauguration Ceremony for New Students
Secretary for
Justice Urges
New Students
to Aim High,
Dig Deep
N ew
students at the
University of Hong Kong
were urged to aim high, dig
deep, increase general
knowledge, and broaden
experience during their undergraduate studies.
In an address delivered on September 4 at the Inauguration Ceremony
for New Students at the University, the Secretary for Justice, the Hon.
Wong Yan Lung, SC, JP, admonished them against the tendency of becoming
complacent.
He exhorted the students to set their sights high: “Try moving your goal
post outside your comfort zone. Do not be content with just the mediocre.
Do not settle for the second best.” Referring to the importance of asking
questions during and after class, he stated: “Ask questions until you truly
understand the subjects. Do not be afraid to expose your inability or even
stupidity.”
“Don’t be afraid to fail but do not get bogged down with failures. We
learn wisdom from our failures more than from our successes,” was his
advice to the students.
“I am so pleased to know that HKU is determined to increase the
percentage of its overseas students in the next few years.” Mr Wong
added, “This will enrich your campus life and help make HKU a truly
world-class university.”
He said: “Because tertiary education is gradually becoming a matter of
course, some do not cherish the opportunities they now enjoy and do
not see the point in exerting themselves on their studies. This is in stark
contrast with their counterparts in the Mainland where one sees a
tremendous “fighting” spirit, driving young people to achieve greater
excellence.
“We in Hong Kong are competing against the best talents in the world.
Know the truth, meet the reality, so that you know where you stand, in
what direction you should move and what degree of diligence you should
exercise,” he continued.
“Enjoy your freedom,” the Secretary of Justice advised, “but also nurture
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your self-discipline so that you would not be enslaved by any pursuits,
and so that you would be able to exercise your freedom in its proper
course.”
He warned, “Beware of the Internet. It is of course extremely useful
for research and communication. However, some have allowed the cyber
world to so dominate their source of information that a lot of downloaded data was just skipped through without in-depth analysis. Worse
still, many young people sought sexual gratification through voyeurism
and cyber pornography.”
“According to this year’s opinion survey on the public ranking of universities
in Hong Kong,” he went on, “the University of Hong Kong was once again
ranked as the best performing local university and its graduates continued to
be the most preferred candidates by potential employers. You are among the
best young men and women we have in Hong Kong. So get prepared and
make the most of it. The future belongs to you.”
In conclusion, Mr Wong, former Chairman of the Special Committee
on Legal Education of the Hong Kong Bar Association offered his best
wishes to the new students by saying: “As you enter this new stage of
higher preparedness, may I wish you all every success, good health and
spirit, and a very happy and fruitful university life.
Note: the full text of the Secretary for Justice’s speech, including
interesting personal stor ies, is available at http://web.hku.
hk/~supportu/publication.html
Inauguration Ceremony for New Students
“While TAKING,
remember to GIVE,”
said Mrs Teresa Tong, Convocation Chairman.
“T he University of Hong Kong has a long tradition of nurturing civic
leaders of society. Generations of HKU graduates have been beacons in
serving their community, championing causes, in the political, social and
economic arenas, both locally and abroad. They have also helped the
disadvantaged, alleviating poverty, fighting AIDS and taking care of orphans
and the less privileged members of society,” Mrs Tong informed the new
students.
“You will discover that these leaders and the HKU Family, which is one of
HKU's greatest strengths, consisting of staff, alumni, donors, friends, mentors
and supporters are eager to help students realise their dreams.” she said.
“Continue this tremendous tradition and take advantage of the valuable
resource, to strike off on the path of your choice and open yourself to all the
possibilities in the world. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, but take a breath and
create opportunities for yourself to lead and organise activities, to set new
traditions or rejuvenate old ones, to reach out to the world and explore new
horizons. While doing so, make time to do your bit for society. You will be
proud to know that HKU students today are doing no less than their predecessors.
Many current students have founded associations, campaigned for the education
of deprived children in rural villages in mainland China, raising over $300,000
from alumni and the public to build schools in China etc.” Mrs Tong continued.
Mrs Tong said. “HKU Convocation, of which I
am Chairman, is a statutory body comprising
all graduates. The day you graduate, you will
automatically become a member of the
Convocation and you will be a member of the
University Family for life. And so, from the
Brothers and Sisters before you, I bring you the
best wishes and support. Welcome to HKU,”
Mrs Tong concluded.
“When you graduate, your membership of the HKU Family does not end. Rather
it extends beyond your final examinations and spreads far beyond the campus,”
Note: Full text of Mrs Teresa Tong’s speech
i s a va i l a bl e a t h t t p : / / w e b. h k u .
hk/~supportu/publication.html
We have to make Hong Kong an
international city with substance and
the University of Hong Kong an
institution with roots firmly in the
ground, embracing the Motherland and
possessing a global outlook
increased. In the seventies, students began
to become politically aware. Many of
them see themselves as Chinese, as
opposed to British Chinese, and they
started an anti-colonialism movement.
One of their better-known campaigns
was fighting for Chinese to become the
official language in addition to English.
One can imagine how the University has become more localised since then.
Mr Lau Fong, President of the HKU Students’ Union
In recent years, the University set out to become an internationalised university.
More non-local students are admitted in the hope of bringing international
perspective and network to our students.
Welcome to the University of Hong Kong.
A hundred years ago, this University was founded when Sir Frederick Lugard,
then Governor of Hong Kong, who felt an urgent need to establish a university
in or near China to compete with other Western powers (notably, Prussia,
which had just opened Tongji University in Shanghai). Lugard laid the foundation
stone of the Main Building on March 16, 1910, claiming to “establish a university
for China” and hoping that the university would educate more Chinese people
in British “imperial values”, as opposed to those of other Western powers.
Back then, a significant part of the student population was comprised of students
from Southeast Asia and the West. As many graduates became civil servants;
we can fairly describe the University as a training ground for the colonial
governing elite. During that time the Students’ Union conducted meetings in
English even when all the participants were Chinese. It is said that the Standing
Orders for meetings, which we are still using now in the Students’ Union, were
used to teach students parliamentary procedures used in the government.
In the following years the number of university places increased gradually and
as university education became popularised, the percentage of local students also
After this brief introduction to these changes in policy, we can see how
admission policy and the extent of internationalisation of the University were
affected by time.
If we have confidence in our culture, we can objectively face other cultures
as what they are. If we work harder with our language education and create a
suitable bi-lingual learning environment starting from primary school, it will not
be too hard to master two languages. If the government puts in enough resources
so that university places for local students will not be affected drastically, and
finds a way to retain non-local graduates, we can internationalise without
sacrificing our local competitiveness.
You and I can contribute to better internationalisation in the University and
in Hong Kong. After the term started, when you meet someone from another
culture, approach him or her proactively. As long as you are curious, you will
discover a lot of new things. This is university education, Hong Kong University
education.
Thank you.
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Inauguration Ceremony for New Students
Going down the memory lane
With Dr Albert Chau, Dean of Student Affairs
The University of Hong Kong was founded in
1912, the same year as Tsinghua, Fudan and
Stanford, to educate students of all races,
nationalities and creeds and prepare them “to go
forth into China with standards of life, with
conceptions of duty, with characters and ideals
formed during their training within the walls”
(Sir Frederick Lugard, 1912).
The foundation stone of HKU being laid in 1910.
The Main Building was completed in 1912. Everything
took place there for the first intake of less than one
hundred students, all male. Classes were taught in the
Main Building and the first library was located in it.
Before halls of residence were built, students even lived
there.
The first hall of residence for men, St John’s Hall, was
completed in 1912.
The first hall of residence for women, St Stephen’s Hall, was
completed in 1923.
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Foundation Day, March 16, was
celebrated with a bazaar in the
University’s second year.
Inauguration Ceremony for New Students
Going down the memory lane continued
The first graduation ceremony took place in
1916 in the Great Hall (now LokeYew Hall).
The first Students’ Union Building opened in 1919,
now known as the Hung Hing Ying Building where
both students and staff relaxed and read.
Dr SunYat Sen, the Father of Modern
China and a proud alumnus of HKU,
was greeted by prolonged cheering
and hand clapping when he returned
to campus to address the Students’
Union in 1923.
‘I feel as though I have returned
home, because Hong Kong and
the University of Hong Kong are
the birth place of my knowledge.’
“亦有如遊子歸家，因為香
港與香港大學是我知識誕生
之地。”(Dr SunYat Sen, 1923)
The early sports teams
The university swimming team in 1930
Ladies Long Jump in 1930
The HKU Shield captures the importance the
University places in both knowledge and morality
in the mottos 明德格物 in the centre and
‘Sapientia et Virtus’ at the bottom.
Inter-hall Tug of War in 1949
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Inauguration Ceremony for New Students
Going down the memory lane continued
Student life now: lectures and forums
Students challenge their own limits in
adventure education programmes.
Nobel Laureate Professor John Nash speaking at the General Education Forum
“Learning from Nash’s experiences.”
Performances by international students
Students learn team work with
fun.
6
New Students Admission
‘Most of the highest achieving students in Hong Kong
come to HKU in the 2006 admission exercise,’
said Professor John A. Spinks, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Director of International Student Exchange.
A ccording to Professor Spinks, the Admissions Report for 2006 has
concentrated on academic achievement, simply because this is easiest
to provide objective data for. But, many of the large groups of applicants
- including the non-JUPAS applicants, mainland and other international
applicants, and the Early Admissions Scheme applicants - are also
interviewed prior to admission, thus allowing the University to look
at factors other than merely academic achievement, such as the kind
and level of maturity, communication ability, creative and critical thinking,
and powers of reasoning, that HKU feels would make an HKU student
different from others. Academic achievement is necessary but not
sufficient for HKU and its graduates! Nevertheless, our new student
intake this year has continued to be the best academically in Hong Kong.
As an indication of this, we had over
10,000 applications from high
achieving students from the Mainland
alone this year, for our quota of only
300 students!
The above article is extracted from
“Admissions 2006: Another Year of
Success for HKU” by Professor John
Spinks. The full report on Admissions
2006 is available at http://www.hku.
hk/admission/reprot/. Comments
maybe sent to ugadmn@reg.hku.hk.
Freshers’ Carnival
The Freshers’ Carnival was organised to build a culture of fun and service, celebrate the admission of new students, remind students
how they might use their university career to grow as a whole person and prepare themselves for a life of service after graduation.
Day 1, 11th September 2006
- Forum “HKU Nurtures Community Leaders”
Dr Albert Chau, Dean of
Student Affairs, greeting the
“Freshers” and guests.
Community leaders sharing their experience with students, from left to right Ms Priscilla Tsang, the Moderator,
Mr Chong Chan-yau, Mr Linus Cheung and Mr Lam Chiu-ying. See pages 10 and 11 for their messages to students.
100 reasons to be proud
of HKU.
Professor Lap-chee Tsui, ViceChancellor, giving the opening
remarks.
Students from 13 countries greeting the assembly in their own languages.
The meeting corner for
students and alumni.
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Freshers’ Carnival
Day 2, 12 September 2006
- Campus Life: Performances by Student Societies
The Starr Hall Band
Dancing Club
Magic Club
Sports Climbing Club
Day 3, 13 September 2006
- Career Forum “Life Beyond U”
Mr Herman Chan, Placement Consultant of the Careers Centre,
chairing an experience sharing session with graduates.
Speakers, staff and students mingling and sharing.
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From left to right Ms Gloria Cheung, Mr Philip Lui, Ms Renee Zhang
and Mr David Lee. See pages 11 and 12 for their messages to students.
Freshers’ Carnival
Day 4,
14 September
2006
- Taking from
HKU and
Giving to
Community
Judges and contestants at speech competition.
Speech Competition Contestant
Vincent Leung, MBBS Year 2
“H ow to make the best use of the years in
HKU?” was the question I faced when I first
entered the University. I’d like to share with you
a story.
A young man set off to find the secret of life. After
40 days through the desert, he finally arrived at a
beautiful castle. The wise man was too busy to attend
to the boy’s question. He, however, told the young man
to look around the place. “And take with you this spoon of oil, but do not allow it to spill.”
The young man climbed and descended many stairways, but kept his eyes on the spoon.
He returned to the wise man.
The wise man asked, “So what did you see in my castle? Did you see the paintings
and sculptures?” The young man honestly answered no. “Go and see it then,” instructed
the wise man. Two hours later the boy came back and reported excitedly what he saw:
the plants in the garden, the books in the library etc. “But where’s the spoon of oil?”
asked the wise man. Looking down, the boy saw all the oil was gone.
“There’s only one piece of advice I can give you”, said the wisest of wise men.
“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never forget the
drops of oil in the spoon”.
And so is the secret of living a university life. There is probably no one single
way to success and fulfillment. Yet I am sure if you can keep your goals in focus
while exploring as much as you can at all times, you are well on your way.
Fortunately for me, it was at a Toastmasters meeting that I found my
answer early on in my university career, and that is, “Enjoy the process,
but carve the goal.” This is my secret. Would you like to join me and my
members at the HKU Campus Toastmasters Club to make new friends
and practise public speaking? You can find us meeting in the Convocation
Room, Main Building every 1st and 3rd Wednesday between 7:00 and
9:00 pm or reach us at hkutmc@gmail.com.
Students affixing
their academic
wish of
achievements
on the display
board.
HKUSU Executive Committee members singing Union Song.
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Freshers’ Carnival
Messages from graduates
“I recall in 1970, students from two halls of residence,
Ricci Hall and University Hall, stormed and wrecked Hornell Hall to retaliate
against alleged cheating at the music competition ‘Union Night’. We believed we
have the moral high ground, but were ultimately penalised by the Disciplinary
Committee. That taught me the important lesson of distinguishing what is right
and wrong in an objective manner. The lesson is still useful to me today, particularly
when I have difficult decisions to make.
Mr Linus Cheung Wing Lam
BSocSc 1971
Former President of the HKUSU Sports Association
and member of Ricci Hall
Former Deputy Managing Director of Cathay Pacific,
and former Deputy Chairman of PCCW Limited
Like some of you, I had the misfortune of being dumped by my girl friend in
my second year. I was heart-broken and drowned my sorrow in daily exercising.
The silver lining of that dark cloud was developing a daily routine of physical
exercise, which I am still adhering to today. Besides acquiring good health I have
learned to be alone with myself. This is the second important lesson I learned
in my undergraduate days, i.e. thinking positively and being ready for any obstacles.
Indeed, obstacles may actually turn out to be beneficial opportunities.”
“Let me leave this thought with you, the past is not important because you have
the present and the future,” he added.
Current member of Council, HKU and Council
Chairman of Community College, HKU SPACE
Describing himself as a humble civil servant, the Director of
Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Lam Chiu-Ying had this to say about trust. “You should not trust your
teachers a hundred percent; likewise, you should not trust the Hong Kong Observatory a hundred
percent. Rather, with both the University and the Observatory, you should learn to question. Indeed,
it is from questioning that we get educated.”
As an example, Mr Lam quoted how he and his fellow student leaders at HKU, and around the
world, questioned university governance in the early 1970’s, believing that rules can be broken; that
anything can be discussed; and that things can be changed. As the Chairman of the Science Society
he participated in the student movement organised by HKUSU and was among one of the first
group of students to sit on university boards as an elected representative. During the height of the
movement students occupied the Loke Yew Hall in their stand-off against university administration!
Mr Lam Chiu-ying
BSc 1972
Director of Hong Kong Observatory
It is this freedom and room to learn that Lam treasures about his student days at HKU. He reckons
that two thirds of his learning at the time came from dealing with people and shouldering responsibilities.
Academic learning constituted only one third, according to Mr Lam. He went on to extol the benefits
of using campus life to interact with people, participate in activities and learn about other people
and become aware of oneself.
According to Mr Lam a university is not a place for academic studies and resumé building alone.
Those are the objectives of pre-vocational institutes. Rather, universities are places where one
develops value systems and constructive attitudes. In his time, Mr Lam learned to accept criticisms.
“I realised that I’m not the best but need vitamins to grow. Criticisms are the vitamins for a healthy
life. They are available to anyone who opens the window to let the world in. Be humble but maintain
self confidence. This is the attitude that Mr Lam hopes students would inculcate in themselves.
10
Freshers’ Carnival
Messages from graduates
“HKU gave me many gifts. In the first place, it gave me the belief that the
society can be improved and that bias, inequalities, misunderstandings, stereotypes etc. can be
changed through action and practice.”
Mr Chong Chan-yau, MBE
MPhil (London) 1986
MSc (London) 1985
BA 1981
Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (TOYPA) 1991
“The other gift was the Ricci Hall family. I am convinced of the belief: ‘Once a Riccian, always
a Riccian’. I had a great time at Ricci Hall,” said Chan-yau. “It is perhaps a well-known ‘secret’ that
the orientation of traditional halls in HKU is not easy to deal with. However, the myth did not
scare me off from applying to join Ricci. When I was admitted and had to participate in orientation
activities, I asked my hall mates not to “discriminate” against me by being easy on me because of
my handicap. I wanted the whole works, including the third degree. This, they did, and I survived
orientation with another handicapped student. He was mobility challenged so I was his legs. Because
he could see, he was my eyes. And we made it together. The most unforgettable thing during
the orientation was the sense of solidarity among freshmen.”
Chan-yau’s association with Oxfam began in 1979 when Cambodia was invaded by Vietnam
and he initiated a fund-raising programme in Ricci to help Cambodian refugees. Since then he
has organised many activities for Oxfam to “help the poor to help themselves”.
“HKU provides an environment for students to initiate activities and experiment. Academic
study is not the only opportunity to learn. Take advantage of the liberal culture on the HKU campus
to participate actively in hall life and student activities. There are marvellous opportunities to learn.”
Gloria Cheung was known for the campaign she led during the
Chung Ting Yiu incident of 2001. A letter from Dr Chung Ting Yiu, Director of the Public Opinion
Programme, to the South China Morning Post and the subsequent public inquiry led to the resignation
of Professor Cheng Yiu Chung, the then Vice-Chancellor of HKU.
Her success was a result of much hard work. Since the event took place during the long summer
vacation, Gloria had a difficult time getting the campus community to pay attention to the issue. She
went to every hall of residence and office to talk to students and teachers who were still on campus.
She quickly formed a Committee and publicised the incident through a lot of articles to newspapers
and radio interviews, the latter alone numbered between 50 to 60.
Ms Gloria Cheung
BSocSc 2001
Former President of HKUSU
Campaigner of Greenpeace
What was more important to Gloria than learning to organise a campaign was learning to examine
facts, analyse the society, and drive cultural change. Her success did not come easily as she had to
struggle against family objections and financial hardship. Fortunately, she managed to win over her
parents eventually. As a student of politics, Gloria found much of the knowledge she learned from the
course applicable to the campaign. Despite the call on her time from these activities, she graduated
with a first class honours degree.
The experience inspired Gloria tremendously. It cultivated in her the passion to work for a just society
and is now devoting her efforts to strengthening civil society by campaigning for Greenpeace. This
occupation suits her well since she does not like a 9 to 5 office job. What she has discovered is that
driving a movement is never easy; and doing so in the society is much more difficult than doing so in
the university. “You have to have wisdom to implement strategies, courage to explore and scrutinise,
and above all passion to cultivate hope,” Gloria said.
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Freshers’ Carnival
Messages from graduates
“Be true to your nature. Do not let other people distract you. Be persistent and pursue
your goals,” said Philip.
Philip was working as an engineering intern on a construction site in the summer of his second year of study,
during which time he discovered that he did not like sitting in the office all day. He would rather spend time walking
around the site, talking with the foremen and exploring the environment. “Being on site changed my life,” Philip
said. It made him realise that his ideal career was to become a policeman. However, job prospect in that year was
grim for fresh graduates; with over thousands of applicants competing for just thirty police inspector positions.
What was even more troubling was that Philip’s own family and friends questioned his career choice. “Why
choose an occupation that is not related to your academic discipline?” they asked. The answer was simple for Philip.
“I like life to be different everyday.”
Mr Philip Lui
BEng(CivE) 2002
Having an aspiration played a major role in Philip’s success. It motivated him to turn to HKU’s Careers Centre
for assistance. He joined almost all of the discussion groups organised for job-hunting students and learned to
present himself in a professional and effective manner. “Without the Careers Centre, I would not be a policeman
today,” said Philip.
Police Inspector
David Lee won the first prize at the HSBC Young Entrepreneur Awards when he
was in his first year of study. He set up the company Team & Concepts Ltd very soon afterwards to commercialise
his idea. He continued to build up his company even before he graduated. And today he is the proud Chairman
of an IT and professional event management company worth more than one billion US dollars.
“Have your dreams early enough so you have plenty of time to prepare, to make mistakes, and to turn it
into reality,” he said. “HKU gives you lots of opportunities to make mistakes and to try again until you succeed.”
Mr David Lee
BBA(IS)/BEng(SE) 2004
Chairman, Team & Concepts Ltd
“I came from a humble family of hawkers. When I was in primary two, I had to help my family sell oranges
from a trolley in Sham Shui Po, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Hong Kong. From this experience, I
became interested in running my own business. However, I would not be able to do so without the technical
knowledge I learned from the Information System and Software Engineering courses I took with the double
degree in BBA(IS)/BEng(SE).The business administration knowledge I learned also helped. Those two subjects
were difficult to combine, but HKU did it,” he said.
Besides education, David also gained tangible support from the University. The Software Engineering
Department helped him out with accommodation and equipment in the early days and the Computer Centre
was his first customer.
Renee Zhang joined the BBA(Acc&Fin) programme from mainland
China. During her three years at HKU she grasped various opportunities to develop herself and felt like having a
window opened to the rest of the world for her. Her many experiences included being a volunteer in Mothers’
Choice, visiting street sleepers, going on an exchange to Toronto in her second year, and working as a part-time
intern in Goldman Sachs. She is now a Research Analyst in Morgan Stanley.
“My experience during the first year at HKU was life-changing. It enabled me to develop from a follower to a
leader and I went on to organise student activities such as a fund-raising campaign for the needy,” said Renee.
When Renee came back to Hong Kong for the third year of her study she began her job hunting but found it
very difficult at first. She failed in her attempt with an international company. She then searched for help from the
Careers Centre and finally clinched the internship position with Goldman Sachs.
Ms Renee Zhang
BBA(Acc&Fin) 2005
Formerly part-time intern of Goldman Sachs
Now Research Analyst with Morgan Stanley
“In Canada, you are on your own in your efforts to expand your exposure. But at HKU, you receive so many
e-mail messages from the Careers Education and Placement Centre offering services and help. Information is put
in your hands. You do not have to search for it. However, it is up to you to utilise it. This is the difference between
HKU and the other university where I went for an exchange,” Renee said. “I find myself very fortunate to have the
opportunity to study at HKU. Find out what you really want to do and utilise the abundant opportunities HKU
provides to achieve your goals,” she continued.
“During the three years at HKU, I experienced new things every year and came to understand that Hong Kong
is not just a big city that I thought it was when I was in China. Life in Hong Kong is definitely busy but very fruitful,”
concluded Renee.
12
Advice to students
香 港 大 學
THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Dr Albert Chau
Dean of Student Affairs
周偉立博士
學生事務長
Dear Students,
Growing as a Whole Person
As we all know, HKU puts a very strong emphasis on whole-person education. Our mission is to produce
graduates of distinction who are committed to lifelong learning, integrity and professionalism and capable
of being responsive leaders and communicators in their fields. By being leaders, our graduates should be
able to make a difference in the world and effect improvements of human conditions. Success is not measured
by how much one can achieve for oneself, but rather how much one does for other people.
The university years are indeed a very critical stage of life. Students form and consolidate their life goals,
develop perspectives and passion for their pursuits, and build up their competencies to realise their dreams.
I just want to share a few ideas and experiences with you on how to make use of your time in HKU:
a) Be outward looking. Focus your attention on other people and the outside world. Always think of what
you can do for other people and the society. Give and good things will happen to you. My experience
has taught me that calculative people often lose in the long run.
b) Develop a sense of commitment to a worthwhile cause and take up responsibilities. Always adhere to
the highest ethical standards and develop moral courage to uphold such standards.
c) Try to expand your comfort zone, both physically and psychologically. You may want to take on endeavours
novel to you. Read, listen and talk to people, and travel extensively.
d) Be prepared to ask questions and think outside the box. Do not equate “what is” to “what should be”.
Always ask if there is a better way of doing something. If there is, put it forward and follow it through.
As an alumnus and staff of HKU, I am proud to say that HKU provides abundant opportunities and a
good environment that most young people cannot enjoy. You are among the elites of your age group and
possess many abilities that other people do not have. I am sure you want to actualise your potential and
shoulder a larger share of responsibility in advancing the society.
I hope you will find the above tips useful. Thank you very much for reading my thoughts.
Best regards,
Yours faithfully,
Albert Chau
Dean of Student Affairs
Centre of Development and Resources for Students 學生發展及資源中心
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Advice to students
Network and explore
Hong Kong
Thomas Mayr, Italian Exchange Student from Canada
Hong Kong is a great place. It’s one
of the most international places you
can go. Try and take in as much as
you can, whether it is studying,
internship, volunteer work or extra
curricular activities. Keep yourself
busy, not just with drinking (although
it is an important part of life)! As
for me, I kept myself active
networking with expatriates working in Hong Kong, starting with my fellow
countrymen from Italy and Canada. Since I am a business student I started
with the Chambers of Commerce. I am sure there are similar institutions for
different disciplines of study so students can find the ones that suit them most.
Network and make new friends was the advice my Grandmother in Italy gave me before
I left home. She told me when I go abroad I have to go to events to meet people. Of
course it’s a bit hard at first but if you just jump in eventually you will get the hang of it.
I discovered that studying at Hong Kong University helped since it is well known
in the business circle and I found myself well regarded at the networking events.
The monthly happy hour events put on by the Canadian, Italian and Hong Kong
Chambers of Commerce are truly enjoyable. Even when I was busy with classes or
study I would go to these events because they were very rewarding.
Although I was one of the younger people at these events there were also a few
other people around my age. You may feel a bit unsure of how to start conversations
and wondered if people would find you interesting to talk to. You have to shake
this off by telling yourself that you just have to find out by talking to them. Actually
when I introduced myself people were always friendly. Over time you would learn
to present yourself in an interesting way. No matter how light is the impression, it is
better to make an impression than no impression at all. There is nothing to lose and
everything to gain from these events so just be yourself and start some conversations.
Furthermore people at these events are there to network, and they are eager to
meet other people. This explains why they are easy to talk to. People rarely go in
groups and are therefore proactive with talking to strangers.
Breaking the ice is the hardest part. I usually start with light conversation and not
with giving out a business card. Also do not start with job related questions like asking
them straight up for a job! Things like that are consequences of attending these events,
not the other way round. An example of a light icebreaker could be asking the person
what they think of the venue, décor or gathering. Or, wondering how there are so
many people from, or pretending to be from, the same country! It’s a good idea to
be light hearted and show you’re not only about looking for jobs. After the introduction
usually the conversation will go towards what you and the other person are doing
in life, and at some point you will find common interests to talk about like sports,
hobbies, food, etc.
Note:Thomas’ networking efforts landed him an internship with Synovate. Find out
more from the full article at http://www.hku.hk/cepc/NEW/stories/career/index.html
For Intellectually and Network and explore the world
Socially Enriching
outside Hong Kong
Cyrus Mak BSc(SSLM) Year 3
Activities Join the
M
Jeff Cheng Master of Architecture,
PGSA Year2 Vice Chairman, PGSA
The postgraduate student body is a mini United Nations. Besides
the large number of mainland Chinese students among the postgraduate
students, there are many who hailed from Europe, USA, and other
parts of the world. The PGSA hopes to capitalise on this diversity to
enhance the international culture of the campus.
We have just finished our orientation programmes which included
an orientation camp, orientation talks, visits to other local universities,
etc. Throughout the academic year, we hold regular activities such
as sports events, parties, group outings and trips. We also collaborate
with university departments to organise interesting lectures and
workshops regarding postgraduate life and professional development.
The PGSA was set up 13 years ago with the mission to provide a
colourful and fruitful campus life for postgraduate students.
Come and join us to enjoy every moment of your university life.
We believe in working hard and living young. Be seeing you around.
You can find us at the PGSA office in the Graduate House.
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AKE A DIFFERENCE – the vision and mission of the University
of Hong Kong which AIESEC aligns with. As the world’s largest
student organisation aiming at developing future young leaders
to provide a positive impact on the society, AIESEC provides numerous opportunities for students
in HKU to discover and develop their potential, both globally and locally.
In late August, I represented AIESEC HKU in attending AIESEC’s largest annual international congress
held in the capital of Poland, Warsaw. With the presence of over 200 guests and 550 delegates from
over 90 countries, I have truly understood the meaning of globalisation and diversity. By interacting with
around 800 incredible individuals for over 10 days, it has had a huge impact on me as a Chinese.
It broadened my view on life philosophy, allowed me to understand different working styles and
personalities and further developed my communications skills. In addition, their diverse yet inspiring
perspectives on different global issues like corporate responsibility, energy sustainability, finance, education
and HIV/AIDS had made the congress a dynamic, interesting and fruitful one. Moreover, I had never
imagined that there would be more than 40 managers from different companies and countries flying
all the way to the congress to provide workshops to sharpen the delegates’ leadership skills. This 11day international congress had not only expanded my global
networks and horizons, it had also enhanced my cultural sensitivity
and leadership skills. It had also made me realise what a real
global leader is and how each individual can truly contribute to
the world in ways which they had never imagined.
It was also a very special opportunity for me to appreciate
the strong linkage between Poland’s history and its culture.
For example, I was deeply impressed by the spirit of unity of
the Polish which they called “Solidarity”.
Being the future pillars of our society and global citizens, it
is undoubtedly essential for students to understand the world’s
situation and make it a better place.
Grasp your chance to create your own life-changing experience!
Dialogue Welcomes the New Directors
Director of Student
Development
Mr Chong Chan-yau, MBE, MPhil (London) 1986, MSc (London) 1985,
BA 1981, former Executive Director, Oxfam Hong Kong, commenced his
appointment as the new Director of Student Development on 3rd October
2006. In the following article Mr Chong explains why he has taken up the
position.
From Chong Chan-yau
I crossed Bonham Road with the guidance of the
audible traffic light signal, the white cane and the
orientation instruction of Candice, my wife.
I took two flights of steps to reach the level of
the Museum, and then mounted five flights of steps
to arrive at the lift lobby. The lifts equipped with
Braille signs brought me to KK Leung. Following the
guided path, I emerged from the glass door to reach
the staircase leading to Student Development and Counselling, one of the three
functions of CEDARS (Centre of Development and Resources for Students).
This exercise might be a challenge to you if you are sighted. To me travelling
independently without sight is not only manageable but is actually enjoyable as it
gives me time to exercise my mind as well as my body.
Why have I come back to the University after 19 years? It has been a long
journey. And I only have space to give a short answer here.
Some of you may know that I became blind very early on and worked through
obstacles and discrimination to reach the University of Hong Kong. One of my
first jobs, after graduation, was at HKU before I left for the Government to take
up the position of Administrative Officer. Then I left one of the most sought-after
careers in town to devote thirteen years promoting Oxfam’s mission of poverty
eradication, combating social injustice and promoting international development
in Hong Kong and China. Much satisfaction and many lessons have been gained.
Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) has, as an organisation, grown in credibility, capacity,
income and impact. It is heartening and highly satisfying to be associated with an
organisation that has managed to develop poverty reduction projects in over 30
countries in Asia and Africa, sometimes in difficult contexts. OHK supports relief
effort in life threatening situations such as Rwanda in 1994, East Timor in 1999,
Director of Counselling
PhD(Cl Psy) CUHK 2004
MSocSc(Cl Psy) 1983
BSocSc 1981
F rom Dr Eugenie Leung
I dare to take up the challenge of switching
from a healthcare setting to student counselling
because of a passion for HKU and a wish to promote
better psychological well-being of the university
population. The passion and affiliation dated back to my first two degrees from
the Psychology Department and as a St Johnian and hall tutor. Having spent
the first decade of my clinical psychologist career in the correctional settings
working with violent offenders, and the second decade in a psychiatric hospital
working primarily with depressed individuals and in community mental health
education, I fully believe that early prevention and intervention in young
adulthood is very crucial.
Over these years, I have witnessed how people in Hong Kong are increasingly
as well as Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years, and Sudan as of now. Oxfam responds
to humanitarian crisis such as tsunami, and promotes new approach to rural
development in China. In controversial issues such as the WTO, we took a stand
and explained to the public how trade rules should be reformed for the development
of the poor. At the same time, we managed to increase the number of donors
from 3,000 in 1993 when I joined to 90,000 at present.
My mission to fight poverty and injustice, which are prevalent today, has not
come to an end. Rather, I have come to the stage where I am looking for a new
angle to pursue the same cause.
HKU is an attractive arena for me to carry on my mission for two reasons. It
has embarked on the mission to nurture an internationalised culture, campus and
student body, taking advantage of its location as a gateway between China and
the rest of the world. Dr Albert Chau, the Dean of Student Affairs, is also restructuring
the student services sector to give more emphasis to self-development, community
service, and international perspective.
To me, for the University to internationalise, it must include finding solutions to
problems facing human beings around the world. These include sustainable
development, global poverty, peace and human development. My association with
political, business and NGO leaders and grass-root people impressed on me that
there is broad consensus about the need to shake ourselves out of indulgence
and complacency although opinions about solutions may be different.
Is the University’s vision of internationalisation shared by students and their
parents, employers, donors, government and other stakeholders in Hong Kong?
It will be fantastic if young people start to embrace this vision of wanting to make
a difference to the world they are living in. This is particularly important for HKU
students to do so since they are the privileged elites and potential leaders of our
society. So I hope to take up the challenge of sharing with young people a broader
world view, engaging with them to foster the development of core values such as
tolerance, justice, caring, and democracy. I hope to contribute to the University’s
project of internationalisation, including finding solutions to the challenges of human
development.
This role of student development at HKU gives me connectivity and continuity
to my life long commitment of fighting poverty and correcting injustice.
As I design the concrete methods to achieve this goal I hope very much to hear
from you. Let us plan our mission together. Do write to me at email: chanyau@hku.hk,
call me at 2857-8390, or visit me in Room 408, Meng Wah Building. I look forward
to hearing from you.
aware of their psychological well-being, and more ready to seek advice, changes
and counselling if they know the doors are opened for them. I am therefore
committed to ensuring that accessibility, confidentiality, and professionalism remain
the key pillars of student counselling at HKU, while more emphasis will be placed
on assertive and proactive outreach and diversity awareness in the years to come.
Youth is turbulent and malleable, and university provides the best time and place
for self-understanding and self-transformation. I urge students to take up the challenge
of understanding yourself, overcoming blockages, building your personality resilience
and equipping yourself to deal with life adversities and future challenges.
Our counselling team and personal development programmes aim at working
with you to overcome: (1) stress and adjustment issues in university life and
transition periods, such as adjusting to the university learning style and hall life,
time management, homesickness, dependency and autonomy issues; (2) crisis
in life, such as broken romance, complicated relationships, sexuality, conflicts
with parents and peers, victimisation experiences, failures, physical and mental
illnesses in self and significant others; and (3) “emotional baggage” and traumatic
early life experiences that might form barriers to your achievement and personality
development.
After all, the service is free, time-limited and intensive. Why procrastinate and
put it off to your future days?
15
CEDARS
Establishment of the
Centre of Development
and Resources for Students
(CEDARS 學生發展及
資源中心 )
From
Albert Chau, Dean of Student Affairs
On Oct 3, 2006, the Senate approved a proposal to merge the three existing
offices of the student services sector, Personal Development and Counselling
Centre (PDCC), Careers Education and Placement Centre (CePc), and Office
of Student Affairs (OSA) into one single office. The combined office will be
named the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS),
in Chinese 學生發展及資源中心. The decision was made after a detailed
consultation with students and the relevant committees since May 2006.
The integration further assures the role of our work in the whole-person
development of students. We make available the opportunities and resources
for students to develop and grow. Students possess the ownership of learning
while my colleagues and I are facilitators and enablers.
Students will benefit from the integration by enjoying a one-stop service.
As we can deploy our resources in a more flexible manner, we should be able
to maximise the effectiveness of the resources given to us by the University.
We shall strengthen our co-operation with the academic units by creating a
system of “accounts manager”, with one or two officers designated to be the
primary contact(s) for each Faculty. We shall continue to devote our efforts
to build a humanistic, student-centred, supportive, and intellectually and culturally
rich campus environment, promote internationalisation and cultural diversity,
and develop co-curricula learning opportunities such as hall education, internship
and service-based learning. We shall further facilitate communication between
students and the University and integrate our student body with the community.
After the integration, there will be five directors: Mr Patrick Tang (鄧喜添)
as Director of Campus Life, Mr Chong Chan Yau (莊陳有) as Director of
Student Development, Dr Eugenie Leung (梁若芊) as Director of Counselling,
Mr Chan Ping Kwong (陳秉光) as Director of Careers, and Ms Louisa Li
(李蘊彤) as Director of Placement. While every colleague has a basic portfolio,
there will also be soft teams for different projects. All our offices are housed
in Meng Wah Complex, campus life, careers and placement on 3/F and student
development and counselling on 4/F.
After integration, CEDARS will be our name in short and logo. CEDARS
are ornamental trees with durable scented wood and evergreen leaves. We
favour this name as trees have rich meanings which are relevant to our work:
growth, development, and shelter. We are mindful of the Chinese saying
“十年樹木，百年樹人”.
We have recently upgraded our offices to make them more youthful
and student-friendly. Please stop by and have a chat with my colleagues
and/or me.
We always welcome your input to our work. We are in the process of
revising our website (http://cedars.hku.hk/) and setting up our own blog ring
and internet radio. We hope these new initiatives will draw our work closer
to you. In the meantime, please send us an email at cedars@hku.hk or call us
on 2859 2301 anytime.
Editorial Board
Careers Education and Placement Centre: Louisa Li, Josephine Chan, Irene Chen
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