CHANGEIt is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.Charles Darwin

Nov

09

Contents 3 International Students Orientation

4 Snapshots @ Summer

8 Mainland Graduates' Homecoming

9 Spotlight on…

10 CHANGE

12 Nooks and Crannies in HKU

HKU Lingo Jingo

14 Connect HKU & the World

15 FacultieSpecial

16 Guidance Counselors’ Guide to HKU

Published by the Academic Liaison Section

The University of Hong Kong

Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 2241 5886

Fax: (852) 2858 4986

Designed by Bingo Communciation Co

International Students OrientationWith more than 1,400 undergraduate and postgraduate international students hailing from over 61 countries and areas, HKU welcomed them at Loke Yew Hall on August 28, 2009.

A general introductory session was held to orientate foreign students with the university and Hong Kong as a whole. Aside from a whole range of basic information, current international students were invited on stage to share their personal experiences and culture shocks that they faced.

On top of that, separate introductory sessions were held, catering to the needs of different student groups: exchange students, mainland students, non-local full-degree students and postgraduates.

HKU saw a surge in the intake of foreign students this year. For exchange students alone, there is a 17 percent increase from last year. This increase in number adds on greater vibrancy and diversity in the student population, marking HKU as an international university in Asia.

03

Snapshots @ Summer

04

Red Summer Fun!Have you thought of spending your summer in a program guided by scholars from the world’s top universities?

For the fifth year running, HKU had co-organised the highly regarded Crimson Summer Exchange (CSE) Programme together with Crimson China Cultural Exchange Fund Limited for high school and students going to enter university.

This year, the theme for the programme is “Inspiring the Next Generation: Transforming Individuals, Community and the World.” For 15 days, students were being motivated by fellows from Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Yale University.

Various activities, ranging from enrichment courses to fieldtrips, were organized to facilitate the East-West cultural exchange. Topics that were discussed include globalization, the impact of education and ways to improve the community. It is through intimate interaction between the teaching fellows and students that cultural barriers are broken and free flow of dialogues and ideas are generated between both sides.

During the CSE’s Closing Ceremony, Sandeep Talwani, Managing Director of HSBC (Chemicals, Oil and Gas, Diversified Industries Group, Global Banking) acknowledged the hard work of CSE fellows.

“CSE fellows are very good examples to follow – they are in Hong Kong spending a few weeks with you, making good use of your time while showing commitment,” he said.

Lastly, he also advised students that to survive in class and beyond would depend largely on their relationships with fellow peers. “It is very important to cultivate friendship among people and work with them,” he said.

Angela Li“I learned a lot in this programme and I enjoyed every single second of it!”

What students said?Thomas Chan“I am very proud of joining CSE. “

Christie Yeung“It was a brilliant chance to explore different topics and make new friends.”

What CSE Fellows said?

Erica McGibbon

Harvard University

In the words of Carter G. Woodson, “The mere impartation of information is not education.” As

a Harvard fellow of CSE this summer I’m honoured to be a part of a programme that offers an opportunity for students to blossom both as interdisciplinary scholars and globally-aware young adults. I embarked on this mission with CSE to help refine the academic selves of deserving youngsters in China, and so far my expectations have been exceeded in every measure. It has truly been a journey into the mind through the heart, and experience that will live with me always.

Grahame Anderson

University of Cambridge

CSE is unique. It brings together aspirant minds from across the globe in a spirit of learning, co-operation and understanding. This is no mere English learning course, but a genuine programme that inspires the next generation to go on and achieve their best. It has been a great pleasure and honour to be involved in such a wonderful programme; I have every faith that it will continue to go from strength to strength.

Cathy Tran

Harvard University

As a part of CSE, I’ve loved teaching students about the psychology of advertising - something that I personally find fascinating and really enjoyed sharing. I really admire how enthusiastic students and co-fellows have been about both learning and teaching me more about their culture. It’s been a fun ride!

Sarah Davis

University of Oxford

CSE has been a wonderful opportunity to teach enthusiastic students and have a lot of fun at the same time!

Snapshots @ Summer

06

Arts in SummerRenowned playwright David Henry Hwang launched the newly-formed Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) at an afternoon inauguration ceremony on July 13, 2009, followed by an opening reception that night.

Sharing his personal experiences during the inauguration ceremony, Hwang mentioned that he found his passion for the arts in a similar summer programme more than 30 years ago.

“That summer turned out to be a great turning point for me because it was there that I began to ask the question: Who am I?,” said Hwang. And it was art, he said, that helped him to answer his inner queries.

Born and educated in The United States of America, Hwang is the first Asian-American dramatist to have won the Tony Awards in 1988.

This prestigious award is America’s highest accolade for theatre and is presented to his breakthrough play, M. Butterfly.

During the Summer Institute’s opening reception, Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of HKU said the aim of the institute is to promote ‘critical and creative thought’ by strengthening HKU’s commitment to the field of arts and culture. From July to August, it would conduct free events, such as writers’ forums and musical performances open to the public.

“The arts and humanities are about live people connecting with other live people,”

Hwang said.

“The summer institute beginning today is a place to explore what it means to be human.”

What is M. Butterfly about?

Based on a true story, the play M. Butterfly portrays a French diplomat having an affair with a Chinese opera singer. Not until twenty years later did the diplomat realize that his lover was actually a man. At that time, he was charged by the French government with treason. It was come to light that the diplomat’s once-companion, an agent for the Chinese government, had acquired sensitive information from the French diplomat. In Hwang’s play, he looks into the stereotypes that underlie and distort relations between Eastern and Western culture, and between men and women.

Night with the KroksSnapshots @ Summer

07

Ten tuxedo clad men with bow ties clasped on their necks usually conjure up images of a serious and sombre mood. But this was not the case when the Harvard Krokodiloes attracted a full house audience during the Singing Joyfully Concert, jointly held with HKU’s own singing group, Mosaic.

Held on the last week of June, audiences were entertained with pure vocal music for more than two hours at Loke Yew Hall.

The Harvard Krokodiloes is a cappella group formed in 1946 on Harvard University’s campus. Ever since then, the group has been singing classics from the American repertoire from the 1920s to the 1960s.

“We hope this performance would be delightful and entertaining, but artsy and pretentious,” Frank DeSimone, General Manager of the group said to a laughing audience, which are no doubt entertained and amused by their wicked sense of humour.

Despite the glamour on stage, to be part of the Kroks is “the most gruelling thing you could possibly do in your life,” said one member of the group, Matthew Bohrer.

Even as an official member of the Kroks, the tough going does not stop. A typical schedule would involve holding shows and concerts throughout the year to raise money for their yearly tour. During the tour, they would be constantly travelling around from place to place, singing at different timings in different time zones.

Yet being a Krok is “one of the most special things you can do in Harvard”, said Jackson Kernion, another member of the team. “You are entering into a tradition that has been around since 1946.”

“It’s a really, really special feeling to be part of the Kroks,” Kernion said with pride.

It has been ten years since undergraduate Mainland students were admitted to HKU. A decade ago, students across different Chinese provinces departed their hometown and arrived in another territory to pursue their education. On May 30, 2009, nearly 200 of them returned to their alma mater HKU, for a celebratory ceremony to commemorate the success of the admission scheme.

Many of these Mainland students progressed through their course of studies and matured on their paths to become exceptional graduates. They left footprints in many parts of the world, dedicated themselves in areas of research or professional development and achieved significant accomplishments.

Delivering the opening speech, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor S. P. Chow expressed his gratitude to HKU’s partner institutions in the Mainland, students and parents who trust and support HKU.

Also present at the ceremony were HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Chairman of the University Admissions Committee Professor John Spinks, the Registrar Mr Henry Wai, Director of School of Economics and Finance Dr Y. F. Luk, Associate Dean of Faculty of Science Professor A. S. C. Cheung and Professor Michael Wilkinson of Faculty of Law.

“It has been one of my greatest pleasures to have been associated with this Mainland admission scheme all these years,” said Professor Spinks. “The privilege of meeting and talking to outstanding students during selection interviews, during their years at HKU, and even after graduation, has been something that I talk about with pride and amazement.

I hope that it has been, and still is, a rewarding and exciting education, and a valuable preparation for helping to contribute to society’s development through the world of work after graduation.”

Throughout the ceremony, graduates shared with professors, guests, alumni and friends their stories of success after leaving the university and also fond memories of their days in HKU.

To show his gratitude, alumnus Will iam Xia Wei-l iang, now an Associate Professor in Med-X Research a t the Ins t i tu te o f Shanghai Jiao Tong University personally wrote a poem to praise HKU.

To mark the end of the ceremony, a Graduates’ Directory prepared by the China Affairs Office in HKU was distributed to all present. This directory commemorates the 10th anniversary of this scheme and the record and achievements of these alumni.

More than 10 reporters from different provinces and cities of China flew over to HKU to cover this special event, while meeting the alumni in this special occasion.

Associate Dean of Faculty of Science Professor A. S. C. Cheung said Funa Li (a 2008 Faculty of Science graduate) excelled academically.

Graduates of Faculty of Architecture Wen Guo (left) and Wei-jia Dong (right) flew all the way from USA to attend this memorable function. They went to University of California, Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania respectively for further studies.

HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor S. P. Chow, Chairman of the University Admissions Committee Professor John Spinks, together with representatives from different batches cut the cake to mark the occasion.

Professor John Spinks

insisted on ensuring

that every s tudent

who came to HKU

would be personally

and individually cared

for, not just through

their studies, but into

the world of work or

postgraduate studies

beyond.

08

Mainland Graduates’ Homecoming

Having spent more than 27 years in his job, Dr. Philip Beh is a professionally trained forensic pathologist. Currently with the Department of Pathology in The University of Hong Kong Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, he is the only forensic doctor that is currently employed in a university in Hong Kong.

In his words, forensic science is all about “unpleasant stuff”.

Tell us, what does it mean to be a forensic scientist?

Forensic science is about dealing with a lot of unexpected deaths. We do autopsies and we go to the scene of death or incident. But apart from that, what is a little bit different is that we also get involved in dealing with rape or child abuse.

So what’s the purpose of forensic science?

We have to prepare a medical report that can be presented to the court particularly if there is arrest involved. In another sense, it is about helping non-medical people understand medical issues. Most of our time, we have to interact with people who are not medically trained for example the lawyers, the judges etc. It is our duty to make medical science more understandable to them. That is really the challenge.

How many forensic scientists do we have in Hong Kong?

If we look at forensic doctors, the Hong Kong government has a unit called the forensic pathology service that employs 16 or maybe 17 full-time doctors, who do nothing else but forensic work for the whole of Hong Kong. In terms of university, I’m the only one in university. Except HKU, none of other universities in Hong Kong has a forensic post, partly because it is not a common area of work.

What is the most memorable case that you had encountered?

There is not really a particular one. There are cases where I remember because it is emotionally troubling.

For example, a four-day-old baby died allegedly at home. Till now, I still believe that it’s the mum who killed the baby, but the way the law works, we could not successfully prosecute the mum. We went through a lot of legal procedures attempting to take her to court for infanticide but in the end, we could not. It was a long, long time ago, in the early years of my career. I was quite frustrated and that is why I still remember this.

What is the greatest satisfaction you get out of your job?

To be able find out the cause of death after doing an autopsy and being able to answer questions from doctors who did not know what happened or from family members who simply wanted to know what was going on.

I get interesting things every now and then. For example, I helped to set up the HK rape crisis centre and am involved with setting up a more systematic way to categorize people claiming torture or claiming refugee status because of torture. These are little interesting things an average medical doctor would not get involved with.

Except HKU, none of other universities in Hong Kong have a forensic post, partly because it is not a common area of work.

My greatest satisfactions I get out of my job are to be able find out the cause of death, being able to answer questions from doctors or from family members.

Getting to know

Dr Philip Beh, Associate Professor

MBBS HK; DMJ (Clin et Path) Lond; CTLHE HK; FHKCPath; FHKAM (Pathology)

Department: Pathology

Current research:

• developmentandmaintenanceofa Hong Kong Homicide Monitoring Database. Data collected in this ongoing project is proving to be important for research into the many different types of homicide

• exploringthereasonsforadeclineinautopsies

Awards, Honors:

President – World Police Medical Officers 2005-2008

President-elect Hong Kong Forensic Science Society 2006-2008

Chief Examiner (Forensic Pathology) – Hong Kong College of Pathologists 2006-2008

V i c e - P re s i d e n t – I n t e r n a t i o n a l Association of Forensic Sciences 2002-2005

Faculty Teaching Medal – Faculty of Medicine, HKU 2003

SEDA Accredited Teacher in Higher Education

Co-Investigator in RGC Grant on Homicide in Three Chinese Cities

Co-Investigator in Lotteries Fund Study Grant on Homicide-Suicide in Hong Kong

Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine

Editorial Advisory Board Member, Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine (Elsevier) (2005)

Spotlight On…

CHANGEUniversity life might intimidate some, might thrill some and might sound like freedom to some. Read on to find out more about how different people define their lives in The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

StudiesEducation at HKU promotes small class teaching and close interpersonal relationship between professors and students that attracts students from all over the world.

Timo Heinonen, First year Bachelor of Social Sciences student from Finland

"Studying at HKU was different from what I had expected. Prior to joining the institution, I studied at another university in Helsinki, Finland. HKU has provided me with a more comprehensive and all-inclusive studying environment.

I was able to d iscuss fur ther wi th instructors from tutors to lecturers, whereas previously I had only attended impersonal mass lectures. Moreover, communal spirit among all first-year social sciences students enabled me to integrate into university life as well as into Hong Kong society on the whole."

Hall LifeMany HKU students actively choose to live in the 13 on-campus dormitories or more commonly known as hall because of the experiences that they will gain during their stay there.

Chris Wong Chi-chung, President of Morrison Hall

"Hall life is about enjoying the process of participating or organising an activity with your fellow hall-mates, and working towards the same goal. In the process, you’ll get to not only gain new experiences but also train your physical and mental self.

I also treasure my relationships and shared time I had with a bunch of friends who lived and organised activities together with me. It is the spirit of doing it as a team, striving towards the betterment of the hall that makes hall life interesting and flavourful."

Extra-Curricular Activities HKU provides a wide variety of clubs and associations, ranging from sports to cultural groups for anyone to participate and enrich your university life.

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香港這個不夜城，是個國際化，人才匯集的繁榮都市。香港雖是祖國的一部分，卻要來到這人生地不熟，以廣東話為主要交流語言的地方讀書，心裡自然而然會產生不少的擔憂與疑惑。香港大學至今有 800至 1000 名不等的內地同學，就讓其中一名同學替我們解答心中的一些疑問。

于夢溪， 家鄉：蘇州，2007 年高考後在南京大學委培一年， 2008 年來到香港大學就讀新聞專業

你在這兒參加了什麽活動呢？我參加了一個內地學生的唯一一個莊，叫 CSSAUD，翻譯成中文是香港大學本科生聯合會，負責大陸學生的事務。隨著內地的同學群體越來越擴大，關係會越來越密切。我們的組織就是要加強內地生之間的交流，讓我們這個群體更有凝聚力。我本身是文娛秘書，所以會替他們組織外遊活動，例如出海遊和單車行。

內地與香港的學習風氣有什麽差別呢？“最大的不同就是香港大學是用英語教學，跟大陸完全不一樣。內地一定是用普通話教學的。不同的大學有不同的風氣，不怎麽好比較，但我可以說我在南京大學的經驗。我在南大時沒有選課自由，我的課都是被安排好的。我來了港大後才知道所有的課都要自己選。在內地學的課程沒有那麽大的自由性，來到港大後，發現有很多事情都是掌握在自己手裡的。內地的大學一定會比較單一，但港大就是一所非常國際化的大學。你可以碰到各種各樣不同的人，有本地生、外地生、還有我們這些內地生。這是在內地大學不可能體驗到的。”

Five Must-dos in HKU•SipanicedfrappuccinoattheGlobalLoungeinHKU.AllHKUstudentsandstaffgeta30%off!

•Getfreewirelessanywhereoncampus.SimplyregisteryourcomputerIDonlineviatheHKUportal.

•Forhard-coreApplefans,rushdowntotheStudentUniontocheckouttheHKUApplestore’sstudent deals!

•ThereisonlyoneHäagen-DazsvendingmachineinHKU.(PS:CheckoutHakingWongPodium)

•Stareatthefull-bloomlotusflowersinthepondinfrontofRunRunShawbuilding.Asighttobehold!

Patra Li Yim-tong, External Vice-Chairman of Social Sciences Society

"The most important aim of the Social Sciences Society is to represent students’ interest from the Faculty of Social Sciences and to promote more understanding of social events in the local community.

The most memorable event was the Social Sciences Festival held at the end of March this year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the June Fourth incident. We organised a series of activities including forums where we invited guests such as senior China reporter Ching Cheong. I was surprised that this festival not only received attention within HKU but also gained much public attention. Different press organisations and reporters came down to interview us, generating much discussion amongst the general public."

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HKU Lingo Jingo

Nooks and Crannies in HKU

12

搏

Sun Yet Sen Plaza is also known as Happy Park

Sun Yat Sen Plaza, also known as Happy

Park is an empty space right in front of

HKU’s main library and Starbucks café.

Located right in the middle of the Main

Campus, it has a high human traffic

volume, which explains for the myriad

of open-air activities that would be held

there. During semester time, you can

expect almost something different to

be going on every day. Be it a forum, a

discussion, a drama performance or a

bazaar, you can expect a flurry of events

taking place at the heart of HKU.

This is merely evidence of the all-rounded

education that HKU promotes. University

is more than just classroom teaching and

is also about what happens out there.

An amazing range of open-air activities take place at Happy Park Nobel Laureate John Nash once

visited HKU and gave a speech at

Happy Park

Celebrating HKU Information Day at Happy Park

Connect HKU and the World

Universities Exhibition 2009, Taiwan

Hong Kong Education Mission to India,

organised by Hong Kong Trade Development

Council

14

We participate in education fairs all over the world. We also have school visits all year round. Please contact us if you would like to visit us!

Engineering Summer Camp 2009The four days’ residential programme is designed for Secondary Form 4 to Form 7 students who are considering future university studies to explore the various engineering disciplines in HKU, to experience university life, and to have fun! The Summer Camp consists of lectures presented by top-notch professors, laboratory visits with demonstrations, interesting hands-on projects, and field trips to industry sites. The lectures cover topics on the latest developments in engineering. Through participating in hands-on projects and field trips to some major infrastructural facilities and reputable organisations, students will gain further knowledge and understanding of a subject of study.

FacultieSpecial

Students getting to know each other at the

opening of Engineering Summer Camp on

July 27, 2009.

Students participating in small group hands-on projects during

the camp

A group of students visiting the construction

site of Stonecutters Bridge during one of the

field trips

HKU opens Halal Food Corner

The University of Hong Kong has long been committed to establishing a culturally diversified campus environment. The opening of a Halal Food Corner, the first of all the universities in Hong Kong, is another important step in this direction.

The set up of the corner will help to further develop multi-cultural understanding on the campus. The University currently has just a few hundred staff and students of Islamic belief but this is expected to grow with the University's plan to increase the intake of students from Islamic countries in the coming years. The Corner, which sells food permissible under Islamic law, will not be just an additional food outlet, but also an anchor for introducing the Islamic culture to the students and staff here.

HKU – We Excel in Research

In the annual General Research Fund exercise and the Seventh Round of Public Policy Research Funding Scheme by The Research Grants Council (RGC) on June 30, 2009, HKU attained the highest number of awards of any UGC-funded institution (UGC stands for University Grants Committee), with 203 winning proposals in the year 2009-2010. HKU also secured the largest funding of HK$139M from the total yearly allocation of HK$517M by the RGC General Research Fund Award scheme.

HKU Graduates – The Most Sought After By Employers

In an annual poll carried out by HKU’s Public Opinion Poll between May 25 and June 15, 1,201 people were involved in a random telephone survey, including 216 employers. Employers named HKU graduates as the most preferred employees they would like to hire. Respondents also ranked HKU the top university when asked about their general opinions of the performances of universities in Hong Kong.

16HKU ranked in top 25 in the world

The new Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings published in the Times Higher Education in the U.K. on October 8, 2009, showed that The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has risen two places to be the 24th best university amongst the top 200 universities globally. It continues to be, as it has been in the QS and Asiaweek rankings since 1998, the leading English-language university in Asia.

The 2009 rankings saw strong improvements in the HKU's peer review scores, which were reflected across almost all the academic disciplines (Arts & Humanities, Engineering & IT, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Social Sciences, and, with the largest jump, Natural Sciences).

As the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Lap-Chee Tsui noted, “The level of respect accorded to us by our peers around the world is something that we value highly. At the same time, we should not forget about the University's mission to contribute to society and care for our community, two attributes yet to be taken into account in university rankings, but dear to us at The University of Hong Kong.

HKU’s scores on teaching quality and percentage of international students also increased, while it is still one of the world’s leading institutions in terms of the number of international professors.

Guidance Counselors’ Guide to HKU