issue

03 2009-2010

Cover Story Changes of Student Advocacy in Over the Years: student movement in the past vs student advocacy at present Impact of Youth on Society page 2009-2010 02 In This Issue dialogue03 contents Cover Story

03 Changes of Student Advocacy in 14 - 15 Seeing and Reading the Differences Hong Kong Over the Years: University as a Key Base for Nurturing student movement in the past vs Students to Think and to Solve Problems student advocacy at present From Classroom to Community Impact of Youth on Society 04 Think Before You Act 05 Student Advocacy for a Better World: Students Can Benefit from Mutual Learning Fighting the Good Fight 16 Befriend HKU-CEDARS at facebook There is Hope for the City 06 - 07 Summer Programmes on Nurturing Know Before You Judge Students' Participation in Local and What Inspires Me – The Voice of Global Issues a Young Social Advocate

08 Be Prepared 09 What social issues are you most concerned Reach Up to the Stars about? 10 Should activities of social advocacy be 17 - 20 A Life-inspiring Competition credit-bearing in the formal curriculum? My Time with Windsurfing 11 A Kenyan Lesson in Charity My Dream of Chinese Music Our First Social Enterprise 12 A Mistaken Yet Heartening Volunteer Service in Hubei Empowered to Go Beyond the Limit “Enjoy, Care and Share” – Nurturing of Environmental Leaders

13 From Learners to Leaders: A Community Service Perspective

Dialogue

Published by Centre of Development and Resources for Students, The University of Hong Kong Address 3/F & 4/F, Meng Wah Complex Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Website http://cedars.hku.hk Telephone (852)2857 8387 Email Address [email protected] Design Bingo Communication Co.

Please circulate this publication when you finish reading

Special thanks for provision of photos: Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme 2009-2010 Light for Children Cover Story page03 Changes of Student Advocacy in Hong Kong Over the Years: student movement in the past vs student advocacy at present Celeste Ho Ruru Jin Social Sciences, Year 2 Social Sciences, Year 2

“Student advocacy means that students see society in need of reform in areas they find unjust, unacceptable or unreasonable. They may then stage a fight, organise steps of action and advocate changes,” says Professor Lui Tai-lok from the Department of Sociology. There have been profound changes in student advocacy over the years. According to Professor Lui, back in the 1970s, Hong Kong people paid little attention to issues concerning environment, preservation and heritage, but were more interested in welfare issues of Hong Kong people such as the changes in ferry and bus fares. Students were the elite class of society and their voices were well listened to. Nowadays, students join advocacy for different causes, in particular political issues, following the increasing openness of society. As Professor Lui says, today’s society is more receptive to new voices but students are no longer the only group of advocates in the public domain. Other groups of people from all walks of life are also realising the importance of their own rights and are not afraid of putting forward their demands for change. “Almost everyone in society is ready to take the initiative to voice his or her own opinion,” Professor Lui says. “The role of students has been changed. As they are no longer the main voice for expressing social Professor Lui hopes that young people care for society based on their own values and act concerns in our society, they may have to work with other groups in our community for advocacy.” Only according to their own agendas. in this way can students better organise their activities and make their voices heard. Although there are now students who are active in social advocacy, Professor Lui cautions that students in general are becoming very reliant upon services provided by the University. “Students these days can enjoy the privilege of getting assistance from the University all the time. For example, when going on exchange, all they have to do is enroll in programmes which have been pre- arranged by the University,” he says. “Whereas back in my time of being a university student, student organisations had to make all the arrangements.”

Professor Lui says that nowadays most students, instead of taking their own initiative to get what they desire, tend to sit back and wait to be served. As he says, the campus is a place that allows diversity and accommodates different opinions and voices. “The most important thing is when new generations try to put forward their own ideas and agendas, they realise that they must follow their own mind, but not their emotions,” he says. In our changing campus, students are expected to acquire knowledge and skills through experiential learning, overseas study, internship, and by taking common core courses in areas different from their major discipline. Changes in the curriculum are intended to assist students in better equipping themselves to become well-rounded individuals for the betterment of society. “I hope that my students will have the heart to care for society, to think about their own values and to act according to their own agenda, instead of following the social norms or merely their parents’ expectations,” Professor Lui says. page 2009-2010 04 Cover Story dialogue03

Impact of Youth on Society Alda Tsang Postgraduate Certificate in Laws, Year 1

Recent protests and arrests involving the “post-80s generation” have fuelled public discussion and interest over university students’ role and duty in advocacy for social causes. One of HKU’s very own veteran student activists, Mr Benny Tai, now Associate Professor of the Faculty of Law, shares with us his experiences with student-led social movements in the 1980s. When he was still a student at HKU, Mr Tai was the External Secretary of the Students’ Union, Executive Committee member of the Law Association, a member of the Consultative Committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR and student representative of the tertiary institutions in Hong Kong. The frustration Youths often lack a platform to be heard and to be taken seriously – a fact that is not new to Hong Kong and many Asian societies, now and back in the 1980s. “We understood that we might not be heard, at all,” Mr Tai says. “But all we had in mind was that we would try our best to get our messages through.” This is especially so now in Hong Kong, now that Mr Tai’s generation has secured dominant positions in society – politically, socially and economically. The public duty Mr Tai sheds light on how the young people Although challenging, Mr Tai believes that university students have a public duty to care about and can impact society. show concern for social issues because they are heavily subsidised and received a lot of support from the community. “While the older, more experienced generation may be more strategic, students always retain a pure voice in leading social movement,” he says. “Their voices and force have not been distorted due to any other motives but virtue and truth.” With reforms needed in many areas including education, health and the political arena, Mr Tai is eager to see new young leaders achieve some breakthroughs. The means “Back in the 1980s, we wrote press releases, held public gatherings, took matters to the street with processions, and even published comic books,” he says. “Today, students enjoy the privilege of having an expanded variety of media to express themselves, the best example being the internet. Students ought to be more creative to express themselves.” The "radicals" While the radical acts of the post-80s generation may be perceived as detrimental and undesirable by certain sections of the public, Mr Tai takes a different view. “Being radical is only a means to capture the impression of the people, which creates an impact on society,” he says. “Being radical may impose a shock on people and cause them to reflect on the issues, hence leading to social changes.” Violent acts are one form of radicalism that easily attract attention. However, radicalism involving violence is to be abhorred by society, and authorities are then bound by law to intervene. The effectiveness of a protest message can be achieved much more successfully via other more peaceful means – the sheer number of participants, the duration of the action, or even the originality of the act. For example, the approach by Korean farmers against the World Trade Organisation was eye-opening for many Hong Kongers and other people around the world. They dressed in costumes, they danced, they took deep bows as they marched, they jumped into the cold water to try to reach the Convention Centre. They successfully captured the world’s attention with their creative radical actions without violence. “Whether the radical acts are welcomed depends on its context. University students ought to select the proper, intelligent, radical ways to achieve their aims,” says Mr Tai. Cover Story

Student Advocacy for a Better World: Fighting the Good Fight Professor Cecilia L.W. Chan Si Yuan Professor in Health and Social Work Director, Centre on Behavioural Health Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration

As a HKU student in the 1970s, we started a project to advocate for housing needs for people who were homeless. About 250 HKU students from all Faculty Societies and Hall Societies participated in a territory-wide search for people whom we named “Street Sleepers”, from quite a Chinish word directly translating as “people residing on street sidewalks” into this new term. Subsequently, university students participated in housing and resettlement issues for people in caged bedspace accommodation, whom we called “cage men”, as well as the floating populations who lived in typhoon shelters. We had a lot of success during our university days in advocating for those who suffered in silence and pain. New policies were put in place and additional resources were invested into service provision in the area of education, housing, welfare and social security. One of the MUST READ books then was “Rules for the Radicals” by Saul Alinsky, where he shared his experience of organising the grassroots into collective action. The US President Barack Obama mobilised his voters in the presidential campaign using Alinsky’s Professor Chan highlights a summary tactics, which he picked up in his first job as a community organiser. The following is a summary of the of Saul Alinsky’s book “Rules for the book. Radicals” when talking about student advocacy. The purpose of being a radical is to create mass organisation to seize power for the realisation of a better world with justice, peace and dignity for all. The world is divided into the “Haves”, the “Have nots”, and the “Have-a-little-and-want-more”. The use of any means to pursue social development and justice is the most unethical means.

Alinsky Tactics : 1. Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy 8. Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, thinks you have. and utilise all events of the period for your purpose. 2. Never go outside the expertise of your people. When an 9. The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself. action or tactic is outside the experience of the people, 10. The major premise for tactics is the development of the result is confusion, fear and retreat... [and] the collapse operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the of communication. opposition. 3. Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the 11. If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and break through into its counterside... every positive has its uncertainty. negative. 4. Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. 12. The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. 5. Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost 13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalise it and polarise it. In impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the conflict tactics, there are certain rules that [should be opposition, which then reacts to your advantage. regarded] as universalities. 6. A good tactic is one your people enjoy. 7. A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag.

The qualities of a good organiser: Ego, curiosity, irreverence, imagination, a sense of humour and an organised personality with confidence in presenting the right reason for his actions. Read Alinky and enjoy the fight. page 2009-2010 06 Cover Story dialogue03

There is Hope for the City Cecilia Koo Comparative Literature, Year 2

“Somehow it’s like a responsibility to do something for those who are more oppressed,” says Yujing Fun, a HKU PhD candidate on his motives for engaging in social advocacy. Not originally from Hong Kong, Yujing shared his experience of participating in local campaigns. According to Yujing, it is a blessing to be considered “normal” when one’s identity is somehow imposed by society. “Now I’m among the fortunate few, and I have the ability to at least say something,” he stresses. Quoting from Einstein, he points out that “the world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it”. What motivates Yujing is the sense of responsibility of standing up for the weak. But besides responsibility, he points out there is a necessity to speak up. “If we don’t voice it out, we will Yujing (middle) talks about his feelings not know if there are others who agree with that.” Yujing says this was actually what the of joining local campaigns as a non- local university student. demonstration on July 1, 2003 was about - people realised that they could speak up and found voices in common. The 2003 protest, with 500,000 marchers, was the largest protest ever seen in Hong Kong since the 1997 handover. With the more recent Express Rail Link (XRL) issue, Yujing says people found the necessity to stand against it because they believe there could have been a more reasonable solution or alternative. “Hong Kong is an innovative place,” he says. From his observations in campaigns and various strategies for facilitation, Yujing realises that deep down inside, young protesters care about the city. With a smile on his face, he concludes: “It is a society worth fighting for.” Know Before You Judge Cecilia Koo Comparative Literature, Year 2

Young people in Hong Kong are often seen as insensitive to social issues. However, after several significant events related to the Express Rail Link (XRL), some members of the post-1980s generation have been labelled as aggressive troublemakers. Upon meeting two student advocates from HKU – Kenneth Ng, a Year 3 student of Sociology and Politics, and Judy Chan, a Year 3 student of Sociology and Media and Cultural Studies – I discovered another side to the story. “What matters is to voice out and let the government know there are alternative opinions,” say Kenneth and Judy. They reveal that with the demonstrations, sit-in strikes and other activities like slow-paced walking around the Legislative Council building, the aim of the campaigns is not to catch public attention but to voice out what they sincerely believe about the XRL project. “Somehow the government needs to be informed of what the citizens think,” says Kenneth. Besides participation, it is equally essential for one to stay aware when engaging in advocacy. “It’s important to know and assess your own situation,” says Judy, adding that when it is time to make a critical decision, careful consideration is helpful as it can help you realise how far you can go.

(left) Kenneth finds it important for the government to realise what the citizens think. (right) Judy says that independent thinking is important in joining advocacy campaigns. Cover Story page

What Inspires Me – The Voice of a Angie Leung Winnie Cheng Young Social Advocate Arts, Year 2 Arts, Year 2

"Hong Kong is my living place, and that’s why I have the motivation to step out and voice out!" Icarus Wong Ho-yin, a postgraduate of the University of Hong Kong in Animal and Plants Biotechnology and Sociology, was involved in campaigns against the dismantlement of Queen’s Pier and the Star Ferry pier, and the re-development project at Lee Tung Street. He started participating in advocacy programmes in his first year of undergraduate study in Animal and Plant Biotechnology. “I did not participate in any student societies or hall committees. With such spare time, I could put more focus on social issues, from which I have developed my interest,” Icarus says. Icarus talks about what motivated Icarus also took a photography course at that time, which inspired him further. As part of the course, he him to be keen on social advocacy. was asked to do a photographic documentary. So he spent five days in the demonstration area when Korean farmers came to Hong Kong for a rally against the World Trade Organisation. He found that what the mainstream media reported was just one side of the event. Since then, he has been keen on social issues and has continuously participated in different advocacy programmes. Now he is paying close attention to the construction of Express Rail Link, urban renewal and the rights of the Police. “Once you are involved in campaigns, you will find out many other unjust social problems such as the poor living conditions of the lower class, the unbalanced distribution of power in the government and the insufficient consultation in policy making. These all motivate me to further my campaigns,” says Icarus. “Members of the post-1980s generation use their own way to deliver their messages to the government, but it is difficult to label all of them,” he says. “When we prepare for campaigns, some may be in charge of policy research, some do videos or art and design, some go for direct action. But all are based on one belief: we care because we love.”

Highlights of the campaign about the government’s XRL project.

“Being passionate is not enough to achieve the goals. One should think independently in advocacy campaigns,” she says. While some of the media portray the XRL protests in a negative way, the students stress that young people’s participation in social advocacy should be viewed from other aspects, including the motives and goals of the protests. Both suggest that a more complete picture be required when commenting on these enthusiastic young people. page 2009-2010 08 Cover Story dialogue03

Be Prepared Cecilia Koo Comparative Literature, Year 2

During his days at HKU, Paul Chan showed his concern about the society he was living in. In a pleasant meeting with Dialogue, Paul shares his own experiences in social advocacy. “It is very hard to ignore society when you are exposed to it,” says Paul. When he was studying Law as an undergraduate, he found his strong interest in politics and concerns about society motivated him to pursue a Masters degree of Government and Public Administration with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Starting out as a columnist writing about social issues, Paul says he somehow evolved into a social advocate. For him it was like fighting alone, but he believed his voice could be influential. “It’s like a ripple. If you have something to say, why not share it with others?” Beginning from research aimed at gathering different and alternative ideas from young people related to the elections of District Council and Legislative Council, Paul and his friends shared a common interest and thought they could continue to develop such a platform for exchanging views. They found Roundtable. “We hoped to gather people carrying various ideologies to sit at a roundtable, to have a friendly discussion and exchange over social issues,” Paul recalls. Such platforms were rare back in 2004. Challenges were various and complicated. “There were doubts that we were up to something no good,” says Paul. Persistent rumours became harsher as time went by, and explanations from the group didn’t help. “It was frustrating, but we had never thought about giving it up.” Fortunately, they were supported by experienced seniors and were able to strike a balance in their diverse arguments. They also believed in what they were doing. “Mentally you need to be prepared for achieving your goals, or else you will find it difficult to maintain.” From being a columnist, founding a platform for view exchange, to working for the Now a Political Assistant, Paul found his experiences very helpful. “Despite that there government, Paul has an experience of caring for social issues from different aspects. are given limitations, actually what I learned from my experience became valuable and important.” In terms of personal standpoint, he does not find that there is a big gap between what he did before, and then afterwards working for the Government. The only difference is that in the old days he could come up with ideas freely as an outsider. Now he needs to consider limitations like the political situation, and there are some things that cannot be achieved. “One’s study is best not to be abandoned,” he says. As a piece of advice for enthusiastic youngsters who want to develop social advocacy as a career, Paul points out that what he learned in lectures came in handy, so it should not be ignored. And he stresses the fact that one has to be prepared mentally. “You’ve to be prepared that people may doubt your motivation, especially as Hong Kong is not a society passionate about social advocacy,” he says. Cover Story page09

What social issues are you most concerned Celeste Ho Ruru Jin Winnie Cheng about? Social Sciences, Year 2 Social Sciences, Year 2 Arts, Year 2

Among various social issues that make newspaper headlines every day, what are you most concerned about? The rising price of property? The widening gap between the rich and the poor? The renewal projects in Hong Kong? The worsening air quality in Hong Kong? Or do you find some other thing more attention-seeking than these issues? Students from different disciplines and places of origin have quite different views.

Sally Ngai, History, Year 2 Thinking of social issues, I have been aware of the employment issue as I have to face this after graduation. Besides, it seems quite difficult for people to own property nowadays. To address these issues, I believe that government intervention, like carrying out measures to boost the economy, is vital.

Carlos Hung, Logistics Engineering and Supply Chain Management, Year 3 Price fluctuation of McDonald’s in Hong Kong is the issue that I am deeply concerned about. It affects the sentiment of consumers, since the prices have fluctuated over the past three years. I suggest that the Consumer Council should set up a team to deal with this case specifically.

Sam Yip, Economics and Finance, Year 2 I am conscious of the June 4 Movement, as it is an important issue in the development history of modern . Many victims have still not received redress. I think that we should know more about the case through mass media, in order to know or judge what is right and wrong.

Charlotte Huang (Exchange student from The University of British Columbia), Year 2 I'm concerned about women's rights, mainly in Chinese societies. For instance, issues like abandoned baby girls, which shows women’s rights are still unequal in reality. I think to increase the overall education level among the population is one of the most effective ways to change people's perception of genders.

Justin Weinzievl (Exchange student from Winona State University), Business Administration, Year 2 What surprised me when I first arrived at HKU is the culture of Hong Kong, or more particularly the HKU culture. I can see that the local students here are so tightly connected with each other that others may find it difficult to be involved. In terms of suggestions, I would like to see a more open culture here by holding some talks and activities between local and non-local students.

Tian Lin (Exchange student from Mainland China), Arts, Year 2 The social issue I have been concerned about recently is some young people’s reaction to the proposal of building Express Rail Link. Many protests seem to be not that rational. I am personally holding a neutral view to this proposal, and I think some young people only see this issue from one extreme side. I would like to suggest the media to do more research and report on the whole issue, so that young people can have a channel to see the proposal from different angles.

Niki Olga Kuksova (Exchange student from University of Edinburgh), International Business and Global Management, Year 3 With the attention I pay to the environment and my personal experience of working in an energy company, I am concerned about the problem of energy in the world. To protect our earth, more green energy is needed. And green energy should not be used to subsidise the use of conventional energy. Education on the importance of using green energy should be promoted for the younger generation. The aim is to make them realise the seriousness of the problem and the usefulness of green energy.

Yan Qi (Exchange student from Mainland China), Master of Law, Year 1 When I travelled to San Ya this summer, I was really shocked by the amazingly expensive house prices. What is more, the growing speed of the price rises is almost frightening. It seems obvious that there is serious problem in the real estate market. And the bubble is dangerous not only to the people, but to society as a whole. Because of the complexity of the problem, I am not able to give a practical suggestion. But still, I believe that it is important for the government to pay more attention to people’s lives. page 2009-2010 10 Cover Story dialogue03

Should activities of social advocacy be credit-bearing in the formal curriculum? Celeste Ho Ruru Jin Social Sciences, Year 2 Social Sciences, Year 2

By 2012, universities in Hong Kong will have moved on to a new curriculum under which experiential learning will be an essential part. Basically, it is about how students can design a project so that they can define the problem themselves and then think about how it can be addressed. In this sense, participating in social advocacy projects may fit this educational component. But students have different views about whether they should be credit-bearing in the formal curriculum.

Chen Shu, Faculty of Social Sciences, Year 2 Internship in a social enterprise is a great opportunity for students to gain firsthand information in this field. It is a questionable idea to make it a compulsory course for undergraduate students since passion, which is vital in this kind of industry, cannot be effectively measured.

Steffen Kolbe Larsen, Faculty of Business and Economics, Year 2 I think it is good to make social advocacy activities a credit-bearing course. The experiences of working as both an intern and a volunteer are very important for students, no matter what their majors are. And having the university arrange this would save a lot of time of students – it is more convenient.

Henry Wong Hong-cheung, Faculty of Social Sciences, Year 2 The credit-bearing course provides strong incentives for students to reflect on what they have learned from their internships and volunteer work. It becomes a channel to integrate what we have learned in social advocacy activities with the knowledge we gain from the university education.

Mark Czypionka, Faculty of Business and Economics, Year 1 Students would be more committed and feel more responsibility when their internship or volunteer work is tied to their core of learning. More effort and dedication at work is foreseeable. Moreover, it is practical in the sense that it would make sure that students would incorporate practical skills they need in the actual work settings.

Delalay Sylvain, Faculty of Business and Economics, Year 3 Making social advocacy activities credit-bearing courses is very important and good, especially for the students who are competing for rare job opportunities, both for internships and volunteer activities. University helps students to save their time in finding jobs. What is more, the jobs provided by the university tend to be more directly related to the major of the students.

Li Xi, Faculty of Arts, Year 2 As far as I am concerned, it would be good for students if our university made social advocacy activities credit- bearing courses. Because through this work the students could really learn a lot, and it is proper that they get credits after learning and studying. If the activities are well organised, then it will be very beneficial. Cover Story page11

A Kenyan Lesson in Charity Angie Chung On-yee Graduate of Law

During my undergraduate study, I travelled to Kenya through AIESEC, the world’s largest student organisation, and spent three months experiencing the dynamics of Kenya as a volunteer in a rural orphanage, and working at schools in the slum areas of Nairobi, the capital. In Kenya alone, there are regions that are fully westernised and developed, while other areas remain rural and backward. The orphanage that I volunteered to work in was located in one such rural area. It was an entirely different living condition to what I was used to – there were no basic facilities such as running water, and only limited electricity. Although life there might seem backward, I found it very solid and valuably simple. People focus on things that are important to them, the necessities of their lives, and are not distracted by the trappings of modernity. My main tasks were participating in the daily management of the orphanage, including taking care of the children, bringing sick kids to the hospital, fetching supplies, fundraising and so on. Occasionally she also went to a school nearby to teach English and introduce China to the students. Experiencing this lifestyle provided me with a new perspective to take home with me. While people in developing countries yearn for modernisation, something that people from the city are indifferent to, they cannot see the beauty of their own simple life, which in turn seems so valuable in the eyes of those who live in the city. People tend to turn a blind eye to the beauty of things they possess and admire things they do not have. I realised that I was luckier in the sense that I was able to experience and compare the two different lifestyles. (upper) Time out with for a cheesy grin with the kids at the orphanage. There are many NGOs and other entities that are committed to assisting development in Africa. (lower) Angie with the kids at the orphanage. While monetary assistance is highly treasured, it is not sufficient to just provide funds. Although millions in funding has been poured into Africa, much of it has vanished through corruption. It is important to ensure the money is used properly. There have been many cases where small-scale NGOs are actually corrupted and misuse their funding. Moreover, the helping hand offered by developed countries seems to encourage Africans’ dependency on others to help them. The children in the orphanage think that it is perfectly About This normal to ask volunteers for whatever they want, and depend heavily on volunteers to supply their lives. Service Learning Societies that grow dependent on giving can quickly lose respect for the giver, and so it is important to look for the best method in helping. Opportunity

I went to Africa through participating in the exchange programmes organised by AIESEC, one of the opportunities it offers to develop young people’s potential and leadership. For students wanting to participate in learning opportunities in Africa, it is important to be open-minded. African culture and customs are different from what we are used to and it is important to open your eyes and heart in order to understand their culture. It is common to face different challenges during a Service Learning project, hence it is important to have strong determination and remain active and positive throughout the service period. Practically, it is important to ask in advance for details about the conditions of your service target so that you will know what materials and necessities to bring in preparation for your stay. page 2009-2010 Cover Story dialogue03 A Mistaken Yet Heartening Renata Chan Miu-ting Volunteer Service in Hubei Translation and Spanish, Year 2

While thinking what to do to enrich my university life last summer, a subject in the HKU Portal mail caught my attention - Volunteering for English Summer School in Hubei. As seen from the event name, volunteers were being recruited to teach English in Hubei during summer. The programme lasted for 12 days, 10 of which classes were conducted. Wanting to do something meaningful and get to know other people and cultures, I applied to CEDARS with no hesitation. After passing an interview and attending training sessions, the 14 of us were divided into two groups, fixed our teaching plans and headed to the event’s co-organisers, two secondary schools in Hubei, one in Yichang and the other in Jingzhou. Frankly speaking, the experience did not turn out the way I imagined when I applied. I fancied teaching in small and poor villages despite concerns about the living conditions there. I even considered cutting my beloved hair short in case there would not be enough water for washing. Completely out of my expectation, Reneta (first row, second from right) both schools to which we went were modern and well-equipped, with computers and projectors available. has a memorable time when teaching in Although the thought of going into underprivileged villages, which might sound greater than teaching in Hubei, China. town, did not come true, we were granted a comfortable, enjoyable and memorable trip. My team taught senior secondary students in Jingzhou, a historical city where the Battle of the Red Cliff ( 赤壁之戰 ) took place. Traces of the Warring States Period still remain and this has imparted a sense of history to me, a person who never explores history, in a way that is far more interesting than reading books. Another invaluable place for learning there is the Jingzhou Museum in which a well-preserved 2000-year-old corpse and other antiquities are exhibited.

We were so fortunate to meet nice teachers and staff who were ready to offer us the greatest help. However, Reneta is happy to see that these compromise has to be made always when people work together, especially in our case in which we had our students in Hubei have quite a comfortable study environment. own plans while the school had its own. Although we had already planned what to do before departure, we kept modifying our teaching plans every day in Jingzhou. Nevertheless, I am glad the school organised outings for students and us. Those were moments when we built relationships with the students, and on the last day, all of us could not help running into tears because we had built true friendship. I am still in contact with the students, and some of them even target at entering HKU. “Hope to see you on the campus soon!” “Enjoy, Care and Share” – Nurturing of Tang Chin-cheung MPhil, Year 1, School of Biological Sciences Environmental Leaders Co-founder and Chairman of ecobus 2009-2010 Environmental Leader Learning Opportunity (ELLO) is a programme the Polar regions. Participants also went on a field trip in Long Valley to aimed at nurturing a group of university students with a commitment look into urban development and wetland conservation. to sustainable development. It is organised by a group of postgraduate This programme also includes a “Leave No Trace” course, which students and ecobus, a non-profit organisation on nature education, was a two days and one night wild camp conducted by an outdoor with the support of CEDARS and the HKU '82 Alumni Green Fund. educationalist from Taiwan, Mr Raven Tsai. The participants learned Ecobus was established by a group of university graduates-to-be more about outdoor ethics and were given time to experience the of Hong Kong in March 2009, with the goal of promoting nature best of the nature. On completion of the programme, participants are education, outdoor ethics, sustainability and global citizenship. All expected to apply their knowledge and skills to organise educational ecobus teammates share the idea of “Enjoy, Care and Share”. They activities for secondary and primary school students in areas of outdoor believe that enjoying nature is the prerequisite for environmental ethics, sustainable development and global warming. protection. Once people have a passion for nature, they will care for it For more information on ecobus, visit: www.ecobus.org.hk and then be able to share with others the joy of being with nature. For detail of ELLO, click on www.ecobus.org.hk/ello In the ELLO programme, which was held from late January to the end of April this year, participants were able to have a deeper understanding of sustainable development and global warming through different workshops and field trips. For example, Mr Roy Tam, the Chairman of Green Sense, talked about sustainable building and city planning. Dr Rebecca Lee, the founder of the Hong Kong Polar Museum Foundation, shared her unique firsthand experience about global warming affecting

Primary School Educational Day Trip – The The sharing session at the ELLO team hopes that the young generations “Leave No Trace” wild camp. can show their care for the nature. Cover Story page

From Learners to Leaders: A Community Service Perspective Alvin Lum BBA(Law), Year 2

“University students nowadays have shown increased involvement in community services,” says Mr Edmond Wong, the Social Worker-In-Charge of Caritas Mok Cheung Sui Kun Community Centre. “They are not only doers, they are in fact the organisers. From marketing to programming, they plan and implement every aspect of community service projects.” Mr Wong has acted as the supervisor of a number of student community service projects and attributes this improvement to students’ increasing awareness of social issues and their ability to make use of technology and other available resources. As an alumnus of the University of Hong Kong, Mr Wong recalls the hardship of organising similar projects in his time. “From planning to the official launch, it would take about a year of time to complete, not to mention the very limited opportunities and the tedious communication process via letters and telephone calls.” With better access to help, students can now make the most of their community service projects. By organising the projects themselves, he says they embrace a deeper understanding and perspective in combating a social issue. This kind of hands-on experience is highly encouraged under the As Mr Wong says, organising community government’s “3-3-4” education reform and is also being advocated by various institutes. To Mr Wong, service projects can help students have a deeper only by participating can students learn the genuine problems of the needy in society and devote understanding of and more perspectives in themselves to worthy projects. tackling social issues. Citing a recent experience in supervising the Intensified Learning Opportunity Programme (ILOP) Service Learning Project 2010 in HKU, Mr Wong shares his compliments and high expectations for student community service projects. “After some trainings on volunteering skills, student organisers would actually prepare and conduct research, and can even teach secondary students about how to deliver good services to the elderly,” he says. “The quality is excellent.” In this Project, 30 ILOP participants are leading enthusiastic volunteers from 70 secondary school students to distribute energy-saving light bulbs to the single elderly in Central and Western District to gain a better understanding of the living standards of single elderly people. There are, nonetheless, challenges in organising community services. Completing one project is never the end. There will always be people in need of help. However students are heavily loaded with studies, various extra-curricular activities and other engagements. “The spirit of community services lies in continuous participation. This is how real leadership is incubated,” says Mr Wong. “I would really encourage students to participate in community services and think what they can do for the needy and society.”

The ILOP students work with a group of volunteers from secondary schools to distribute energy-saving light bulbs to the homes of the single elderly. 2009-2010 page Cover Story dialogue03

University as a Key Base for Nurturing Students to Think and What can students do for the improvement of human to Solve Problems condition? Teachers who were Angie Leung honoured at the University’s Arts, Year 2 “Everyone has his or her own position,” Award Presentation Ceremony says Professor L. S. Chan from the for Excellence in Teaching and Department of Earth Sciences. Unlike other people who think that volunteer Research for the year of 2009 work is obligatory, Professor Chan believes that taking up such work is not a must. share their views with us. Instead, in order to get to know more about society and the human Angie Leung Winnie Cheng condition, he believes that students’ participation in society should Arts, Year 2 Arts, Year 2 be self-motivated. Seeing and From Classroom Reading the to Community Winnie Cheng Differences Arts, Year 2 Angie Leung Arts, Year 2 Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee from the Department of Nursing Studies believes that students can contribute to the Mr J. F. Carlow from the Department of community regardless of their diverse Architecture says that all architects should backgrounds. have an ultimate goal to improve the human condition through thoughtful “Through engaging in the community, development of the built environment. students can gain experience in it,” she says. Architecture and urban design affects our Professor Chan says the curriculum of HKU can provide lots of lives and our communities in fundamental ways. Good design can opportunities for students who are interested in serving the have a positive effect on the way we interact with each other. community. One example is the Programme for Effective Transition He suggests three ways that students can work to improve human and Student Support (PETSS). Students participate in activities condition. including community-based volunteering will be awarded with PETSS points. International exchange programmes can also give students a “By pursuing a university degree, students are already helping by chance to open their eyes. learning more about the world and its problems,” he says. “Through higher learning, students are able to understand more about the world Professor Chan reckons that students of Nursing Studies have a lot of we live in. They should be observant about the world around them, opportunities to apply what they have learned to the community. and able to look at existing conditions and formulate ways to solve “There is a Health Promotion Project for Year 1 students to promote problems.” He adds that students should travel to places that they are health issues, and the ‘Feel Link Project’ enables Medical and Nursing unfamiliar with, to experience the cultures and conditions in other cities students to visit recovering patients,” she says. “Students can provide and countries in order to understand our own culture more critically. care and services to citizens through 1400 hours of clinical practice Towards this goal, Mr Carlow recognises the importance of academic in their four years of study, and there are plenty of volunteering exchange. “In a joint studio programme with students from HKU and opportunities from the Nursing Society.” Columbia University in New York, architecture students were able to exchange views and learn from each other,” he says. His recent travels through the Pearl River Delta region with students from Columbia and HKU not only enhanced their understanding of specific building sites, but also helped to form important insights into a broader environment, community, infrastructure and ecosystem. Cover Story page

University as a Key Base for Nurturing Students to Think and to Solve Problems

“The key is each of us should be conscious of his or her role and commitment in the collective effort to improve the human condition,” he says. Professor Chan suggests that the university should be an institution to train people to be committed to integrity. He says the teacher’s role is to “make students think critically, analyse issues and raise challenges, in addition to developing new knowledge”. For instance, when words like “sustainable development” appear to be a favourable concept, he would encourage students to ask “sustainable development of what?”. In practice, the Earth can never replenish resources at the rate that humans consume them. “What we use today is what we borrow from the future,” he says. “Great universities like HKU are obliged to train students to delve deeper into, and find solutions for, such issues.” Think Before Students Can Benefit You Act from Mutual Learning Angie Leung Angie Leung Arts, Year 2 Arts, Year 2

“Thinking before action,” is Professor David P. Y. Lung from the Department the primary suggestion of Mr of Architecture believes that universities are R. A. Glofcheski, an associate places that equip a society with future leaders professor of the Department by providing students with a comprehensive, of Law. integrated, well-rounded education. He opines that students receiving a university education Mr Glofcheski believes that obtain knowledge in a fast and systematic manner. Otherwise they would it is fundamental for students to examine their daily have to learn things the hard way. routines, especially consumer transactions, to ensure minimal harm to the world as it is and to develop an “Students should be educated and prepared to meet the world, treasure the understanding of how careful decisions can improve the three or four-year university education and get the most out of it,” he says. physical and social environment, or at least minimise Professor Lung says that students might sometimes know more than their harm to it. teachers do because of the internet. He quotes from the Book of Rites: “One He recognises that students can participate in the discovers one’s deficiencies through learning; one finds out one’s difficulties community through their involvement in student through teaching.” He believes that teaching and learning are mutually movements, which he believes is a means to improve enhancing. “Sometimes students ask questions that teachers may not have a the human condition. While he thinks students should thought about it,” he says. initiate these ideas by themselves, he also points out Professor Lung’s principle for teaching is simple. He helps other people that peer influence is key to mobilising students’ acts. An achieve what he wishes to achieve for himself, just like what is said on the examination of history will show how student movements Analects of Confucius: “Wishing to be established himself, he seeks also to have been a positive agent for social change. establish others; wishing to be broadened himself, he seeks also to broaden Mr Glofcheski says that he has taught law students to others.” He believes that mutual learning, instead of spoon-feeding of think of ways to challenge the deficiencies of existing laws knowledge by teachers, can benefit students most. in Hong Kong. He trusts that law students can play an Not only does he support delivery of knowledge in an interactive manner, he important role in society, with an example of Tania Chan, a also enjoys sharing his values with his class. “I would use examples to inspire former student of his who is now taking a seat in the Civic students to think more and to challenge what is believed conventionally,” he Party to fight for the inadequacies in Hong Kong law. says, adding that students would think differently if Newton was taught in Religious Studies and not viewed from the perspective of Physics. “I believe that students, in this way of instruction, can learn more,” he says. page 2009-2010 16 Cover Story dialogue03 Befriend HKU-CEDARS at facebook One of the missions of CEDARS is to nurture students to be advocates for improving human conditions. Besides paying regular visits to the CEDARS website (http://cedars.hku.hk), you may get information on relevant learning opportunities by adding HKU-CEDARS to your facebook. The Global Citizenship website at which various local and global issues are discussed is up and coming. Please also watch out for our announcements about the launch of the service learning Know before you act - visit the global citizenship The HKU-CEDARS facebook is set publication in which students and graduates of HKU will website and know more about the global issues up to update students on the news before you take action to offer a helping hand. and events of CEDARS. share their participation in service learning and various advocacy projects. Summer Programmes on Nurturing Students’ Participation in Local and Global Issues

What's on @ CEDARS (After the Second Semester of 2009 - 2010) Events Organised by Date, Time & Venue Event Highlights Contact Website Non-academic Induction CEDARS Aug – Oct The Non-academic Induction Programmes 2010 2857 8387 http://cedars.hku.hk Programmes organised by CEDARS are scheduled for August to October, 2010. They aim at helping new students to HKU to: (i) enhance their understanding of the aims of university education, (ii) integrate them into HKU campus life, (iii) explore their understanding and appreciation of the relationship between HKU and the local community, and (iv) expose them to and heighten their awareness of global issues and global responsibilities.

What's on @ Faculty (After the Second Semester of 2009 - 2010) Events Organised by Date, Time & Venue Event Highlights Contact Website CUTE: Cooking up Faculty of Arts, Jul 26 – Aug 8 This is a theatre programme which gives students 6746 2576 www.arts.hku.hk/summerinstitute Theatre Excitement EduArts® an opportunity to work with actors and a group of [email protected] underprivileged youth. (Rani Olafsdottir)

What's on @ Student Societies (After the Second Semester of 2009 - 2010) Events Organised by Date, Time & Venue Event Highlights Contact Website Climate Camp HK Climate Chance May 22 – 29 An intrepid week in Yunan province for students [email protected] http://thenetworkforchange.org Yunan to meet and discuss climate change, to live in a sustainable way, and to plan events for the next academic year at HKU. Uni-Y Sichuan Social Service Uni-Y HKU Early Aug Students will visit children’s home, primary school 2708 8995 / 6805 0039 www.ymcahk.org.hk/youth Programme (Phase 7) YMCA of (Duration: five days) and elderly home in JinTang, Sichuan. This service [email protected] 點滴成川．川港齊心展關愛 Hong Kong programme is an integral part of the YMCA HK (Rebecca Lui) 之七 Sichuan Social Enterprise project. [email protected] (Alvin Kan) YMCA International Youth Uni-Y HKU Jul 17 – 19 Students will be able to join conferences of the 2708 8995 / 6805 0039 - Forum – “Striving for Global YMCA of World Council which, held every four years, brings [email protected] Citizenship for All: Hong Kong YMCAs from around 124 countries together. It (Rebecca Lui) Youth and the MDGs" provides opportunities for leadership development [email protected] and training, exchange and fellowship. (Alvin Kan)

The list is not exhaustive. Please visit the CEDARS’ website (http://cedars.hku.hk) and the websites of student societies for the latest programmes on the campus. Student societies interested in promoting their activities in Dialogue please contact CEDARS – Student Development at [email protected]. Reach Up to the Stars page

A Life-inspiring Competition Raymond Yip Ka-ho Science, Year 2

Preparing and representing HKU in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition 2009 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) featured heavily in my life last year. The iGEM competition is an annual synthetic biology competition organised by the MIT, and it aims to provide research opportunities to young undergraduates during the summer time. Participating Summer Programmes on Nurturing Students’ students are expected to spend their summer in manipulating existing biological parts (BioBricks) that are provided by the MIT to build novel biological systems and operate them in living cells. Participation in Local and Global Issues Having received only a Bronze medal in the iGEM 2008, it was a big improvement for us to collect the Gold medal for 2009, especially being the first team from Hong Kong to achieve this distinction.

As a team packed with undergraduates with limited knowledge on The team is set for the competition at MIT. research, we did struggle during the first month. During the summer vacation, we went to the laboratory from 9am to 9pm every day. It was particularly painful during the brainstorming sessions when our team failed to come up with groundbreaking ideas. In the end, it took us a whole month to settle on the final idea. In terms of the experiments, we failed to generate any meaningful results in the first few weeks. However, with the valuable guidance of our advisors and instructors, we did finally get back on track. Just before the competition, we accomplished many significant results that could be the cornerstone for further development. Being a student member of the iGEM team was one of the highlights of my university years. It sharpened my laboratory and analytical skills and inspired me to pursue research as my lifelong career, but most importantly it helped me to develop lifelong relationships with my Team photo taken in front of a building at MIT. teammates and many junior scientists from other universities.

During the competition, one team member presents the potential application of the team's research findings. 2009-2010 page Reach Up to the Stars dialogue03

My Time with Windsurfing Victor Ma Yik-kau Victor (first from left) celebrates the success with Victor and the medalists of the Hong Kong team. Civil Engineering, Year 2 members of the Hong Kong windsurfing team.

I started windsurfing when I was 12. At the beginning, it was just one of the many extra-curricular activities that my parents introduced to me in the summer holidays. But after several days of training, I fell in love with this sport. It was challenging but very exciting – the feeling on a windsurfing board was really fantastic. When I was 14, I was chosen to be a Hong Kong team member. Since then, I am required to train every Tuesday and Thursday on weights for two hours each day, and with two whole days of water training on Saturday and Sunday. During the long school holidays like Chinese New Year, Easter Holiday and Summer Holiday, I am required to train full-time. I have been selected to participate in quite a lot of overseas competitions. I won a bronze medal in the 2005 IMCO Youth Asian Championships, a silver medal in the 2004 IMCO Junior Asian Championships and the 2009 IMCO and Raceboard World Championships and the 2009 East . And I also won a At the starting line of the competition. gold medal in the 2006 RS: X Youth Asian Championships. In order to participate in the , I needed to go through the tough selection possess. Being a part-time athlete, winning the selection wasn’t an easy task, but I finally did it. In order to have better preparation, I took a semester break to train full-time. That also meant I had to defer my graduation. I came to realise that the training programmes of a full-time athlete are very tough. I was exhausted after every training day and it took me a month to adapt to such a training intensity. Our team was very familiar with the racing area, as the East Asian Games was held in Hong Kong. We knew the key factor to winning was getting the right wind shift. Therefore, we did a lot of practice in this area a month before the Games. This practice really helped a lot during the Games and finally led to our success. I gained many valuable experiences through participating in the East Asian Games and having a half year of full-time training. Although I needed to suspend my studies for better preparation for the Games and experience a very hard time before the competition, I believe all these were well justified when I held the medal in my hands.

Elaine Lee Yin-ling My Dream of Chinese Music Medicine, Year 1

I have been a dizi (bamboo flute) player for seven years and last year standard, and we concentrated during our practice and grabbed every was my fruitful year. I joined both international and local Chinese music opportunity for public performances to polish our skills. Finally, we competitions from which I got satisfactory results, including two group managed to perform well on the stage at the tournament and both awards and two solo awards. teams got First Class Awards. The two group awards were from The First International Chinese In addition to friendship and co-operation with my teammates, I learned National Musical Instrument Series Invitation Tournament 2009, hosted more different styles of songs because the tournament invited top by International Chinese Cultural & Arts Exchange Association in August Chinese instrument players from all over the world. Towards the end of 2009. New Tune Chinese Orchestra’s Dizi Team and Hulusi (also a type of the tournament, the well-known musicians and dizi masters, including bamboo flute) Team were invited to participate. Lu Chunling, led all the participants to play a famous song. I was deeply inspired when the whole theatre was filled with dizi sounds. For the members of the New Tune Chinese Orchestra, practice time was very limited. Yet we were all in the pursuit of a professional Apart from that tournament, I joined the New Tune Cup Chinese Music Reach Up to the Stars page

Patrick Bostrom Our First Social Enterprise Business Administration, Year 3

During 2009 and 2010, Stephanie Liu Han (International Business and Global Management, Year 3) and I entered the Hong Kong Social Enterprise Challenge (HKSEC) together with three other friends from PolyU and HKUST. The competition was held during several months and provided preparatory workshops, seminars and mentors to help all teams to create a perfect business plan. Among more than 100 teams competing in HKSEC, Inter Cultural Education (ICE) was the champion and awarded with certificates, start- up capital and media exposure. The idea was generated by Freddy Law Wai-hung, the team leader of ICE from PolyU. HKSEC is a business plan competition to help turn creative business ideas into meaningful and sustainable commercial ventures that promote social good. It aims to strengthen students’ understanding of social enterprises and to encourage them to employ entrepreneurial approaches to solve real world issues. Secondary school students take a picture together We joined HKSEC because they strongly believed in the business idea generated by Freddy. The students with three friends from Cameroon. The students had met earlier through student organisations such as AIESEC and were aware of their common interests learn to play African drumming and dancing. in setting up their own social enterprises. The diversity of the team helped a lot when working on the business plan competition because of the different ways of thinking, skill sets and personal networks. ICE is the first social enterprise focusing on an increase in international exposure, an introduction to new modes of learning and reducing prejudices towards minority groups in Hong Kong. We deliver a unique ICE personal development programme for local youth. International trainers and local ethnic minorities from Hong Kong work together to help students to improve their English communication skills, broaden their horizons and understand global and cultural issues. We do this by establishing a positive learning environment and thought-provoking simulation workshops. Knowing that there is a lack of intercultural communication and education in local secondary schools, we saw an opportunity to solve several issues: students in Hong Kong lack exposure to foreign cultures; local minorities (especially the southwest and southeast Asians who have been living here for a long period The winning team Inter Cultural Education, including Patrick (third from left) and Stephanie of time and still are regarded as inferior to the locals) need jobs; problems of discrimination towards (fifth from left), receives the champion award. foreigners; English proficiency; and global job competitiveness. ICE strives to solve these issues through its Inter Cultural Education workshops.

Personally, I believe that social enterprises are the future of business. Society needs businesses that do not solely aim to generate profit but that also generate social improvement and advancement. We need people in business to address local and global issues. Businesses driven by a social mission will keep away from bad investments and keep away from industries that do social harm. I will keep on working with ICE after graduating from HKU and I hope to inspire other students to do so as well. Do what you love doing and you will live a life full of satisfaction and achievement.

Solo Competition 2009, organised by New Tune Music Association in September 2009. To be well prepared, I spent long hours on practice and strived for chances to do public Elaine (middle) joins the New Tune Chinese Orchestra New Tune Chinese Orchestra Performance - performances and improve my solo skills. Dizi Team to participate in public performances. Echoes of Golden Oddie 2009. Finally, I got the Champion in the Grade 9-10 Wind Instruments Group with a First Class Award, which was awarded only to participants with 90 marks or above! I was delighted to gain my first Champion award in all these seven years! Later in November 2009, I joined the Tuen Mun Chinese and Western Instruments Competition 2009 and was awarded a Certificate of Outstanding Performance in the Chinese Instruments Group. From these solo competitions, I learned how to overcome my nervousness. Most importantly, I have been able to enjoy more being on stage! page 2009-2010 Reach Up to the Stars dialogue03

Empowered to Go Beyond the Limit Amy Chan Nga-yin Graduate of Architecture

I launched my debut book Eggs of Hong Kong: A Dialogue between People and Architecture during the Book Fair 2009. It is one of the eight winning entries of the Young Writers’ Debut Competition organized by the SHKP Book Club in collaboration with Joint Publishing.

My book took the British architect Cedric Price’s analogy of urban morphologies with different types of eggs: hardboiled, fried and scrambled. It is not only a book about architecture, but also an investigation into the history, local culture and transformation of Hong Kong. I hope that readers can bring my book to travel around Hong Kong, experience and explore the city in a brand new way.

The competition was divided into different stages and lasted for nearly a year. First, I needed to submit a draft proposal and attend interviews with all judges and editors. On entering the semi- final, I was assigned to an advisor, Mr Vincent Wong, the Director of Strategic Planning, Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Co. Ltd. Mr Wong’s experience and understanding of publishing a book was helpful for me and I learned beyond just the architectural research.

People commonly regard writing as a lonely career, since you are all by yourself when you write. You may not have teammates and the response of readers can hardly be anticipated. Recognition from others is encouraging, especially for a new author like me. One of those was from the Tokyo- “Eggs of Hong Kong: based modern architecture firm Altier Bow-wow founded in 1992 by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and A Dialogue between People and Architecture” Momoyo Kajima.

I got inspired from their book Made in Tokyo, which investigated and recorded the “not pretty” architecture in Tokyo. From the book I was amazed to see that Tokyo had a systematic record of the local architecture, while no one had attempted to do so in Hong Kong. When the first draft of my book was published my teacher, Professor N. Matsuda, helped me to send the book to and get a signature from Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, the author of Made in Tokyo. Let me share with you a quote:

“Observation is love; Persistence is Power”

You have to indulge yourself in your work and stay persistent to achieve your goal. Everyone fails or get confused in the path of searching, but one’s determination is important.

I was working on my thesis for my Master’s programme by the time I had to meet the deadline of the book submission. People may think that to handle two tasks at the same time is mission impossible. But as my advisor, Mr Wong, said: one common trait of Hong Kong people is multi-tasking, you will perform to limits that you cannot ever imagine. As we are young and we have dreams, we should treasure whatever we are doing now that can empower us to achieve something that we have never imagined before.

Amy’s book looks into how 32 local architectural cases correspond to the eggs of Hong Kong.