Openlink May 2017‧Vol 26‧Issue 2

Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong reappointed as OUHK President

On 16 March, the University Council approved the reappointment of Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong as President for a term of three years, starting from 1 April 2018.

Council Chairman Mr Michael Wong commended Prof. Wong for his wide-ranging efforts since taking office in 2014. 'I am delighted to have seen rapid development at the OUHK under the leadership of Prof. Wong,' he said. 'In addition to enhancing our academic standing and teaching quality, and establishing a number of research institutes, more resources are being directed towards student affairs to strengthen our services to students. All of this combines to bring about a better learning environment.'

Prof. Wong, in turn, expressed his humble gratitude to the Council for their trust. 'All these accomplishments could not have been achieved without the visionary leadership of the University Council as well as the dedicated service of faculty and staff. I owe them my heartfelt thanks.'

'Time flies, especially the good times!' he continued. 'I have very much enjoyed working together over the past three years, and I will continue to work closely with all staff members, students and alumni to develop the OUHK into a high-quality, comprehensive university to serve our society.'

Quality enhancement measures for future growth

In this interview, Prof. Wong provides a recap of his work plan of the coming four years, and points out the University's recent endeavours in strengthening student support and advancing teaching and learning. 'Despite the robust development of the University, the core value of education lies in the growth of students themselves,' he insists.

Academic advancement

Prof. Wong reiterates that raising the quality of teaching and learning, as well as enhancing students' global horizons are major priorities of the University. 'Resources have been allocated for a suite of quality enhancement measures (QEM) in the next three years,' he says.

'Coupled with the enhancement of facilities and equipment, the QEM will effectively help to strengthen academic quality and student services. Resources will be invested to improve educational delivery and enrich teaching and research activities, through initiatives such as the implementation of academic analytics and consultancy support from veteran scholars,' he continues.

Learning support

The QEM also includes the development of study aids to assist students in learning reinforcement. Prof. Wong reveals that the iBookcase for iLearning Scheme is scheduled to be launched in the last quarter of this year, which consists of the iBookcase App along with audio-visual materials, interactive quizzes and exercises. The Scheme will encourage more student participation in mobile interactive learning activities instead of printed materials.

'Furthermore, an Independent Learning and Study Skills Pack will be developed to assist students in enhancing their skills in writing, research and exam preparation,' he continues. 'The pack also includes guides to independent study, learning support and study milestones, which are particularly useful to part-time and distance learning students.'

Internship and exchange experiences

In addition to enhancing teaching and learning resources, more will be done to strengthen students' international outlook, capability and career prospects. Prof. Wong is deeply convinced that internships and exchanges are essential experiences for every university student. 'We will not only increase the number of internship places, but also maximize the benefits of such experiences for both students and employers by enhancing students' preparation prior to internships, and giving better support to employers.'

Overseas travel is a life-enriching experience that widens students' horizons and global outlook. The University has stepped up its drive to offer an increasing number of overseas exchange programmes with added subsidies for students. 'Through these programmes, students will not only gain new knowledge; they will make connections across boundaries, share insights from an international perspective, and increase their capacity to contribute to society,' he says.

Greater employability

One way to make our students better contributors to society is by boosting their employability after graduation. Prof. Wong explains that the University's existing job information portal will be revamped to provide a broader careers service through a more powerful and mobile-friendly platform with an extensive employer network.

'To make students more competitive in the workforce, we will also employ native English speaking interns to help students improve their English language skills. Students who attain good results in the IELTS will have their test fees reimbursed,' Prof. Wong explains. He adds that entry scholarships for local top-up degree students will be introduced, while postgraduate scholarships and the bursary scheme will be refined, providing greater opportunities for academic and personal attainment.

Positive campus life

According to Prof. Wong, the OUHK attaches great importance to a well-rounded campus life. 'In addition to professional knowledge and personal skills, the University is also committed to developing students' positive values and helping them to embrace an enthusiastic attitude towards life. A great variety of activities are regularly organized by the Student Affairs Office in the aim of promoting care and support among students.'

Nursing and healthcare complex

To conclude his interview, Prof. Wong speaks about the construction of the new nursing and healthcare complex on Sheung Shing Street. 'This project is a major focus of development for us. The Government's land grant go-ahead represents another vote of trust and support for the University. With the concerted efforts of faculty and staff, I am confident that we will further strengthen our capacity to train skilled healthcare professionals to meet the needs of our aging population and promote society-wide physical and psychological well-being.'

Record-high Government scholarships for OUHK

A total of 667 students have been awarded scholarships from the Government's Self-financing Post-secondary Scholarship Scheme (SPSS) amounting to nearly HK$12 million. Both the number of awardees and the amount of scholarships reached a record high for the University this year.

Chow Oi-tung, year 3 student of the Creative Advertising and Media Design programme was awarded the Best Progress Award for the remarkable improvement. With perseverance and teacher support, Oi-tung achieved academic excellence with her GPA jumping from 2.46 in the first year of study to 3.38 in the second year. Another awardee Lee Wan-yi, final year student pursuing an honours degree in English Language Studies, was presented the Talent Development Scholarship with her outstanding achievement in archery. Wan-yi won three gold medals in the 2016 Hong Kong Target Archery Championship (Star Shoot) and has represented Hong Kong in many international competitions.

T&C students crowned champions in electronics competition

A team of three students from the full-time Testing and Certification programme won the championship of the Hong Kong Electronics Project Competition 2017 organized by the Electronics Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and were awarded a prize of $10,000. Formed by Ha Ting-pong, Ho Man-yu, Lau Chun-wai and Tang Tsz-kin, the team distinguished themselves from around 60 submissions with their final year project entitled 'Rapid Diagnosis on the Radiated Emission of Printed Circuit Boards Using Images'.

Bronze medal in tchoukball competition

Members of the OUHK Volunteer Team and students of the tchoukball training class teamed up to compete in the Tchoukball Charity Competition organized by the Unleash Foundation and came third in the open group. Tchoukball is an indoor ball game originating from Switzerland which emphasizes teamwork. Through the inclusion of people with physical disabilities, the competition aims to spread the message of fostering social integration.

Merit award in ACCA business competition

Full-time Accounting students Monica Chan Chi-man, Susanna Chan Kwan-sim, Vicky Ng Ka-ki and Brendan Yau Yuet-ho participated in the ACCA Business Competition held on 18 February. The competition is now in its tenth year, and attracted over 400 teams to compete on the theme of 'Young catalysts in driving social enterprise excellence'. Each of the teams was required to conduct a case study of a social enterprise, develop a proposal and recommend feasible solutions to optimize business and streamline operations. The OUHK team made it into the top seven after several rounds of competition and won the merit award.

Reaching the top seven of the inter-university ALGO trading contest

More than 100 teams from institutions across the nation competed in the Second Inter-University ALGO Trading Contest. The 'OUHK Algo Trader' team, made up of Tam Hiu-hin (Master of Philosophy in Computing), Tam Ka-yiu (BBA with Honours in Business Management) and Lam Wai-tat (BBA with Honours in Business Intelligence and Analytics), reached the finals of the contest held on 19 February. From generating trading ideas to implementing trading strategies, the finalist teams were required to develop algorithmic trading strategies mimicking real-life algorithmic trading. The 'OUHK Algo Trader' team came seventh overall.

First runner-up in business case competition

Full-time Business and Administration students Joleen Chan and Nike Lai Kei earned praise at the AIA Business Sustainability & Risk Management Case Analysis Competition. Each of the competing teams was required to compile the CSR report for a building construction company. Among 18 university teams from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the OUHK team impressed the judges with an outstanding CSR report and their creative presentation. They won second place and were presented a scholarship of $15,000 and internship opportunities.

Prestigious Chinese literary awards for creative arts students

Four talented young writers from the full-time Creative Writing and Film Arts programme wrote their way to success in the Sixth Global Youth Chinese Literary Award. The Award, organized by the Faculty of Arts of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, is one of the most prestigious in the Hong Kong literary sector and receives entries from students from over 200 tertiary institutions worldwide. Fresh graduate Ho Ching-ki and year 4 student Wan Kar-yan bagged an Excellence Award (Second Class) and a Consolation Prize in the short stories section respectively, whilst year 3 student Yeung Yi-man and year 2 student Lee Yuen-yee each received a Consolation Award in the prose section. Ho Ching-Ki and Wan Kar-yan joined Dr Rebecca Leung Mo-ling at the award presentation ceremony on 7 April. The winning pieces, along with others, were showcased at the Hong Kong Central Library on 8-18 April.

Click to view video

From Natural Flyers to Advances in Aerospace Engineering

Prof. Wei Shyy

Through the ages, humans sought to crack the secrets of flight. As a world-class expert in aerospace engineering, Executive Vice President and Provost of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Prof. Wei Shyy is fascinated by the ease and elegance with which birds fly. In his lecture on 27 February, Prof. Shyy explained the principles of bird flight along with a showcase of his wild bird photographs, highlighting how birds' sizes, their wing shapes and wind speed affect takeoff, landing and speed of flight. Drawing attention to the popularity of drones, he invited a rethink of the role of university education as artificial intelligence gains prevalence.

Click to view video

An Economic Framework for Analysing Issues in Education

Prof. Richard Wong Yue-chim

In the knowledge-driven economy of the 21st century, human capital has become the most important element in production. On 24 March, Prof. Richard Wong, Chair of Economics and Philip Wong Kennedy Wong Professor in Political Economy at the University of Hong Kong, analyzed how human capital investment impacts economic growth and distribution. The lecture highlighted how the boom in knowledge workers and the increasing specialization of knowledge are revolutionizing the basis of upward mobility, group identities, discretionary time and interest relationships. How to defend the common good amid the clamour of diverse interest groups will be a major challenge in the new pluralist society.

OUHK TIN KA PING CENTRE OF CHINESE CULTURE

Looking into China's Belt and Road initiative

The Tin Ka Ping Centre of Chinese Culture invited Prof. Edward Chen Kwan-yiu, an Honorary Professor of the University, to speak on one of the hottest China politico-economic issues on 9 March: 'China's Belt and Road Initiative as an international development strategy: How important? How realistic?'.

RIBiLT

Metaphor in context

The Research Institute for Bilingual Learning and Teaching (RIBiLT) brought Prof. Jeannette Littlemore from the University of Birmingham to give a Distinguished Professor seminar series at the OUHK. The topic of the 21 January seminar was 'Metaphor and Advertising', and this was followed by an undergraduate workshop, 'Metaphor and the Language Learner', on 23 January.

IIBG

Financial markets explained

Prof. Raphael Markellos of the University of East Anglia, UK, who is a Distinguished Professor of the Institute of International Business and Governance (IIBG), shared his financial insights in public lectures on 23 and 25 January: 'Sovereign Debt Markets in Light of the Shadow Economy' and 'The Quest for Wisdom in Financial Markets'.

RIDCH

New perspectives on nationalism and traditional China

On 20 and 24 March, the Research Institute for Digital Culture and Humanities (RIDCH) presented two Distinguished Professors public lectures. Prof. Kosaku Yoshino from Tokyo's Sophia University discussed 'Beyond Nationalism: For You, Through Twilight' while Prof. Michael Lackner from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany examined 'Traditional China: Rational or Superstitious? Two Western Narratives and a Possible Answer'.

IRITS

Marine conservation research journey

On 8 March, Dr Paul Shin from the City University of Hong Kong, as Distinguished Professor of the Institute for Research in Innovative Technology and Sustainability (IRITS), shared his research journey from studying seabed ecology to the conservation of horseshoe crabs in a seminar entitled 'From Marine Ecology to Conservation: A Personal Road to Research'.

IROPINE

Reviewing learning analytics

In the 'Seminar on Learning Behaviour and Interactive Pattern Analysis — Methodology, Tools and Practices' on 6 January, Prof. Gwo-Jen Hwang, Distinguished Professor of the Institute for Research in Open and Innovative Education (IROPINE) and Chair Professor at the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, offered a review of current learning analytics practices.

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Lectures by Golden Horse filmmakers

On the four Fridays of February, four top filmmakers associated with the 53rd Golden Horse Awards were invited by the School of Arts and Social Sciences to give lectures to the Cinematic Design and Photographic Digital Art programme. They were Mr Adam Wong Sau-ping, jury member of the Feature Film category in the preliminary stage of judging; Mr Thomas Ng Kei-wai, winner of Best Original Screenplay for Trivisa; Mr Ying Liang, winner of Best Live Action Short Film for A Sunny Day; and Mr Wong Chun, winner of Best New Director for Mad World.

Books published by OUHK staff

Academic Writing for Arts and Humanities Students

Associate Professor of the School of Arts and Social Sciences Dr Anna Tso (co-author) Published by McGraw-Hill Education

Teaching Shakespeare to ESL Students: The Study of Language Arts in Four Major Plays

Associate Professor of the School of Arts and Social Sciences Dr Anna Tso (co-author) Published by Springer

Welcoming guests, building connections

As a self-financing institution dedicated to providing quality education, the OUHK has always valued the support of community partners and friends. As the University makes headway with plans for the new Nursing and Healthcare Complex, the senior management is connecting with leaders of various bodies, taking them on tours of the most advanced facilities on campus while briefing them on the University's latest developments.

Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, a long-time supporter of the OUHK, returned to the campus after which it was named on 5 May. The delegation consisted of the Club's voting members, headed by Deputy Chairman Mr Anthony Chow Wing-kin, and representatives of its Charities department, including Ms Irene Chan, Head of Charities (Communication and Engagement). They also learned about developments in the Jockey Club Home Health Watch Programme.

Accreditation bodies

On 15 February, Ms Merih Malmqvist Nilsson, Chair of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and Deputy Director General of Swedac, Sweden's accreditation body, came to visit alongside Dr Daria Wong, Senior Accreditation Officer of Hong Kong Accreditation Service, to learn about the University's Testing and Certification programmes.

Food and Health Bureau

Delegates from the Food and Health Bureau were received on 21 April. The representatives consisted of the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Mr Patrick Nip, the Head of the Healthcare Planning and Development Office, Mr Chris Sun, the Principal Assistant Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Mr Fong Ngai and the Assistant Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Miss Natalie Lau.

Kowloon City Industry and Commerce Association

A delegation of 12 from the Hong Kong Kowloon City Industry and Commerce Association, led by Permanent Honorary President Dr Simon Siu, President Ms Tsui Li and Chairman Mr Chan Kin-ping, paid a visit on 20 March.

Anti-drug service training workshop draws to a close

Click to view video

The Training Workshop for Nursing Students on Anti-drug Service, launched last year with a funding grant of over $450,000 from the Beat Drugs Fund Association, concluded with a closing ceremony and award presentation on 28 March. Commissioner for Narcotics Ms Manda Chan was invited to officiate at the ceremony along with President Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong and Head of the Division Prof. Joseph Lee.

In addition to essential training, workshop participants had the opportunity to visit drug treatment and rehabilitation organizations and talk to drug abusers. Their experiences and thoughts were recorded in reflective journal assignments. The six best entries were singled out for merit and outstanding awards.

New Master's programme jointly offered with CPA Australia

The OUHK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CPA Australia on 9 May. With Dean of the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration Prof. Alan Au and CPA Australia Country Head of Greater China Ms Deborah Leung as representatives, the signing marked a new collaboration on a Master of Accountancy programme (MACF) for September 2017. This programme will incorporate the accounting body's CPA Programme, allowing students to simultaneously enrol in the associated exams and obtain a CPA (Aust.) designation after meeting the practical experience requirements. Enrolment will immediately grant students Associate Membership of CPA Australia and access to its abundant online resources, courses, forums and networking events.

Roaming Aperture @OUHK photo competition

Jointly organized by the Public Affairs Unit and the Student Affairs Office, the photo competition attracted more than 100 entries from students, alumni and staff depicting memorable moments at the OUHK. The top three prizes were selected by the judges, Director of Educational Technology and Publishing Dr Eva Tsang, and Senior Lecturer and Lecturer of Creative Arts programmes of the School of Arts and Social Sciences Mr Makin Fung and Ms Rachel Ip, based on the criteria of interpretation of theme, creativity and photographic techniques. In addition, the public also voted for their favourite entries on Facebook. The 16 finalist entries can be viewed on the OUHK's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/theouhk.

Champion

Chow Kong-ying

Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Cinematic Design and Photographic Digital Art

First Runner-up

Lok Chun-hei

Alumnus

Second Runner-up

Lau Tsz-kin

Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Cinematic Design and Photographic Digital Art

The Most Favourite Entry

George Lung Ka-chun

Alumnus

Love and care on campus

During the week of 27–31 March, students were offered a variety of fun activities organized by the Student Affairs Office (SAO) to promote the message of love and care on campus. They enjoyed free ice-cream distributed at a mobile ice-cream van, learned how to make Japanese lucky charms, discovered animal assisted therapy and interacted with the therapy dogs, joined a DIY lipstick workshop, and much more.

Music on campus

March and April were music months for the SAO. On 20 March and 5 April, C Y Leo, a world-class harmonica player who has won various global competitions, gave a stunning performance on Ho Man Tin campus and hosted a workshop. Moreover, singer-songwriter Tse Chin-tung hosted a ukulele beginners' class on 12 April.

OUHK sport and fitness

The SAO ran a physical training programme for students from Novermber 2016 to April 2017 covering a series of fitness activities. In addition, 15 students joined an exchange tour to Northeast Normal University, Changchun on 9–18 November where they took part in a variety of sports exchanges.

Voluntary service for newly arrived kids

The OUHK Volunteer Team joined hands with the HKUST to provide a voluntary service for a group of 12 newly arrived primary students. A range of activities were arranged in March and April to help familiarize them with life in Hong Kong.

Minibus sign writing workshop

The SAO brought to students a special handcraft experience in March. Master Mak Kam-sang, the last minibus sign-writer in Hong Kong, was invited to host a workshop on sign writing and creating a unique minibus sign.

Exploring local culture and heritage

More than 70 students from the Creative Advertising and Media Design programme participated in the Hong Kong Jockey Club Heritage x Arts X Design (H.A.D.) Walk Project focusing on Yuen Long and Tuen Mun. Through handicrafts, guided tours, workshops and exhibitions, the public got to know more about the cultural heritage and history of the two old districts.

Career Fair

Organized by the SAO, the Career Fair, featuring some 50 prestigious enterprises and organizations, was held on 22–23 March, and showcased over 1,500 job vacancies. This year a mobile app was launched to provide visitors with details of the event and activity
updates.

Dinner with business leaders

A business and career mentoring forum-cum-dinner was organized by the SAO on 22 February. More than 100 students enjoyed this opportunity to meet with business leaders and professionals from the Lions Club of Metropolitan Hong Kong.

Visit to HK International Airport

A group of 36 Electronic and Computing Engineering undergraduates and Engineering Management postgraduates paid a technical visit to the Hong Kong International Airport on 17 March. They visited the core areas and gained insights into the daily operation of the airport.

Setting sail on a new career

More than 150 students attended the SetSail 2017 Computing and Engineering Career Conference organized by the School of Science and Technology on 10 February. Professionals and experienced managers were invited to share views on the employment market and career prospects in the field, and two alumni talked about their experiences of further study and career development.

Exploring and exchanging

In March, full-time students of the School of Science and Technology and the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration participated in exchange tours to Zhuhai and Shantou respectively. They learned a lot through attending lectures, visiting companies and interacting with local students.

Breaking disciplinary boundaries

Students have enjoyed opportunities to engage in cross-disciplinary learning on various occasions in recent months. Tourism, Airline Studies and Health Care students were given a taste of front desk service, guest room management and fine dining preparations at a hotel. LiPACE has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Harilela Group to develop a cross-disciplinary training hotel.

Students of various programmes will be involved in all stages of development, from planning and construction to operations and service provision. On a separate occasion, students from various Higher Diploma programmes teamed up to design models for sheltered priority seats as part of the Kwai Tsing Age Friendly Community project, and won awards for their efforts. The second runner-up team, formed by Kerwin Cheung (Health Care), Hung Ho Yin (Engineering), and Ayesha Kwok and Angela Lam (Interior Design), demonstrated sensitivity to comfort, aesthetics and material use, and their project was featured on TVB's Sunday Report.

New Programmes

Professional Certificate in Drama and Story-telling as Pedagogy in Kindergarten

Jointly offered with the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep), this programme equips teachers with approaches for integrating drama into the classroom in a practical 45-hour curriculum. The first part of the course covers the use of drama in education and the lesson design, while the second part covers the application of theories and lesson execution.

Celebrating 25 years

LiPACE has been celebrating its 25th anniversary with a series of events.

A celebratory singing contest

The finals of the LiPACE Singing Contest took place on 11 March, with singer Mr Simon On, indie musician Mr Fung Chun-yin, LiPACE Director Dr Kris Wong and music programme lecturer Dr Joseph Wong on the judging panel. The championships of the Diploma Yi Jin Programme Group and Non-Diploma Programme Group went to Darryl Chan and Hui Ho-yeung respectively. Darryl was awarded additional prizes for his outstanding stage performance and style.

Fun educational carnival for families

The 370 students of the graduating class of the Higher Diploma in Early Childhood Education programme unleashed their creativity in a Mini Educational Carnival on the Ho Man Tin Campus on 8 April, treating three- to six-year-olds and their parents to a day of fun-filled games and stories. In addition to the booth games, story-telling sessions and balloon crafting with Clown Mic-Mic, there was a showcase of teaching aids for parents and a free consultation service from a registered speech therapist. Over 1,500 visitors came and enjoyed a lively and fruitful day.

Public investment seminar

This year marked LiPACE's seventh collaboration with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) in organizing the MPF Investment Education Seminar to educate the public about retirement planning. Chartered Financial Analyst from the Hong Kong Society of Financial Analysts Dr Jimmy Jim, Senior Manager of External Affairs of the MPFA Mr Eddy Chan, together with Associate Publisher and Head of the Research Department of the Hong Kong Economic Times Mr Arthur Shek were invited to share their views and intelligence at the seminar held on 12 March, attracting an audience of over 700.

Alumni Café

The Alumni Affairs Office of the Public Affairs Unit has recently introduced the Alumni Café: a cozy, relaxing and interactive gathering in which alumni are invited to share their stories. The aim of the Café is to strengthen cohesion among alumni and foster a sense of positive energy. The first get-together took place on 10 March with full-time Bachelor of Social Sciences programme graduate Dennis Cheung as guest speaker and Associate Professor of the School of Arts and Social Sciences Dr Michael Ng as facilitator.

As a teenager, Dennis lost motivation to study after his parents' divorce. From getting poor HKCEE results to becoming a social worker with a master's degree and a number of awards, Dennis has seen plenty of ups and downs. At one point he even found himself hovering between life and death due to a life-threatening illness. Accompanied by his teacher and friend Michael with songs and guitar, Dennis narrated his story with humour, shared his thoughts and experiences, and encouraged everyone never to give up. The group joined in a song to round off this lively event.

Premiere of alumnus' film

On 26 April, the Alumni Affairs Office of the Public Affairs Unit screened the premiere of the film Adieu in collaboration with charitable organization W Workshop. The event attracted over 200 students, alumni and staff, as well as some 60 secondary school students. Written and directed by alumnus Kenneth Lau, the film revolves around three protagonists from different generations who are diagnosed with cancer, inspiring the audience to rethink the meaning of life and death.

In his opening remarks, President Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong expressed appreciation for Kenneth's thought-provoking work. Before the screening, Kenneth and four of the actors shared behind-the-scenes stories while OUHK student Hillary Lai talked about what she learned as part of the crew. The premiere concluded with a huge round of applause from the audience, and many were deeply moved by the film's storyline.

Reunion for alumni groups

The China Law Alumni Association held a banquet on 10 March, inviting members of eight alumni groups for a reunion. Vice President Prof. Lee Wing-on attended this special occasion.

Putonghua Association (Alumni) runs tournament and appoints advisors

The Communication University of China Press's Huayangshaonian Linguistic Arts Tournament is underway, and the Putonghua Association (Alumni), appointed as hosts of the Hong Kong contest for the second year running, kicked off the event on 26 Mar. On the same occasion, the Association also appointed its advisors for the coming session: Prof. Tian Xiaolin, Prof. Tong Zhixiang, Ms Bi Wanying and Mr Jiang Zhizhong.

Full-time Programmes Alumni Association party

The recently-established OUHK Full-time Programmes Alumni Association organized its first reunion party on 24 March.The event was held at the Ho Man Tin campus's multi-purpose hall with more than 120 alumni and a number of senior staff members present. President Prof. Yuk-Shan Wong gave an opening address and hosted the lucky draw, which was followed by alumni sharing sessions and a yo-yo performance.

Back in 1996, at the age of 19, Kenneth Lau wrote his first screenplay. This led to a first career in film directing and production. In the following years, he worked on some 40 film projects. However, in 2007, he made a career move into youth work, and started helping young people to learn through drama. Despite his professional expertise, he soon felt his lack of training in education, so when he found out about the OUHK's Master of Education with its course in drama education, he knew it was for him. He obtained the degree in 2010, followed by the Professional Diploma in Drama Education in 2011.

Today, he looks back on his days at the OUHK with a smile, although he describes them as 'very tough' — the course materials were not only lengthy but also challenging; it took determination to conquer them! However, he faced up to this challenge and thinks highly of the programme's blend of theory and practice. The programme helped him understand how structured learning could enrich students' experience through interactive activities. 'This is the teaching model by which I educate young people about life and death. I took them to visit near-death patients and those in the death care industry. The students could then write scripts and act on the basis of first-hand experiences.'

At the same time as he was teaching, he also structured his own life through learning. In 2005, at a particular low point along his life journey, he decided to go back to school: 'Learning helped me know myself better so that I could reorient my life.' After obtaining his Master of Education, he moved on to teach associate degree courses himself. His passion for drama education did not subside for a moment: in the space of three years, he led his students in the production of three plays and one independent film. In 2013, he once again stepped out of his comfort zone for a new challenge: along with three students with special educational needs, he established W Workshop, a charity dedicated to drama education for teenagers.

Kenneth continued to build bridges between drama and education with Adieu, a film exploring our relationship with death. With this production, he also wanted to open doors for students aspiring to enter the film industry. Before shooting, he collaborated with film societies and departments of tertiary institutions to organize production and acting workshops. OUHK students took part too, some of whom were recruited into the production crew.

Kenneth sees his various identities of playwright, teacher and social worker as all having a common goal of getting his beliefs across. With the film industry now booming, he thinks that creative minds are not short of opportunities, but that success calls for wholehearted devotion. The one question he leaves his fellow students with is: 'Are you really committed?'

Drama education was introduced to the OUHK by Dr Jack Shu Chi-yee, Associate Professor of the School of Education and Languages.

During the 2000 Education Reform, a pilot scheme was launched to bring drama into local school classrooms, and Dr Shu was one of the experts involved in curriculum design and teacher training. He joined the OUHK in 2007 and later proposed new courses on drama education, which he has been teaching ever since.

As the name suggests, drama education is education conducted through drama. Learning is deepened as students step into different roles and experience their situations. 'Drama education is an applied art,' explains Dr Shu. 'It is very effective in exploring human emotions and thoughts, so it suits lessons on the humanities, languages and life education best.' The OUHK programme includes two assignments, namely forum theatre and curriculum design, to ensure that students put theory into practice.

Dr Shu's interest in performing arts was sparked off by his first experience with the stage during his secondary school years. Back then he was a science student, but at university he studied English literature and became fascinated by the world of fiction. Upon graduation, he started out as a magazine editor and soon set his heart on being a teacher. This didn't work out immediately, yet as if by destiny, around that time he met his MPhil supervisor who was active in the theatre. Under his influence, he went on to study drama education in England and found his vocation. 'Drama is a vector for all sorts of human emotions,' he explains. It is this emotional appeal that draws people of different age groups and backgrounds to drama equally. Drama can even be used for therapy, as his ethnodrama project on ex-gambling addicts last year demonstrates.

Kenneth Lau was one of Dr Shu's first students in drama education at the OUHK. Both teacher and student have made use of the power of drama to provoke thoughts about life and death this year, one on the theatre stage and the other on the silver screen.

Dr Shu sees his recent President's Award for Teaching Excellence as a great honour as well as a sign that the University recognizes the interactive teaching value of drama education. He hopes that support for programme and facility development will be further enhanced in future.

New Academic Staff

With a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations and Advertising from the Hong Kong Baptist University and a Master's Degree in Marketing from the CUHK, Ms Terry Ng, Senior Lecturer in Creative Advertising and Media Design, has worked in various 4A's advertising agencies. Her work has been recognized by the HK4As Creative Awards, Times Asia-Pacific Advertising Awards and Longxi Creative Awards. She taught at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education before joining the OUHK.

Ms Alina Ng, Lecturer in Nursing and Health Studies, obtained her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Nursing from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University where she is currently a PhD candidate. Her research interests include transitional care and palliative care. Prior to joining the OUHK, she worked at the Hospital Authority.