Openlink July 2018‧Vol 27‧Issue 2

Wong Tsz, an amateur violinist, is a graduate of the full-time undergraduate degree programme in Language and Translation. In 2010 he went to Germany and the Netherlands to pursue postgraduate education. Upon completion of a double master's degree in European Studies there, he continued research in musicology at the University of Göttingen in Germany and has just completed his doctoral thesis. On his choice of research subject, Wong cites Confucius: '“it is by the Odes that the mind is aroused. It is by the Rules of Propriety that the character is established. It is from Music that the finish is received;” — I just felt I didn't know enough about music and had to learn more,' he explains.

His admiration for German musicians led him to their place of birth, but with only basic German, he had a lot of catching up to do. 'The knowledge I gained from Language and Translation studies at the OUHK came in handy when I started learning German grammar and understanding the German culture from its language,' he adds. In his PhD thesis he goes back to the 17th century to trace the earliest encounters between Chinese and European music, and reconstructs the entire lyrics of Matteo Ricci's Eight Songs for Western Keyboard. His research has also proved that the early European Jesuits adopted musical notations in learning Chinese — a new perspective for historical linguistics. It is the result of years of detailed research and brings to light some rare historical documents.

At the OUHK, Wong was actively involved on campus. He remembers his days at the University as if they were yesterday. In addition to establishing the Music Society, he also worked hard to set up the University Orchestra. From sourcing equipment and recruiting members to conducting the orchestra and organizing rehearsals, he has a story to tell for every aspect of the orchestra's development. Furthermore, in the preceding years, the Students' Union had been inactive for a long period, resulting in difficulties for students' representation on campus and beyond. There was a urgent need to re-establish it. 'Fortunately, the University administration was very supportive. In particular, Mr Lee Shu-wing, the Registrar at the time, offered us a lot of help. The Student's Union Preparatory Committee was soon reformed with new members and began revising the union's constitution,' he recalls. Given the unique composition of the OUHK's student body, the process was not without challenges as the rights and interests of full-time, part-time and distance learning students had to be considered. After the successful revision of the union's constitution, Wong, with 14 others, formed a cabinet to participate in the election and thus better fulfil what he saw as his duty. 'I was confident that I could lead the union and bring positive changes,' he says. They were eventually elected and Wong became the first President of the re-established SU.

Wong saw the Music Society, University Orchestra and Students' Union go from the drawing board to fully-functional bodies. He is grateful to his former companions who joined him on this journey. 'The OUHK will always be special to me,' he says. 'It is where I first got the chance to receive higher education, and where I got to know many wonderful friends and university staff. I have great memories of working together to achieve our goals. My gratitude goes out to everyone from the bottom of my heart.' Looking to the future, Wong plans to continue in the direction of education and research. Having worked as a teacher for one year before going to Europe, he says: 'I would be very happy if I can teach again.