HKU Bulletin November 2006 (Vol. 8 No. 1)

20 STUDENTS Building for the Future Engineering students help build schools in rural China. A hiking expedition by an engineering alumnus into the hills of rural Guangxi provided the inspiration for a unique project that is benefiting both Guangxi villagers and undergraduate students. Dr Nicolas Yeung decided to support the construction of schools in the area after witnessing the impoverishment around Da Lang Village. But he added a twist to his donation – Hong Kong engineering students had to design and build the schools so they could put their classroom skills to work and widen their horizons. “A lot of my friends had been complaining that everything is too good and too easy for young people in Hong Kong, but the fact is this generation really hasn’t had the opportunity to see what life is about. I thought, why not take this opportunity to show them,” he said. Twenty-one civil engineering students from the University helped to build a primary school in Da Lang Village that opened last year and a new group is being recruited to work on a student hostel for a vocational training school in the county. The students’ input on the projects helps them to fulfil compulsory industry training requirements for their studies and offers them a very different experience from that they would receive on most local placements. For the primary school, the students had to interview villagers about the facilities they needed, conduct land surveys, design building plans, work out construction details, secure approval from Mainland authorities, prepare tender documents and ensure the project did not exceed its budget, as well as monitor construction. They also had to learn about Mainland building codes for such things as earthquake resistance, lightning rods and drainage. An architecture alumnus, Mr Joseph Tang, who runs a Hong Kong architectural firm, advised them on their designs. Students also fulfilled Dr Yeung’s goal of exposing them to other ways of life. During site visits to Da Lang Village they saw the star-filled sky, the brilliant colours of a village in seasons from spring to autumn, and experienced electricity blackouts. Anthony Kam Yuet Wang, who graduated this year, said the project helped him to appreciate the simple things in life. “Most people in Hong Kong are focused on how to make more money. However, after I stayed in Guangxi for about a month, I realise money is not a very great concern. The most important thing is to enjoy living. The people in the village would go to look at the autumn leaves during their free time and they shared their food with each other. People there are closer to each other and they enjoy the little things around them,” he said. Dr Guo Dajiang, Honorary Lecturer in Civil Engineering and tutor for the project, said the experience was a valuable one for students, both professionally and personally. “A project l ike this means they can complete thei r compulsory training on the one hand and serve society on the other. It’s very exciting for them because it’s a real project, it’s not just on paper, and they are able to help poor people,” he said. The primary school in Da Lang Village was named Ming Tak Lau, whose meaning is derived from the University’s motto sapientia et virtus – wisdom and virtue. The name and the calligraphy were provided by eminent HKU-based sinologist Professor Jao Tsung-I.