HKU Bulletin September 2007 (Vol. 9 No. 1)

22 23 The Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award is granted in recognition of supervisors of research postgraduate students whose guidance has been of particular help to their students in the pursuit of research excellence. Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Awards Professor Steven Chen Feng Professor, School of Biological Sciences P rofessor Chen is a renowned expert in algal biotechnology and natural products research. He is particularly interested in understanding the mechanism of the heterotrophic biosynthesis of microalgal metabolites, and the identification and development of functional natural products. Since joining the University in 1993, Professor Chen has successful ly supervised 14 PhD students and 6 MPhil students, many of whom have gone on to become excellent scientists. He believes that creativity is the most important element in training young scientists. The role of their supervisors, therefore, should be to guide and help their students to think for themselves. They should not oversee every detail of their students’ work, because this would jeopardize their creativity. In line with this philosophy, Professor Chen encourages his students to work and think critically and independently, but also requires them to set clear milestones so that he can monitor their progress. ‘If you succeed,’ he said, ‘I succeed even more.’ sfchen@hkusua.hku.hk http://web.hku.hk/~sfchen/ D r Manolete Mora is Associate Professor in the School of Humanities. He said: “The University Teaching Fellowship awards send the message to colleagues and the community that good teaching, as well as research, is valued. Indeed, good teaching and good scholarship are closely linked. “In my teaching portfolio, I have attempted to demonstrate these links and show that I have made efforts to keep abreast of new teaching methods, curriculum development, and course design. “My basic approach to teaching, however, lies in attempting to stimulate the discovery process in the student. Respect and empathy for the learner are essential to this approach. My encounters with a wide range of students from various faculties, programmes, and social backgrounds have underlined the different experiences, needs, and vocational aspirations that students bring to the study of music. “Therefore, while I aim to obtain the highest commitment and quality of work from all students I try to do this with awareness of the different motives and personal circumstances that influence the degree of commitment to, interest in, and capability in understanding and articulating ideas about music. However, the biggest challenge for me is helping students transcend self-limiting attitudes as well as the limitations imposed by external circumstances.” His former student, Ms Ivy Man added: “I have known Dr Mora as a teacher for about ten years. I was one of his students in the undergraduate courses in the music department and he was also the supervisor of my master degree programme at HKU. “Over the years, Dr Mora has constantly demonstrated what a knowledgeable and gifted teacher he is. Whatever the type of music he taught - from Africa, Latin America, Indonesia, the Philippines, or European music - he always showed a good grasp of the material. As a musician, he would demonstrate various kinds of music in lectures. As you can imagine, it was always a pleasant experience to attend his lectures. He also possesses the gift of being able to make complex musical concepts understandable. “But what impressed me most was that he did not begrudge spending his free time with students to illustrate his lessons. For instance, in order to consolidate our understanding of Latin American music, he once took us to a pub restaurant where live Latin American music was performed and free salsa lesson were taught. “ I n sp i te of be i ng an i nter nat i ona l l y renowned ethnomusicologist, he is a humble, approachable and open- minded person who loves to share his extensive knowledge and experience. Because of his personal qualities he was, and doubtless still is, one of the most popular lecturers in the department. “Dr Mora’s example had a great influence on my own decision to pursue an academic career. He always advised me to strive for excellence, and when I was studying for my doctorate he continued to provide me with constructive advice and outstanding mentorship, even though it was no longer his duty to do so. In many areas, both personally and academically, Dr Mora has taught and encouraged me to meet challenges that I had never before thought possible.” TEACHING AND RESEARCH