HKU Bulletin May 2012 (Vol. 13 No. 2)

News in Brief When Mr Sam Hui, an HKU graduate (1971) of the Faculty of Social Sciences and also one of Hong Kong’s most famous pop stars, returned to his alma mater, the HKU community came out in droves to welcome him. Sun Yat-sen Place was packed with excited fans who had arrived to see the ‘Brighten Me with Virtues: Sam Hui’s World’ dialogue-cum-mini-concert on February 8, 2012. Organised by the General Education Unit of HKU, the event caused a sensation, with lots of students surrounding the stage to get a glimpse of the superstar. In a discussion with Dr C.H. Ng, Associate Professor, Department of To mark the centenary of the University of Hong Kong, a ‘City Planning Forum – Taipei Challenge: New Planning Initiatives’ was held by the Centre of Urban Studies and Urban Planning as one of the celebratory activities in January 2012. Sociology and Dr Wong Chi-chung, Assistant Director, General Education Unit, Sam not only shared his views on the changes in Hong Kong society and culture, and his thoughts on his music career, but also delightedly recalled his memories at HKU, including some unforgettable times in Ricci Hall. Needless to say, the event would not have been complete without a few songs from Sam! Together with his son, Ryan Hui, Sam delivered one of his classic performances, singing in Cantonese and English and accompanied by the guitar. Since the song ‘Brighten Me with Virtues’ was a gift from Sam to HKU in Professor John Lin Chien-yuan, former Deputy Mayor of Taipei and Professor of the Graduate Institute of Building and Planning, National Taiwan University, was invited to give a public lecture themed ‘Taipei Challenge: New Planning Initiatives’, covering the economic, social, environmental, technological and celebration of its centenary, it was fitting that the ‘Brighten Me with Virtues Choir’ joined him to sing the HKU 100 theme song, together bringing the event to a rousing finale. M political challenges that Taipei has encountered, the ways to deal with these issues and strike a balance between development and the expectations of society. In attendance were not only the general public and students who were interested in the topic, but also experts in the field, including Mrs Carrie Lam, Secretary of Development of the HKSAR Government. Following Professor Lin’s presentation was a Panel Discussion moderated by Professor Rebecca Chiu of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, with Mr K.K. Ling, Deputy Director of the Planning Department of the HKSAR Government, Dr Peter Cookson Smith, President of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners, and Dr Roger Chan, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Architecture as discussants. They noted that many of the challenges facing Taipei were relevant to Hong Kong and that Taipei provided many lessons for Hong Kong in terms of community-based planning, especially Taipei’s Beautification Project and the reuse and refurbishing of old industrial buildings and districts. M Welcome back, Sam! A Hong Kong Legend‘Brightens’HKU with His Music City Planning Forum – Do Taipei’s Challenges Hold Lessons for Hong Kong? Staff of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, panelists and guests were delighted to have Professor John Lin Chien-yuan (third from the right in the front row), former Deputy Mayor of Taipei and Professor of the Graduate Institute of Building and Planning in National Taiwan University, in the City Planning Forum, giving a public lecture on ‘Taipei Challenge: New Planning Initiatives’. In virtue of the generous donation from the family of the late Mr Szeto Wah, some personal artefacts of the late Mr Szeto Wah have found a permanent home in the HKU Libraries. Vice- Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui and the Librarian Mr P.E. Sidorko were present at the ‘Szeto Wah Collection’ Turnover Ceremony cum Exhibition to express their gratitude to the Szeto family. Fifty artefacts were selected by the Szeto family for the exhibition, but the full Collection comprises more than 10,000 items – including books, periodicals, documents, manuscripts, letters, diaries, notebooks, photos, speeches, calligraphy, clippings – and will be housed in the Libraries’ Special Collections to ensure that his beloved treasures will be carefully maintained and protected. Mr Szeto was widely known and respected throughout Hong Kong. As the founder of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union, a former Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, and a co-founder of the Democratic Party, Mr Szeto dedicated his life to supporting education and advocating for the democratic development of Hong Kong. M The Di#erence Direct Encounters Make: The Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Centre ‘Experiential learning’ is a new and distinctive feature of the University’s new curriculum. To help with the implementation of this form of learning, the Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Centre has been set up thanks to a donation by Dr Gallant Ho, also an HKU alumnus. A ceremony to launch the Centre was held on March 19, 2012, which was attended by Dr Ho and officiated by Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui. Work done by faculties was also showcased at the event, and staff and students sharing their experiences described how future participants would benefit from experiential learning. With the aim of developing an integrated and holistic understanding of different issues and putting textbook knowledge into practice, the idea of experiential learning is to take students into workplaces and other settings where they will directly encounter the phenomena being studied. At a time when experiential learning is being incorporated in the curriculum of all faculties, the Gallant Ho Experiential Learning Centre will work with community partners, both within and beyond the territory, to identify projects for HKU students of different disciplines. Financial means and other forms of support will be provided to 1,000 students to complete their experiential learning projects each year. M Keeping the Flame Alive The‘SzetoWah Collection’Turnover Ceremony cumExhibition From left: Mr P.E. Sidorko, Mr Szeto Keung and Professor Lap-Chee Tsui Sam Hui staged a mini concert at the Sun Yat-sen Place. 05 May 2012 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin