The Review 2008

16 The Review 2008 Teaching • Professor Lee Sum-Ping The new Dean of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Professor Lee Sum-Ping, comes to HKU from the University of Washington, Seattle, where he solidified his standing as an interna- tionally renowned gastroenterologist. “I believe in a student oriented curriculum that offers depth as well as breadth. We want to encourage students’ intellectual curiosity so they will pursue knowledge and influence them to become better human beings so they will become better doctors. They need to be equipped to deal with global health issues as well. I also believe in breaking down barriers in ‘compartmentalised’ research. HKU is a deep and strong research institution with the potential to increase collaborations and cross disciplines. Disease knows no boundaries, so why should we?” A Choice Destination for Top Mainland Students The University of Hong Kong is a popular choice for high-performing students from Mainland China. In recent years we have received more than 10,000 applications annually for 250 undergraduate places and we select students based on their school results and performance in interviews. Gina Yao Ruixue, a Sichuan native, passed the hurdles and chose HKU over other offers because of history and opportunity. “HKU has a longer history than other universities in Hong Kong and this creates a unique atmosphere,” she said.“Also, as a Mainland student I was required to spend one year at a Mainland university before joining classes at HKU. I was able to study at Fudan University, where my mother went. Few people have a chance to experience two different universities like this.” It was while she was at Fudan in May 2008 that the Sichuan ear thquake struck but for tunately for Gina, her family in Chengdu was not hur t. She visited some of the affected areas over the summer and saw secondary school students preparing for exams in flimsy temporary buildings without proper classrooms or air conditioning. “The students there were laughing and joking and studying like normal. Maybe it’s because we did not go to the worst hit places, but life goes on, university entrance exams cannot be postponed,” she said. That roll-with-the-punches attitude has enabled Gina to adjust quickly to Hong Kong and HKU, where in a shor t time she has encountered a new city, new university and new style of teaching. She has star ted first-year BBA(Acc&Fin) studies and so far has found the study environment to be open and relaxed. “The teaching atmosphere is different to Fudan. The classes are smaller so there is more chance to interact with the professors and the academic level is higher than universities in the Mainland. There’s also more chance to meet professors and other people from different countries,” she said. The Review 2008 • Teaching GinaYao Ruixue 17