The Review 2008

The Review 2008 The Review 2008 Helping Sichuan Rebuild The devastating ear thquake that struck China’s Sichuan province on May 12, 2008, was met with an outpouring of concern and suppor t from Hong Kong and around the world. At HKU, many staff, students and alumni dug deep into their pockets and made themselves available to help survivors cope with the immediate aftermath of injury, loss and homelessness. It was a generous, hear tfelt response, but we were also asking ourselves: how can we best use our strengths as a university to help the area re-build in the long-term? How can we do what we do best, for Sichuan and China? Professor Chow Shew-Ping , the Pro-Vi ce- Chancellor for University Relations, said many individuals at HKU had made impor tant direct contributions to help victims. The University, though, was in a position to offer broader suppor t by helping people learn from the experience. “While the immediate relief work is still going on, universities, as knowledge hubs, should contribute their exper tise not only to the shor t-term redevelopment of the quake areas, but also long-term knowledge-based catastrophe management worldwide,” he said. HKU has set up a formal Catastrophe Management Initiative in par tnership with Beijing Normal University to offer guidance at the policy and practical level on issues facing Sichuan and other disaster zones – everything from rehabilitation to reconstruction to redevelopment. Ser v i ces such as pre-school progr ammes , psychosocial intervention, help for mental patients, rehabilitation centres and a public awareness campaign are being organised.These are underpinned by academic activities such as a survey of survivors, student research oppor tunities, development of a resource map and a global dialogue on the ear thquake in November to identify key issues for future development. The initiative, announced in July, builds on effor ts by individual University academics and alumni to share their exper tise. Microbiologists, engineers, or thopaedic surgeons and suicide prevention specialists with HKU connections were among those who travelled to the ear thquake zone. In Hong Kong ear th scientists and media specialists provided insights into the ear thquake and the needed follow-up work. Community • 37 One of the strengths of the Univer- sity of Hong Kong is our network of con- nections with leading universities around the world.This provides fruitful two-way academic exchanges, but it is not our only source of research and learning oppor- tunities. Our engagements with people and organisations off campus also offer gratifying occasions to extend and share our knowledge and talents, and enjoy the benefits of community support. The University has been deeply rooted in Hong Kong society since it opened its doors in 1912 and it has a strong record of helping the community in tangible ways. Our students and staff provide medical and dental help to those in need, offer social services to the elderly and troubled teens and promote appreciation of traditional Cantonese culture, to name a few of their activities.When a major disaster arises, such as the Sichuan earthquake, they are in the front lines offering assistance and assessing how they can help the area rebuild in the long term. This practice of serving society has benefits for the University. People want to give back. Our alumni are active fundraisers and many of Hong Kong’s business leaders have come to appreciate our contributions to society. They have been generous with donations, enabling us to advance our teaching and research to the benefit of the wider community. Recently we have received strong financial support for our Centennial Campus expansion, for which an official kick-off ceremony was held in February 2008.The new campus, located to the west of the Main Campus, will help us to increase student intake by 40 per cent in 2012 and provide world-class teaching and research facilities, sustainability features and new physical links with the neighbourhood. It will also have symbolic importance as a showcase of our aspirations to excellence and our desire to enhance the many ways we engage with the community. Previous page – Our campus provides a tranquil environment for early-morning tai chi enthusiasts. 36