President urges students to learn outside the classroom
The course attracted someone else from CityU. Having received several invitations, the President, Professor H K Chang, went to
A gathering with the students took place on 31 May. “Communicating face to face with students always helps me understand them better,” Professor Chang said. “I hope in future I can find time each year to visit CityU students on internship, exchange or study tours outside
Historical and cultural cities
CCIV started summer study courses on the mainland in 2001. The courses focus on teaching Chinese civilisation and history through field studies in well-known historical and cultural cities. Previous courses were conducted in
The President opened his informal 90-minute meeting with the students in
- “It’s because
is the origin of Chinese civilisation…”Shandong - “It’s because
hasShandong , which ranks first among the mainland’s ‘Big Five’…”Tai Mountain - “It’s because I can visit
here. We all read about it in our textbooks when we were in secondary school…”Lake Daming
A
Sharing experiences
Professor Chang was keen to learn about the students’ experiences and observations. One student said: “We often
Another student said: “The campus facilities and general environment here are not nearly as good as those in
In response to these observations, the President reminded the students that
Values and self-confidence
Department of Accountancy, took advantage of the occasion and asked the President in English. “Our CCIV course is a required course for all CityU students, and every single one of us has to complete six credit units before he or she graduates. Although I personally enjoy learning more about Chinese culture, still, may I know why you made this a required course rather than an elective?”
Lily Lam, a Year Two student in theProfessor Chang replied in English, using his own life experience to elaborate. “There are three reasons,” he said. “I lived overseas for 29 years. One reason that I’ve been happy and successful in what I do is because I know who I am. I never imagine that I will be anything else other than Chinese, so people respect me for who I am. But if I don’t know anything about
Professor Chang also noted that knowing who you are and what kind of cultural tradition you come from is important for your self-confidence and self-esteem. “Everything you do has to do with your self-confidence and self-esteem. You can do a lot of things if you believe you can do them. Self-confidence comes from knowing who you are, knowing who your ancestors were, and knowing what your people will become.”
The third reason is more practical, Professor Chang told the students. He argued that, everyone unconsciously has a set of core values, and we all do things according to our value system and our judgment. “I deeply believe that Chinese culture contains a lot of wise core values and philosophy, such as ‘taking the middle road (中庸之道)’ and ‘sweet follows sour (否極泰來)’. If you have taken some Chinese civilisation courses, I believe you will have a broader perspective about life. That broader perspective can make you understand your own situation better. You will have better ways of dealing with other people and will live through good times and bad times with dignity and a balanced mindset.”In the course of their conversation with Professor Chang, many students expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Dr Lam Lup and Mr Puk Wing Kin, the Chinese Civilisation Course tutors who were the leaders of the group. To this, the President responded: “The care that teachers give to students is the real spirit of a university. And that’s exactly CityU’s greatest wealth.”