dec 2018–

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Dec 2018

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Cultural Tour to PolandInnovation Study Tour to Singapore

17 students participated in the Study Tour at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

from 18 June to 2 July 2018. A series of seminars, workshops and cultural visits have been organised

with kind assistance of SUSS. The themes of these activities included Singapore’s

business innovation, cultural diversity and social development. The experiential learning opportunity

offered by this tour has undoubtedly enhanced students’ awareness about the city state’s

urban sustainability and global competitiveness.

Meanwhile, a strong friendship has been established between the students and their new friends

in Singapore. They enjoyed each other’s company in various activities and sharing sessions.

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The First Year Symposium was held on 8 December 2018 on the campus. In attendance were Council Chairman Professor Edward K.Y. Chen, President Professor William K.M. Lee, Vice-President (Academic) Professor Chan Wing Wah, teachers, students and parents.

The idea of organising the First Year Symposium was initiated two years ago. This was the second time we organised the Symposium. As the name indicates, the Symposium targets undergraduates who are in their first year of studies at Centennial College.

Education at Centennial College is learner-centred. We make every effort to provide students with a variety of educational experiences. In particular, this Symposium allows students to give a presentation in a setting resembling that of a professional conference.

This year, the awardees of the Best Presenting Team Award are Shah Hameed Yusuf, Sun Yan Hin and Igbinosun Matthew Chukwuyem, and the awardees for the Best Poster Award are Chan Sit Ki, Leung Yu Cheong and Tsang Wing Yan.

Congratulations to Dr Shelley Lu for receiving a research grant of HKD 720,000 from the Research Grants Council under the Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector in 2018/19.

This two-year project, entitled "Toward understanding English academic writing experiences of students in self-financing institutions in Hong Kong", will commence in January 2019. It situates academic writing activities in context, which is the self-financing institutions in Hong Kong where students have increasingly diverse linguistic, cultural, and institutional backgrounds. It seeks to investigate how students respond to the challenges of academic writing in English and what they perceive to be the best ways forward in applying the skills. Developing such a non-judgmental understanding of students’ English academic writing experiences can offer practical guidance on the curriculum designs that make academic writing programmes truly responsive to student needs.

The project has two co-investigators from The University of Hong Kong. They are Dr Yongyan Li and Dr Hugo Horta, who are scholars in academic writing and in higher education respectively.

Faculty member receives Research Grant from the Research Grants Council

Student Reflections

Cheng Man Hei Kylie

The two-week tour to Singapore provided us with a variety of activities such as workshops, seminars and guided visits. Through the workshops and seminars held at SUSS, I know more about Singapore’s cultural and social development. We have exchanged ideas with local students, the lecturers were nice and shared with us their interesting life experience. One of the most memorable events was the Veggie Hunt at Little India in which we asked the market sellers for the discarded vegetables, sorted out those which are edible, and distributed to the families in need. I have gained a lot of unforgettable experiences through this trip.

Wong Wing Che

I was very honoured to have participated in the two-week Study Tour to Singapore. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Centennial College and SUSS for organising the tour, and giving me such a precious opportunity to broaden my horizons. The itinerary was comprehensive, I had a genuine understanding of the way of life of Singaporeans that an ordinary tourist may not know. I also gained a deeper understanding of Singapore through in-depth learning of Singlish, Singapore’s history and social conditions, which is not possible through ordinary travels. “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” This journey gave me a new perspective on Singapore.

Tam Tse Shun Jason

Through the Study Tour to Singapore, I understand how the Singaporean Government has dealt with housing problem and maintained ethnic harmony. I was also inspired by the perspectives of the lecturers of SUSS. The experience of participating in the Veggie Hunt also allowed me to know more about how the organisations make the best use of discarded vegetables. The Singaporean students are very friendly and I enjoyed chatting with them. I really appreciate the College’s effort in organising the trip.

First Year Symposium 2018-19

Reflection on the First Year Symposium 2017-18

Sultan Basha Mohamed Afser Oral presenter, First Year Symposium 2017-18 The First Year Symposium was a unique and fantastic experience. The poster presentation makes us think outside of the box in a way. Also, I think poster presentation is really important because it is not commonly assessed and yet it is something that we have to deal with when we are out there in the real world. I believe poster presentations are a great opportunity for us as students to gain experience in presenting our work in a formal setting, receive feedback from professors, peers as well as guests, share ideas and learn from other students. So overall the experience was great.

The awarding students of the Best Presenting Team Award presented at the Symposium.

President Professor William K.M. Lee (right) presenting the Best Presentation Team Award to the awarding team.

Council Chairman Professor Edward K.Y. Chen (fifth left); President Professor William K.M. Lee (second left); Vice-President (Academic) Professor Chan Wing Wah (first left); and Mr Edward Chiu (first right) are pictured with the awarding teams.

Council Chairman Professor Edward K.Y. Chen (left) joins a group photo with the awarding team of the Best Poster Award.

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Aiming at connecting the classroom to real-world learning, 23 students paid a whole-day visit to Hutchison Telecom Tower, the Hutchison Logistics Centre and Hutchison Ports on 23 October 2018. Students were able to meet with the management team of Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong and discussed on the topic of “Disruption and Creativity Strategies on Service, Product, Channel, Business and Technology”. We cherished this invaluable opportunity and students have learned a lot from this leading telecommunications operator in Hong Kong.

Visit to Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong and Hutchison Ports

Local Social Enterprises – Company Visit and SeminarIn order to facilitate students' understanding on the practice of corporate social responsibility,

company visit and seminar related to the operation of local social enterprises were organised

for the students taking the course BUS5013 Corporate Social Responsibility.

On 19 October 2018, our students and Dr Fiona Lock

visited Green Ladies and Green Little in Wan Chai, a local social enterprise

operated by St James' Settlement. The enterprise strives for environmental and social

changes through fashion reuse and creation of employment opportunities for middle-aged ladies. Ms Petty Lee, Project Manager of St James' Settlement, has kindly shared with us the missions, objectives, and marketing strategies of Green Ladies, the difficulties and challenges

in operation, and also the revolution with its business model. Students were inspired by

the company visit.

On 2 November 2018, the College was honoured to have Mr Thomas Wong, the founder of People On Board Social Enterprise Limited (POB), as the guest speaker for a seminar introducing the experience and challenges of establishing and operating POB in Hong Kong. POB was established in 2012 and it aims at promoting parent-child relationship, avoiding internet/video game addiction, and creating employment for the unemployed youth. Without receiving any funding from the government and support from non-governmental organisations, POB runs a business that has positive impact on the society. Mr Wong is absolutely well-positioned to share the success story of a local social enterprise.

Tan Kevin Clark, Chan Alfred Delon, Choy Yue San and Zahid MohammadWinners of Best Poster Award, First Year Symposium 2017-18

While working on the project, we got to know that Hong Kong is quite a diverse place, not only does it have high rises and bustling districts but also a lot of greenery which is hidden away in the parks and outlying islands. There is a rich biodiversity in Hong Kong and we realise that Hong Kong is not just a city of concrete. Also, the project helped us learn more about the proposed development of country park land and what alternatives should be considered as well. Overall, it is a great experience for us to learn and practise.

Cheng Man Hei Kylie and Cai Kaiyao YoyoWinners of Best Presenting Team Award, First Year Symposium 2017-18

This was our first time to attend a symposium. For us it is a precious experience because through this Symposium, we have learnt that time management and planning are important. Moreover, we have learnt more skills in interpreting our work. We presented our findings in a lively and innovative way which can effectively interact with audiences and pique their interests. We think symposium is a good way for us to exchange ideas with teachers and our peers.

Bibi Fatimah Oral presenter, First Year Symposium 2017-18

Being one of the Symposium presenters was of importance and worth. The event has served as an excellent device for informing the audience, crystallising opinion and preparing to challenge the listeners’ decisions, values, judgement and understanding.

The project began with specific themes and problems in which we developed broad understandings through synthesis and evaluation of facts and investigations of the specific study field.

The Symposium has made me more aware of Hong Kong’s recent development in areas such as environmental management and education system.

Student Field Trip at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park Dr Fiona Lock and students taking the course SCI4009 Global Ecosystem and Human Influence visited Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park on 24 October 2018. Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park is located at Sai Kung and is famous for its rich species diversity of hard corals. The objective of the trip was to enable students to appreciate the ecology and diversity of marine wildlife. An experiment was conducted at the rocky shore by putting Toothed monodont (Monodonta labio), a herbivore feeds on microalgae, and Oyster drill Thais clavigera, a carnivore feeds on animal tissue, on a small rock pool. Although it was a simple experiment, students enjoyed to learn new things in a natural habitat that they have never visited before. The highlight was a glass-bottomed boat trip at the coral community to observe the marine life, including wide arrays of hard corals of different shapes and marine animals such as sea cucumber, urchin and fish.

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Organised by the Office of Student Success and supported by the Students’ Union, this

year’s annual gathering took place on 20 October 2018 at the Student Common Area of the College and opened with a welcome address by President

Professor William K.M. Lee. The event got off to a raucous start as balloons floated signalling a good

start of the graduates. Our Council Chairman, Professor Edward K.Y. Chen, and Vice-President (Academic), Professor Chan Wing Wah, presided the ceremony. Former students and professors gathered at the party and enjoyed the conviviality of the occasion.

Homecoming Luncheon 2018Centennial College celebrated the graduation of our fifth batch of graduates this summer, a ceremony was held on 21 July 2018 at the Loke Yew Hall, The University of Hong Kong to confer the bachelor’s degrees on the graduates. Awards were also presented to those graduates who had demonstrated outstanding academic achievements. The Ceremony was attended by over 350 guests, including members of the Board of Governors and College Council, faculty members, graduates, and their family members and friends.

Congratulations to our graduates

Our Council Chairman Professor Edward K.Y. Chen and President Professor William K.M. Lee officiated

at the Ceremony. The College was honoured to have Dr the Honourable Elsie Leung, GBM, JP, former Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, as the Guest of Honour and delivered a speech for our graduates.

Our Graduate Representative, Ms Carrell Elizabeth Anne, gave a valedictory speech to express her gratitude to the teachers and parents.

We congratulate our graduates once again on their remarkable achievements and wish all the graduates every success in their future endeavours.

Welcome Gathering cum Presentation of Awards 2018

The gathering was held on 20 September 2018 on the campus to welcome our new students. Scholarships and awards were presented to the students who demonstrated outstanding academic and personal achievements. Council Chairman Professor Edward K.Y. Chen and President Professor William

K.M. Lee delivered welcome speeches to all new students, encouraging them to understand the importance of Liberal Arts Education and wishing them a meaningful life at the College. Mr Tony Guo, President of the Students’ Union Executive Committee, delivered a warm welcome speech by sharing his College life with the new students and encouraging them to face future challenges and uncertainties positively.

We applaud our scholarship recipients and awardees, and welcome our freshmen of 2018 to the College family!

Orientation Camp 2018An orientation camp with the theme “Detective” was held from 31 August to 2 September 2018 at Solar Tower • Camp in Ma Wan for the new comers. The event was organised by the Students’ Union and supported by the Office of Student Success. New students, current students and College teachers were able to meet and enjoy the event together.

Induction Day

The Induction Day took place on 13 September 2018. Welcome gifts were given by the Office of

Student Success (OSS) to the students as a gesture of support to the good start of the new academic year.

Students attended the lunch programme, followed by the “Personal Ethics Talk” which was delivered by the Independent Commission Against Corruption officers. They were also introduced to the forthcoming activitiesand support

services provided by

OSS.

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Dec 2018

JINESS HR CongressEmbrace Promising Talents in a Smart Era

As one of the participating institutions of JINESS (Joint-Institution Network for Student Success), Centennial College organised the JINESS HR Congress on 12 October 2018. It provided opportunities for HR professionals to share insights and experiences in the new economy and blend digital technology into the business and workplace.

Professor Chan Wing Wah, our College’s Vice-President (Academic) delivered an opening speech at the Congress, followed by a speech by the Guest of Honour, Dr Bernard Chan Pak Li, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government. The Congress witnessed 400 delegates including more than 200 business leaders. There were 8 sharing sessions. The Congress showcased the most innovative HR Technology trends. The occasion provided an opportunity for

HR professionals, business executives and community leaders to come together to share insights in workforce and talent management.

Group photo of guest speakers and representatives of five self-financing higher education institutions.

Left: Opening Speech by Professor Chan Wing Wah, Vice-President (Academic) of Centennial College. Right: Speech by the Guest of Honour, Dr Bernard Chan Pak Li, JP, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government.

UPCOMING EVENTSJanuary-March 2019 Career Orientation Self-discovery Programme 2018/19

3-8 January 2019 Cultural Tour to South Korea

11-15 March 2019 Voluntary Service Tour to Sichuan

16-30 June 2019 Study Tour (location TBC)

For details, please visit www.centennialcollege.hku.hk

Editor-in-Chief: Dr Anna Lee

Editors: Dr Angus Lam | Mr Kamsuo WongEditorial Board