Welcoming Speech at Inauguration Ceremony for New Students 2009 

Mrs. Margaret Leung, distinguish guests, Vice-Chancellor, Deans, fellow students, ladies and gentlemen,


Let me begin by sending a warm welcome to all our fresh faces on behalf of Hong Kong University Students’ Union.

I guess most of you are now expecting an exciting university life ahead of you, and of course, you must be feeling proud to be a HKU student.  In fact, at University, there are more chances and experiences than that you may expect, and more reasons for you to be proud of being one of us than you may be aware of. What I want to share with you today, is not only about what you expect and why you should be proud of HKU, but also what you are expected to do and how you can make HKU and the society proud of you.

University is not only a place for studying, but also a place where you identify your roles, develop your own values and find your goals. These processes are mutual, and are affected by both social factors and personal factors.

First we talk about the social factors, that is what you are expected to be. University students are always expected to play a special role in this society, as we have so much potential to make good changes.  We are young, educated, enjoy more freedom, and have fewer constraints. That’s probably why many people call University Students “the conscience of the society (社會良心)”, which means that we should be the ones who lead the public to voice out when we see injustices, and to strive for change. This is our social responsibility, our duty, and the way we can give back to this society.

These social factors are further interpreted and developed by personal factors. As different people have various backgrounds, we will have different interpretations of our social roles, thus developing different values and goals. These are the factors that diversify our paths, so that we may serve this society in different ways, fight against different kinds of injustice, or live a different lifestyle.

This is a big topic for the University Education -- whole-person education (全人教育). To achieve whole-person education, it is not only about gaining a good GPA, but also about true experiences outside of textbooks. That is the reason why we treasure our students’ bodies in HKU.

Students’ bodies are not just service providers or functions organizers, but they play their social roles in this society. To contribute well in student bodies, it is all about commitment, learning to be responsible and being willing to make sacrifices for the group and the society. As the Students’ Union, we promote our beliefs through this platform, and gather the power of the whole student body to voice out and fight against injustices and inequalities, and to make changes for the better, not only on campus, but also in the society and even in the world. This spirit of student campaigns has lead our predecessors to achieve great things.  One can find no better for example than the 1989 democratic movement in mainland China which begun by student campaigns, and today you can still see its path in HKU – when we see the Swire bridge slogan and the pillar of shame.  But most importantly, the passion remains with us in our hearts, and it is our role as HKU students to pass on this spirit.

The gateway to greatness has just open for you, a great deal of privileges and responsibilities along with the identity of the HKU students have been bestowed upon you. It is my wish that all of you can make the most out of your time here at HKU, and together we can make HKU and our society a better place for all.

Thank you.

Shing Hiu Yi
Vice-President (Internal)
Hong Kong University Students' Union
Session 2009

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