Fudan University celebrated its 100th birthday from 23 to 25 September this year as staff and students gathered to present a wonderful centenary birthday party for honourable guests from all over the world.

 

Since I am the only exchange student from CityU studying at Fudan this semester, I was asked to represent Fudan at the centennial celebrations. My main duty was to accompany Professor H K Chang, President of CityU, to different functions. As a result, I spent two extraordinary days chatting with the President.

 

I went to meet Professor Chang on 23 September at the Shanghai International Airport. On the one hand, I felt a little bit nervous because I was not going there to meet a friend or relative but the highly-respected CityU President. On the other hand, I was extremely excited because I would have the opportunity to communicate in person with the President. This is an opportunity few CityU students have, so I was genuinely proud.

 

The first function Professor Chang had to attend was the opening ceremony of a newly-built exhibition hall devoted to the works of Mr Yu Youren, a master of cursive calligraphy. Professor Chang was particularly excited when he found the two pieces which Mr Yu had given to Professor Chang’s father. These two excellent examples of cursive calligraphy are now the property of Professor Chang’s mother, who kindly lent them to Fudan for the exhibition. Meanwhile Professor Chang taught me how to identify and distinguish different forms of cursive calligraphy on display. He read the words out loud to help me understand the poems. It was like a mini-lecture, one that enriched my knowledge.

 

That day really broadened my horizons as I accompanied the President to various functions where I was introduced to his friends, for example Professor Wang Hongsheng, the President of Fudan University, and other distinguished players from diverse fields.

 

During this two-day visit, I made friends with the President and learnt that he is humble and erudite. It is particularly true when Professor Chang followed my pronunciation of certain words in Cantonese. His behaviour inspired me to adopt the right attitude to master a language; we should not be worried about making mistakes and we should take the chance to practice.

 

In addition, Professor Chang has the mind of a scientist. He likes to make ideas clear, seeks help from others if needed, and he is never shy to ask questions, despite his high status in society. He is approachable and humorous. He smiled and joked with me all day. He treated me as his friend and invited me to his temporary home in Beijing after learning that I will visit Beijing in the near future.

 

So I learnt a lot from Professor Chang and I will not forget this memorable day. I will cherish it forever.