About 40 new student leaders at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) pledged to serve their fellow students, the community and the motherland in a joint swearing in ceremony held on 1 April at the Wei Hing Theatre.

Members of the 22nd Students’ Union Executive Committee, the Union Council, Arbitration Committee, Editorial Board and other student societies participated in the ceremony. Titled “Sparkling in the City”, the event kicked off with a lighting ceremony to symbolize the students’ heartfelt devotion.

Guests of honour included Dr Norman Leung Nai-pang, Pro-Chancellor

of the University; Mr Chung Shui-ming, Chairman of the University Council; and Professor H K Chang, CityU President. They congratulated the new student leaders and shared with them how to live up to their responsibilities.

Dr Leung pointed out that the new leaders would face the challenge of serving 13,000 fellow students, which would not be an easy job. He said: “Your new mission will be a very precious opportunity as well as an unparallelled glory that should be treasured by all of you.”

He asked the new leaders to observe closely the spirit of the University

motto “Officium et Civitas”, which encompasses the requirement to combine academic professionalism and career ethics, and advocated group spirit with the belief in collective wisdom.

“The motto encapsulates not only interpersonal relationships, it also includes service and contributing to society,” Mr Chung elaborated in the subsequent speech.

He said student life is a miniature of our society and he hopes that student leaders will actualize themselves in the learning process by acting as persons with righteousness in their hearts and heavy sense of responsibility

in their deeds.

Using the analogy of meeting “ups and downs” in mountaineering, Professor Chang reminded the students that they must be prepared psychologically for trying times. He urged them to stay calm and hold on to their beliefs.

“You must be willing to serve other students,” he said. “You must be open and receptive to others’ opinions and accept them if needed. To stay strong and firm, you must put your own interests aside.” Last but not the least, Professor Chang asked

the students to protect the reputation of the University as they protect their eyes, as the name of CityU will be linked with everyone associated with it for the rest of their lives.

Professor Lillian Vrijmoed Kwan Lee-ping, Dean of Student Learning, supervised the swearing in ceremony, after which, Sixtus Leung Chung-hang, the new Students’ Union President, pledged to stay firm and serve CityU students wholeheartedly with all of his fellow committee members. “We will be united to withstand all storms and make things happen,” he said.