Warm welcome for new students
Catherine Law
Hundreds of freshmen began their higher education journey during an orientation ceremony on 29 August at City University of Hong Kong (CityU).
Over 900 participants attended talks by alumni and senior students and watched sports and musical performances held at the University Welcoming Ceremony.
The first cohort of undergraduates from the newly launched Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine programme plus members of the CityU senior management team were in attendance.
In his opening remarks, Professor Way Kuo, University President, encouraged freshmen to “date” outside the classroom.
“University is a great place to make friends and you will learn from each other,” he said.
He also shared the exciting news that a new academic building was in the pipeline and that CityU was now ranked 49th in the world, according to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
In his welcoming speech, Professor Horace Ip Ho-shing, Vice-President (Student Affairs), shared his insight on future requirements for the job market.
“Employers require employees equipped not only with strong professional subject knowledge, but also leadership skills, communication skills, plus team work and multi-cultural competence,” he said.
Professor Ip encouraged the new students to grasp every opportunity to travel outside Hong Kong to learn and make friends.
A taekwondo performance during the ceremony gave the new arrivals a taste of CityU’s sports spirit, and advice from alumni and senior students focused on university life as a journey of self-discovery and an opportunity to realise potential.
The ceremony culminated in excerpts from the musical Grease, which is about young people in the 1950s navigating the complexities of love, friendship and personal values.
Postgraduate students will also be welcomed to their new place of learning. The Taught Postgraduate Student Orientation will take place on 2 September while the one for research degree students will be held on 14 September.
