Last July, Mr Eric Cheng, Senior Lecturer in the Division of Building Science and Technology, joined the Third China Synergy Programme (CSP) for Outstanding Youth as a Group Mentor. He and a Coordinator worked with 20 mentees in the group, which was one of the 12 groups which participated in the programme. 

"The CSP was organized for 228 studentsN118 students from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau and a further 48 students from the mainland. The other 110 students came from 10 countries worldwide." Mr Cheng said.

The aim of the programme is to allow outstanding members of the younger generation of ethnic Chinese to explore their cultural roots and to learn what is happening in today's China, both for the sake of their own future and for that of China. The delegation spent 15 days in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai, visiting scenic spots, meeting important people, making friends, and learning about Chinese culture.

These outstanding young people are students at world-class universities, including Yale, Harvard, and Stanford Universities in the US; the University of British Columbia in Canada; Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK; the University of Vienna in Austria; the University of New South Wales in Australia; and Peking and Tsing Hua Universities in the mainland. Joining the young delegates on their trip were eight students from CityU.

OThis was a special trip, both for the delegation and for China," Mr Cheng said. "On the first evening, we had only been a few minutes in our hotel in Beijing when we heard the good news that Beijing had won the bid to host the 2008 Olympics." In the hotel lobby, everyone was cheering and some people even burst into tears. Spectacular fireworks burst across the dark sky, adding to the festive atmosphere, and people celebrated until the early hours of the morning. "It was a most emotional moment."

A few days later, Vice-Premier Li Nanqing, a chief delegate in China's bid for the Olympic Games, received the CSP delegation in the People's Assembly Hall and talked to them about the bid for the Games. "This is something theyOll remember for the rest of their lives," Mr Cheng said.

The China Synergy Programme was organized by CityU three years ago, and is hosted by each of Hong Kong's universities in turn. Student Development Services will shortly publish details about requirements and deadlines for the fourth CSP. "Staff members should encourage students to participate in this meaningful activity," Mr Cheng urged. "And I would be very happy to talk about my experiences to anyone interested in becoming a mentor or a coordinator for the programme.