Newsletter No. 363

No. 363, 19.9.2010 T his year, CUHK recruited another batch of high-calibre students locally and from overseas. A total of 2,340 undergraduates were admitted to the University via the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) this year. Among them, 1,027 obtained Grade As in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), the highest number among all JUPAS participating institutions, with one student obtaining six As, six five As, and 29 four As. Forty-five per cent of the students obtaining three As or over in HKALE was admitted to the University. The top five programmes based on results of the best applicants are Chinese language and literature, journalism and communication, quantitative finance and risk management science, global business studies, and international business and Chinese enterprise. In terms of the median results of all applicants admitted, the top five programmes are global business studies, pharmacy, quantitative finance and risk management science, international business and Chinese enterprise, and insurance, financial and actuarial analysis. The University also admitted four students who received awards at the 41st International Physics Olympiad. They are Ma Han-son, gold medal winner, and Tang Wai-ho, Tsang Hok-kan, and Leung Yik-lok, bronze medal winners. Mr. Leung was admitted to CUHK through the Early Admissions Scheme, and the other three via the Non-JUPAS Admissions Scheme. They have all chosen to study physics. For the non-local intake, this year saw about 370 students being admitted to CUHK from 25 mainland provinces and municipalities, Macau, Taiwan, as well as countries all over the world, including Canada, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Mauritius, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, and the US. These non-local students are all top achievers. Many of them scored 40 points (out of 45) on their International Baccalaureate. One Taiwanese student scored 2,310 points (out of 2,400) on the SAT. As for the newly-admitted mainland students, all of them excelled in the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, with 17 ranking first and 55 among the top five in their respective provinces/municipalities. Among them are outstanding athletes and first prize winners of various national olympiads or scientific innovation contests. 頂尖學生雲集中大 Top Students Join CUHK 中 大今年的招生成績理想，本地和境 外優秀學生的加入，為中大這個大 家庭增添一批出類拔萃的成員。 今年透過大學聯合招生辦法共錄取二千三 百四十名學生，其中一千零二十七人在高 考中考獲A級成績，人數為參與聯招的九 所院校之冠。這些表現傑出者，包括一名 6A生、六名5A生和二十九名4A生。百分之 四十五在高考中考獲3A或以上成績的考 生獲中大錄取。 今年收生分數最高的五個課程／專修範圍為：中國語言及文學、新聞 與傳播學、計量金融學及風險管理科學、環球商業學，以及國際貿 易及中國企業。以收生中位數計算，成績最高的五個課程／專修範圍 為：環球商業學、藥劑學、計量金融學及風險管理科學、國際貿易及 中國企業，以及保險、財務與精算學。 大學還透過非聯招途徑和「中六生優先錄取計劃」錄取多名 高材生，包括四名於「第四十一屆國際物理奧林匹克比賽」中獲獎的 學生─獲得金牌的馬向辰、獲得銅牌的鄧偉豪、曾學勤及梁亦樂。 他們全都選擇物理系。 海外招生方面，今年共錄取近三百七十名新生，除來自內地二十五省 市、澳門、台灣外，還有加拿大、印尼、韓國、馬來西亞、墨西哥、毛里 求斯、俄羅斯、新加坡、泰國、英國及美國等地。不少海外生在IB課程 中考獲40分以上（45為滿分），而其中一名來自台灣的學生在SAT考 試中取得2,310分（2,400為滿分）。內地生均在全國高考名列前茅， 當中十七位的高考成績屬全省／市第一名，五十五人位列前五名。另 外還有不少體育尖子，或曾在各類學科的全國奧林匹克競賽或全國 創新科技大賽中獲得一等獎的佳績。 大學教育所為何事？ What is University Education for? 9 月6日早上，約一千四百名本科新生，包括非本地生和 海外交換生，帶着愉快和期待的心情步入邵逸夫堂， 出席本年度新生入學典禮，正式成為中大人。 這也是沈祖堯校長上任後首次主持的入學禮，他歡迎大家 加入中大，特別是晨興和善衡兩所書院的新生。兩院今年 分別錄取首批八十及一百六十名新生。 沈校長致辭時先從2003年沙士疫症襲港、本年8月底港旅 客在菲律賓遭挾持等生死關頭說起，引導學生思索生命的 意義，隨即提出：大學教育所為何事？他引述前哈佛大學 校長科南特的名言─「教育是把一切所學忘掉後而仍然 剩下來的東西」。教育不是（也不只是）傳授知識，而是塑 造生命。大學教育更是幫助青少年成熟而為成年人的重要 階段。他說：「大學是讓學生開始認識自己，尋找人生目標 和生命意義的地方；是幫助年輕人發掘潛能，開創前路的 地方。大學教育正好提供一個黃金機會，讓學生裝備自己 以迎接生命中個人、倫理和社會的種種挑戰。」 沈校長鼓勵同學把握在中大學習的日子，深入感受這個文 化氣息濃厚的校園，在處處美麗的景致下反思人生的意 義。他又提醒大家在課堂內外多與來自不同地方及背景的 師生交流，並積極參與各種活動和社會服務，學習團體合 作的精神。 最後，他引用錢穆老師的教誨「求學與做人，貴能齊頭並 進，更貴能融通合一」，以及「做人的最崇高基礎在求學， 求學之最高旨趣在做人」作結，寄語同學珍惜大學的光 陰，努力求學問、學做人。 O n the morning of 6 September, about 1,400 freshmen, including non-local and overseas students, entered Sir Run Run Shaw Hall with anticipation. They were there to attend the Inauguration Ceremony for Undergraduates which signified their formally becoming CUHK students. Officiating the ceremony for the first time since assuming office as CUHK Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph J.Y. Sung welcomed the freshmen to join the University, especially those from Morningside College and S.H. Ho College. The two Colleges have admitted their first cohort of 80 and 160 students, respectively. Professor Sung asked the students to think about the meaning of life by recalling the SARS epidemic in 2003 and the Hong Kongers being held hostage in the Philippines last August. He then asked, why come to study at this University? Professor Sung quoted from James Bryant Conant, former president of Harvard University, ‘Education is what is left after all that has been taught is forgotten.’ In other words, education is not about (or only about) imparting knowledge. It is about moulding life. Specifically, university education is about helping teenagers to become mature adults. He further explained, ‘University is the place where students start to understand themselves and to find ideals and objectives for their lives…. University is meant to help teenagers to gain deeper insight into their own ability and inclinations, of refining for themselves the picture of the future…. University education is a golden opportunity for students … that will prepare them to meet the personal, ethical and social challenges of life.’ Professor Sung urged students to make the best of CUHK in the coming few years and to reflect on the meaning of life. He also encouraged students to interact with teachers and students from different backgrounds both inside and outside classrooms; to participate in different kinds of activities and services. The Vice-Chancellor concluded by quoting the late Prof. Ch’ien Mu, ‘It is advisable to place equal emphasis on the advance of one’s studies and the conduct of oneself; better still to achieve a combined mastery of both. The most magnificent foundation of conducting oneself lies in the pursuit of knowledge; the ultimate aim of knowledge pursuit lies in the conduct of oneself.’ This should be the motto for students to live by while studying in CUHK: always conduct ourselves with propriety in the pursuit of academic excellence.