Bulletin Spring‧Summer, 2008

A Melting Pot of Ideas and Personalities For Derek Chen, born and raised in Guangxi, one of the most rewarding aspects of the LDP was the opportunity to interact and work closely with students from other disciplines. 'As a science student I have a certain way of looking at things. The great thing about working with students from other disciplines is that they always give you a different perspective,' he said. This has proved particularly valuable in the courses and workshops he took as part of the Civic Education module, in which students develop the ability to analyse a social issue and understand its various intricacies in order to develop a solution. With such an eclectic group of students it was possible to analyse each issue with multiple perspectives and multiple solutions, which regularly presented a clash of ideas and the need to compromise. As Derek said, 'A good leader must be a good listener and also be able to work with people from different backgrounds and training.' Getting Up Close and Personal with Leaders Eddie Cheung, a graduate of the Professional Accountancy Programme, said, 'The programme is not only about developing leaders but also developing your all-round abilities, such as analytical ability, interpersonal skills and time management.' But the most rewarding aspect for him was the many opportunities to actually interact with leaders on an intimate level. In the programme's Leader to Leader Talk Series and other organized guest lectures, Eddie had the opportunity to talk and interact with distinguished leaders from the government, NGOs and industry. Students in the programme are also assigned a mentor from outside CUHK to oversee their intellectual development. aesthetic education. Yet, embarking on the programme is definitely no walk in the park. Students have to commit to the programme for two years and add a 20-plus credit load to their already hectic study schedule with their existing undergraduate studies. As Eddie Cheung, an alumnus of the programme, remembers, 'It was like I was studying for a double major.' So what motivated these students to apply for the programme and what did they eventually get out of it? The Leadership Development Programme   23