Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1998

Top Students from the Mainland B e g i n T h e i rUndergraduateStudiesatCU University Registrar Prof. Richard H o introducing the 28 mainland undergraduates to t h e press T he Un i v e r s i t y t o ok the lead a m o n g local u n i v e r s i t i e s i n r e c r u i t i n g o u t s t a n d i n g students f r om the m a i n l a nd to e n r ol i n first- d e g r e e p r o g r a m m e s. T h e s t u d e n t s , 18 undergraduates f r o m Pe k i n g Un i v e r s i t y a nd 10 f r o m S h a n g h a i 's F u d a n U n i v e r s i t y , a r r i v ed i n late September. T h e y are the first b a t c h o f m a i n l a n d s t u d e n ts t o p u r s u e u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d i es at a H o n g K o n g u n i v e r s i t y . T h e r e c r u i t m e nt of h i g h - c a l i b re n o n - local students is expected to foster c u l t u r al a n d e d u c a t i o n a l e x c h a n ge b e t w e e n t h e m a i n l a n d a n d H o n g K o n g , e n c o u r a ge healthy competitio n amo n g the students, a nd e n h a n c e t h e q u a l i t y o f l o c a l t e r t i a r y education. A task force o n non-local undergraduates wa s f o r me d b y the U n i v e r s i t y i n late 1997 to p l a n the a dm i s s i o n of o u t s t a n d i n g students f r o m the ma i n l a n d . Representatives f r om the t a sk f o r c e v i s i t e d F u d a n U n i v e r s i t y a n d Pe k i n g U n i v e r s i t y f r o m 24th to 28th A u g u s t 1998 to c o n d u ct i n t e r v i e w s w i t h a g r o u p of students w h o h a d a l r e a d y been enrolled b y the t w o universities b ut wer e interested i n p u r s u i n g their studies at T h e Ch i n e se U n i v e r s i t y . C a n d i d a t e s u n d e r w e nt a r i g o r o u s screening exercise that tested t h e i r analytical a n d c ommu n i c a t i o n skills, a n d their a t t i t u d e a nd c o mm i t m e n t towards academic studies. A dm i s s i on o f f e r s w e r e m a d e t o a n d r e a d i l y accepted b y 28 high-calibre students. T w e l v e of these s t u d e n t s h a ve o p t e d to major i n the integrated B B A p r o g r amme , w h i l e the others h a v e chosen to s t u d y c o m p u t e r e n g i n e e r i n g s c o m p u t e r science, electronic engineering, architecture, e c o n om i c s, or s o c i o l o g y. U p o n a r r i v al at C U H K , they we re g i v en a w a r m we l c ome b y t he f a c u l t i es a n d c o l l e g es c o n c e r n e d. A t h o r o u gh o r i e n t a t i on p r o g r a mme w as also organized to prepar e t h em for their four-year s t ay i n H o n g K o n g a n d t h e i r s t u d i es at C U H K . T h e y a l r e a d y s t a r t ed a t t e n d i n g classes i n early October. Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter J 998 42