Newsletter No. 313

第 313 期 2008 年 3 月 4 日 No. 313 4 March 2008 第三一三期　二零零八年三月四日 No. 313 4 March 2008 （續下頁 To be continued ） 一切緣起「非典」 一般香港人私底下未必認識沈祖堯教授，但總會知 道他是誰。自2003年非典型肺炎在香港肆虐之後， 他已成了港人的公共財產。他獲《時代雜誌》嘉 譽為「亞洲英雄」，獲星島報業集團選為2003年 「傑出領袖（社區/公共事務）」，香港電台及 《明報》頒發「抗SARS傑出獎（醫護科技人員 組）」，又獲港府頒授2004年銀紫荊星勳章。他的 事業一帆風順，1992年加入中大醫學院，短短六年 間便由講師晉升至內科及藥物治療學系系主任兼講 座教授，現任醫學院副院長。他在教研方面屢獲獎 項，2003年獲中大校長模範教學獎，2004年獲裘槎 基金會優秀醫學科研學者獎，2006年獲教育部與香 港李嘉誠基金會長江學者成就獎，年初更獲頒國家 科學技術進步獎二等獎。 這樣一位公眾眼中的成功 人物，在逸夫書院的院長就職禮上告訴我們，「非 典」讓他知道這世上「沒有永遠正確的策略；沒有 不可或缺的人；沒有不敗的英雄；沒有永恒的成 功。只有不斷從過往的經驗學習，然後把經驗傳給 下一代，歷史才能長存。」 （ 沈教授就職講辭 ） 人生的下半場 在事業穩健發展、聲譽日隆之際，經過非典疫潮洗 禮的沈教授反思他的路向。彪炳的研究成績、汗牛 充棟的著作，若干年後，價值總會消減。這是否人 生的唯一使命？「四十多歲的我，在人生的下半 場，如何做一些價值更持久的事？」 面對激烈競爭，沈教授承認學術機構追求卓越無可 厚非，然而不可因此捨本逐末。他明白教學人員面 對工作、撥款、發表論文的壓力，縱然想多花心思 與時間在學生身上，往往心有餘而力不足。然而， 在汲汲於計算全球排名、國際獎項，或在《自然科 學》發表了多少篇文章的風尚下，沈教授禁不住 問：「到最後，學生的位置在那裡﹖我們往往偏重 了這些卓越的指標，而忘記了大學教化下一代的根 本使命。」他決定不以學術的突破、世俗的賞譽為 先，而以教育為重。 回歸學生為本 「只在講課時把知識傳授給學生，並不能擔保他將來 做一名仁心仁術的醫生，或成為對社會有用的人。」 當年一位在醫院病房裡感染了非典型肺炎的醫科生， 痊癒後寫信告訴沈教授，留醫的三個星期是整個醫科 課程裡最有得著的一段日子，他終於從病人的角度體 察到醫護人員應有的工作道德；醫生輕握一下手，或 講一些體己的話，都是病人的強心針。這種學習遠勝 課堂。沈教授了解到「原來教學生不一定在講台上， 以身作則十分重要。我沒有甚麼值得矜誇，只想把自 己走過的路，或我所認識的人的經驗告訴學生，擴闊 他們的視野，也免他們走冤枉路。」 不惑，復知天命 訪問新任逸夫書院院長沈祖堯教授 The Mission of an Educator: Interview with Prof. Joseph Sung, New Head of Shaw College It All Began with SARS After the 2003 SARS epidemic, Prof. Joseph J. Y. Sung became a household name in Hong Kong. He was hailed as one of the ‘Asian Heroes’ by Time magazine, honoured with the Distinguished Award for Scientist and Medical Profession in the Fight Against SARS 2003 by RTHK and Ming Pao Hong Kong, elected Leader of the Year 2003: Community and Public Affairs by Sing Tao Daily and Hong Kong iMail, and awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Government in 2004. Now the associate dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Sung joined the Faculty of Medicine of CUHK in 1992 and was made chair professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics in only six years. He has received countless awards in teaching and research, including the Cheung Kong Achievement Award in 2006 and the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award second-class award earlier this year. In his inaugural address as the Head of Shaw College, he summed up what he had learnt during the SARS epidemic. ‘No strategy is always right. No single person is indispensable. No hero is unbeatable. No success is everlasting. Only through learning fromour past and passing it on to the next generation can we perpetuate our history. From there on, I decided to commit myself to education.’ (Inaugural address of Prof. Sung) Making a Mark While his career steadily developed and his reputation rose, Prof. Sung pondered his future. ‘What can I do to leave a more profound mark on the second half of my life?’ Prof. Sung said while it was understandable for a university to pursue academic excellence in the face of keen competition, he could not help wondering. ‘Amidst fixations on ranking, awards and publications, what is the place of our students? In the pursuit of prestige, the fundamental mission of a university, namely, education of the next generation, seems to be lost on us.’ He decided to give top priority to the education of students. Back to Students ‘The mere imparting of knowledge does not guarantee that a medical student would make a good doctor or a useful person,’ Prof. Sung said. A medical student infected with SARS once told him in a letter that he found the three weeks in the hospital ward the most rewarding experience during the course of the medical programme, because he could view the profession of a doctor from the perspective of a patient. It dawned on the professor that ‘classrooms aren’t the only places I can teach. It’s equally important that I serve as a role model for my students.’ A large class of the Faculty of Medicine usually comprises about 150 students. In the hospital wards, teachers and students hardly recognize each other’s face because they are all covered by masks. Prof. Sung kept thinking about taking up a new role so he could develop a closer relationship with his students. When asked whether he would like to be the Head of Shaw College, he had hesitated, but the Thousand-