Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1997

Kara Kwong (primary education) Born in Guangdong, Kara was very clear what she wanted to gain fro m her training at Beijing University: 'I wanted to know more about China, especially the way people live and other social aspects. I wanted to practise my Putonghua. I also wanted to visit the capital because I 'd only been to visit my hometown. I love my country.' So did the programme meet her expectations? 'Yes and no. The course was designed in such a way that we were taught very systematically. The part on finance and economics was quite in-depth, but not the part on population and the nationalities.' She was impressed by the euthusiasm of her teachers at Peking University. They all seemed very involved in and excited about what they were teaching. This made us concentrate during lectures,' she said. During weekends, the students wer e taken to places of historical and cultural interest. Knowing more about her country of birth has increased Kara's love for it. Knowing also entails critical thinking. Slowly, contemplatively, she commented, 'I think the quality of the people is very important. China's economy may be booming but there are still very rude people in Beijing and bad service at department stores. Education is crucial to improving the quality of people. A country should not concentrate solely on economics and finance.' Vincent Cheung (computer science and engineering) 'Looking back on my previous impressions of the mainland, I find them biased. To me, China was poor, backward, and secretive, although it might have a beautiful natural landscape. But after my experience at Beijing and Beijing Administrative College, I'm not as pessimistic about my country's future. I also feel more affection for it.' The course, centred around China's political, education, and economic systems, and the operation of state-owned enterprises, was intensive — running six hours at a stretch, and the teachers were 'strict and serious' academics who didn't like their students to be late or noisy. In their spare time Vincent and other CU students at the college would roam the streets and back alleys of Beijing for a taste of the quotidian. The college had arranged for 'counsellors' to take them sightseeing. There was one 'counsellor' for every group of five or six students. They went to places such as the Imperial Palace, state-owned enterprises, industrial areas, and television stations. A month of studying, living, and discovering together strengthened the bond among the students and set the foundation for close friendship with their counsellors, who were also youn g people. In Preparation for a Career on the Mainland 17 Vincent (left 1) and classmates visiting a courthouse