Newsletter No. 320

中大通訊 CUHK Newsletter 與領袖面對面 張敬勤是專業會計學畢業生。他曾在加拿大多倫多生活，知道北 美的大學較側重通識教育，香港的大學則着重專業。「這課程不 僅培育領袖，也全面發展參加者的分析力、人際溝通技巧和時間 管理等共通能力。」 課程最精采之處是各種親身經驗。敬勤與組員往訪倫敦國王學院 時，便有幾位當地政客，向他們親述英國權力下放的過程。一次 訪問北京清華大學的冬季之旅，又讓他瞭解到內地農村人口大量 遷徙城市所帶來的環境與社會問題。 敬勤最珍惜眾多親炙傑出領袖、向他們請益 的寶貴機會。「領袖講座系列」和 其他客座演講，讓敬勤得與來自政 府、非政府組織及業界的翹楚互動 交談。領袖培育課程更為每名學員 安排一位校外的導師，督導他們的 智育發展。 課程不但提升了敬勤的領導素質及 技能，亦改變了他對生命與職業路 向的看法。「透過LDP，我意識到 我不想只是專攻一個領域，我可以更 廣泛地善用我的技能。」 （接上頁 Continued ） Getting up, close and personal with leaders Having spent some part of his childhood in Toronto, Canada, Eddie Cheung, a graduate in Professional Accountancy Programme, knew that North American universities generally emphasize more on general education whereas Hong Kong universities focus on specialization. ‘The programme is not only about developing leaders but also developing your all-round abilities, such as analytical ability, interpersonal skills and time management.’ Indeed, a hallmark of the programme is providing students with first-hand experiences. When his group visited King’s College, London, Eddie learned firsthand about the UK devolution process from the politicians themselves. In the winter tour to Tsinghua University, Beijing, he learned about the environmental and social issues posed by the mass migration of people from the mainland countryside to the cities. But the most rewarding aspect for him was the many opportunities to actually interact with leaders on an intimate level. As part of 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 of the University to oversee their intellectual development. Not only did the programme enhance Eddie's leadership qualities and skills, it also changed his perspective of life and his career path. ‘It was through LDP that I realized I didn’t want to specialize on just one area and that my skills could be better utilized in a more general way.’ 意念與個性的熔爐 對於在廣西出生及成長的陳東暉來說，LDP的要義在於與 其他學系的學生互動、緊密合作的機會。 東暉說：「我是習科學的，看待事物自有一套方式。跟其 他學系同學合作的最大得着，是他們經常帶給我另一個觀 點。」這點特別見於「公民教育單元」的課程及工作坊。 這單元要求學生培養分析社會問題的能力，理解各種錯綜 複雜的細節，從而尋求解決方法。學員背景殊異，自然 就能以多種角度去分析每一課題，並提出多種方案。當 然，意見衝突經常出現，折衷在所難免。正如東暉說： 「好的領袖必須是好的聆聽者，並能與不同背景的人共 事。這些分組研習確能發展我與人聯繫的能力，並從不同 立場看事物。這是一名領袖在現實世界裏，日復一日必須 實踐的。」 與其他學系的同學交往，亦有助東暉學習更多基本技能。 「新聞學的同學指點我很多寫好稿子的竅門，商科的同學 教曉我如何展示專業形象和做 好口頭陳述。這些都是我在學 習分子生物技術時沒有機會學 到的。」 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. Of course, such a situation also 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. These group projects really developed my ability to relate to others and to look at things from multiple standpoints. This is something that a leader has to do in the real world on a day-to-day basis.’ The interaction with students from other departments also helped Derek with the development of his more basic skill set. ‘The journalism students gave me many tips on how to write well and the business students taught me a lot about how to present a professional image and give good oral presentations. These are skills I will not have the opportunity to come across in my studies in molecular biotechnology!’ 發展領導才能 音樂系畢業的傅蔚林（前排坐者），在2001年參加LDP。一次特別 的經驗，鼓勵她踏出一步。當年，音樂系的合唱團需要一名指揮， 蔚林本合格有餘；但由於害羞和缺乏站在人群前的自信，結果未 能出任。音樂系系主任因此建議她報讀LDP。 由於只有三十個名額，各院系的精英趨之若鶩，競爭往往十分激 烈。蔚林須經過一次筆試和兩輪面試。最後，三名音樂系的申請 人當中，只有她獲錄取。 傅蔚林至為推崇「領導才能單元」裏一連串的工作坊，教授溝通 技巧、談判、團隊建立和決策等 重要的領袖技能，給她大量機會 去改善她最大的弱點─公開演 說。 前往英國倫敦的兩周暑期遊學團 也令她眼界大開。團隊在倫敦大 學參加關於英國銀行業與政治體 制的講座，激發了她關注其他國 家和社會所面對的挑戰和政策問 題。團隊也造訪布魯塞爾三天， 參觀歐洲議會和認識歐洲聯盟。 她說︰「有機會前往倫敦和布魯 塞爾，確實擴濶了我的知識領域 和世界觀。」 Developing the skills to lead A music graduate and LDP alumna of 2001, Eleanor Foo (seated, front row) was initially reluctant to apply for the programme, due to shyness. But one particular experience encouraged her to come out of her shell. In one semester the Music Department needed a conductor for its choir, which was a position she was more than qualified to undertake. However, her shyness and lack of confidence to stand in front of a group meant that she could not take the role. Hence, the head of the Music Department suggested her to apply for the LDP. But with an annual quota of only 30 places, the application process was very competitive and typically attracted the cream of the crop of undergraduates among the different faculties and departments in the University. For Eleanor the application process involved a written test and two rounds of interviews. Eventually, she found out that she was the only one of three students in the Music Department accepted into the programme. For Eleanor the Leadership Potential module, which comprises a series of workshops on the essential leadership skills of communication, negotiation, team building and decision making, was the most useful as it provided her with numerous opportunities to improve on her biggest weakness—public speaking. Then there was the Summer Study Tour to London, England. As part of the two-week stay her group attended lectures at the University of London on the banking and political system of England, which stimulated her interest in the challenges and policy concerns faced by other countries and societies. Her group also spent three days in Brussels where they visited the European Parliament and learned about the European Union. ‘Having the opportunity to go to London and Brussels was definitely the most enriching aspect of the programme. It expanded my scope of knowledge and perspective of the world,’ she said.