Newsletter No. 438

你是社會學教授，又是書院輔導長，更是入學 及學生資助處處長，如何分身有術？ 雖然要兼顧學術、輔導和行政，但我看到三方的 對立統一和相輔相成。我的研究領域是教育社會 學，「教育機會均等」是當中一個頗主流的議題， 探討個人的社會地位如何因公平開放的入學機會 而改變。教育作為一種社會制度，其中一個重要 功能是提供健全堅實的機會結構，而收生在整個 教育達成過程中也扮演了重要角色，制度的建立 可影響個人往後的社會流動。由是我打通了自己 學術研究和收生工作的脈絡，學術視角和理念可 為政策執行把關。同時在書院與不同背景、本科 興趣各異的年輕人共同生活，更是教學相長。 經常奔走內地省市召開招生說明會，你以甚麼 方式推廣中大？ 我不做歌功頌德的硬推銷，而是向內地父母綜述 大學與社會、大學與人格塑造，以及二十一世紀大 學生應怎樣認識和裝備自己，開拓終身學習的天 地，繼而介紹中大的理念和願景。我希望學生和家 長是因為真正認識大學而作出有依有據的選擇。 你認為新生應如何準備高中到大學的過渡？ 理學、工程和社會科學院已大致引入大類收生，第 一年修讀基本課程，其後再決定主修科目。所以進 入大學前起碼要認識自己大方向的學術追求。其 次，四年制大學比三年制空間大，學生應藉此建立 自由開放的思想、獨立的人格，不再仰賴父母或中 學老師的指示安排。第三要虛心，即使以高分考上 大眾稱羨的星級學科，但和不同專業的同學磨合 互動，要保持開放態度，既要獨立思考，也要群體 協作。我相信要達致卓越，除了熱誠，也要對基本 原理有充分的掌握和深悟。 在虎媽和怪獸家長橫行的年代，你覺得父母在 子女擇校選科方面應該參與多少？ 如果怪獸家長是指家長對教育的看重，我認為不 是一面倒的壞事，而是反映了中國人家長相信教育 可以改變兒女的生活、地位、成就。我是鼓勵家長 參與擇校的，但家長要把當今時代的需求和未來 社會的種種發展趨勢連結，而非當下熱門甚麼就 追求甚麼。全面的分析結合豐富的人生歷練，父母 的建議可以發揮得正面而有價值。有學生說自己不 跟家人商量，獨力作決定，我反而覺得弊大於利。 大學每年頒發的獎學金數目上千，除了學習成 績外，獎勵的對象還有哪些？ 學業成績不是評選獎學金的唯一標準，還兼顧獎 勵熱心社會工作、有領袖才能、創新精神或體育出 眾的學生。更有鼓勵選擇偏門專業的獎學金，這 些學生忠於興趣，懷着理想選擇譬如純科學或文 史哲作為主修科，畢業後或許不會像金融、法律在 就業上那般確切穩定，但這種不盲目從流和專心 致志值得嘉獎。 擔任處長有甚麼抱負？ 大多數行政部門的工作是自己內部的事，但大學 收生是內外兼向的，面對中大和所有非中大成員。 收生涉及繁重的文書處理，我必須要守住每個程 序毫釐不誤。家長學生致電查詢，倘若給出錯誤指 引，招致的麻煩可以很嚴重，甚至影響大學聲譽。 另外，我不斷提醒自己絕不可變成處理文書或辦 公室政治的官僚，而要高瞻遠矚，配合大環境的發 展，根據每一屆新生的錄取成績和入學後表現，相 應調整入學條件。這是對莘莘學子負責任的表現。 入學及學生資助處處長 王淑英教授 Prof. Wong Suk-ying Director of Admissions and Financial Aid You’re a professor in sociology, the dean of students of a college, and now the chief admissions officer of the University. How do you prioritize your work? These roles look conflicting at first but upon closer examination they can be integrated. My research interest lies in the sociology of education. One of its mainstream topics is the equality of educational opportunity, which investigates how one’s social position is affected by equal access to education. Education as a social institution serves to provide a solid opportunity structure, wherein university admissions plays the important role of facilitating social mobility. In this way, I seem to have found a natural connection between my academic interest and my admissions portfolio. Academic perspectives and principles provide a safeguard for policy and implementation. My exposure to students of various backgrounds and interests in the college context further makes this a very nourishing experience. You hold admissions talks at mainland cities frequently. How do you introduce CUHK? I am not the hardsell type. I would touch upon topics such as university and society, university and character building, and how students of the 21st century should understand themselves and equip themselves to become life-long learners. I will then introduce the mission and vision of CUHK. I hope students and their parents have a clear idea about the University so they can make well-informed decisions. How should a prospective student prepare for the transition from high school to university? The Faculties of Science, Engineering and Social Science have introduced broad-based admission, meaning freshmen would study a common core of subjects before choosing any specific major programmes. Therefore, when knocking on university doors, students should at least have identified or attained a broad understanding of the kind of disciplinary areas they would like to explore. Second, more grounds can be covered in a four-year curriculum than a three-year one. Students should take this opportunity to develop freedom of thought and an independent character, instead of following close at the heels of their parents and teachers. Third, be modest. Even if you have made the elite programme you chose, that is not the end of it. You still need to keep an open mind, think independently and collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds. I believe creative excellence is only possible if it is also coupled with a mastery of the basics while passion is a default. In the age of tiger moms and helicopter parents, how do you see the parents’ role in their children’s choice of universities and majors? If helicopter parenting refers to taking responsibility for children’s educational experience, it is not necessarily a negative thing. It only shows how much faith Chinese parents have in education. I encourage parental involvement in choosing universities and majors, only if the parents have carefully evaluated the current social and manpower needs and future trends of our society, instead of going for whatever is most sought after at the moment. A comprehensive evaluation combined with their life experiences can make parents’ suggestions most valuable. Some students said they made the decision on their own without consulting their parents. I don’t think that’s a good idea. CUHK awards hundreds of scholarships every year. Who are the beneficiaries besides academic achievers? Academic excellence is but one of the criteria. The University also gives due recognition to students who have demonstrated outstanding performance in other areas, such as community service, leadership, innovation and sports. There are scholarships that encourage students to take the road less travelled. Those dream-followers devote themselves to majors such as pure science, literature, history or philosophy. Their career prospects may not be as straightforward as those who are trained to be lawyers or financial executives or managers, but the spirit of independence and devotion to what they believe in is worth rewarding in itself. Can you share your to-do list as Director of OAFA? Most administrative units of a complex organization inclines to be inward-looking, but university admissions casts its sight both inside and outside the university. It involves an enormous amount of paperwork. I must make sure every procedure is executed with the utmost care and attention. If we fail to provide accurate guidelines when answering enquiries, troubles may ensue and worst of all, it may bring the University into disrepute. But I also keep reminding myself not to become a bureaucrat. I must look far and wide to continuously enhance our system of admissions in step with changing circumstances and in view of each freshman’s entrance record and his/her performance afterwards. This is what a responsible admissions officer should do. 10 No. 438, 19.5.2014