Bulletin No. 1, 2019

Prof. Fan Tingting, a perennial favourite among students, is one of the youngest professors to have received the University Education Award in 2018. Her being decorated with one of the highest accolades for teaching excellence is all the more impressive as she had completed her PhD just four years before. It is a testament to Professor Fan’s dedication to teaching as well as her desire to inspire other millennials. ‘My award should be encouraging to all research-oriented young academics who might not believe they could balance teaching and research.’ To create a better teaching environment, Professor Fan is highly receptive to the opinions of her students. She frequently holds class discussions where students aren’t required to raise their hands to participate, and encourages her students to focus on the process of thinking rather than focusing on the answers or the conclusions. ‘Students love interaction in class. We do this a lot. We have less traditional lecturing. The students feel like they aren’t just learning from me, their teacher, but from each other too.’ Professor Fan’s idea of parity can be seen in her dress code. She dresses casually, which often results in students mistaking her for a fellow student. To her, it comes down to mutual respect founded not upon obligation but interest. ‘Dressing up can have the effect of commanding respect. But that’s not my style. I want my students to respect me because I’m of interest to them; that’s my target.’ Herself a millennial, Professor Fan values the differences between herself and her students. Her students are younger and come from disparate backgrounds. ‘We all watch Netflix. We may listen to similar music. We could have a common interest in similar things but each one’s perspective should be different. That’s why I respect them, for having different perspectives’. Assistant Professor of Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and School of Biomedical Sciences C.W. Chu College Dr. Owen Ko b. 1985 Assistant Professor of Department of Marketing Chung Chi College Prof. Fan Tingting b. 1984 16 Chinese University Bulletin No.1, 2019