Press Release
HKBU welcomes freshmen at the 65th Convocation
Tuesday, 08 Sep 2020
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) welcomed a new cohort of over 2,000 students for the academic year 2020-21 at its 65th Convocation held today (8 September).
The event, conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, signified the beginning of the study lives of the freshmen at HKBU. Together with other orientation activities organised by faculties, schools, departments and student bodies, the Convocation introduced to the freshmen the vibrant campus life and learning opportunities at HKBU.
In his address to the new students, Professor Roland Chin, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said that we are facing a new world where many human activities have gone online and are carried out by artificial intelligence (AI). Noting that teaching and learning are all conducted online around the world now, he expects that a good portion of both will remain so, permanently, after the pandemic is over.
"At HKBU, colleagues are devising out-of-the-box solutions to many of the challenging online teaching and learning scenarios, not just to replace traditional face-to-face teaching, but also to bring about innovative solutions that can take teaching and learning to a new dimension," said President Chin.
"We want to inspire you to inquire, to create, to collaborate, and to learn by using your imagination anytime, anywhere, unconstrained by any boundaries," said President Chin. He shared with the freshmen that in four years' time when they graduate from HKBU, they will face literally a new world. He assured the students that they will be fully ready for the future as this is what liberal arts education is about.
Regarding academic freedom and institutional autonomy, President Chin pointed out that they are both guaranteed by Hong Kong's Basic Law. All freedoms are subject to limits, such as the limits of the law, and the limits of common decency. For example, hate speech and defamation will not be tolerated on campus.
Asserting that HKBU provides students with a learning environment that is fundamentally one of freedom, President Chin said: "Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. You must also respect the right of others to the same. You have the responsibility to defend the freedom of other people who disagree with you. Above all, you must take responsibility for your chosen act of expression and its consequences."
In the ceremony, Professor Gordon Tang, Director of Student Affairs introduced the history, mission and ethos of the University to the freshmen. He also led students to declare the Student Charter at the Ceremony with the pledge to develop a proactive attitude toward learning, seek various kinds of learning opportunities for holistic development, and build a character that upholds the highest ethical standards. In the same occasion, Professor John Winzenburg, Professor of the Department of Music and recipient of this year's President's Award for Outstanding Performance in Teaching and Learning, also delivered a speech to encourage students to try to discover their own potential.
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