On August 29, the annual New Students' Parents Forum was held on campus. The theme of the forum this year was "Share the growth, and look to the future". The forum comprised four sections, namely, "Share the Growth", "Look to the Future", "Introduction of Academic Programmes", and "High Table Dinner". Parents could attend any section of the forum freely without making reservation except the High Table Dinner.
Prof. Kwok making a speech
Prof. Kwok Siutong, Executive Vice President, Prof. Prof. Zee Szeyong, Vice President, Prof. Zhang Cong, Vice President, Ms. Lillian Li, Assistant to President and Director of Four Point Education Office, together with Division Deans, Coordinators of Academic Programmes and many professors and teaching staff were present in the forum and communicated extensively with new students and their parents.
Prof. Zhang Cong communicating with parents
In his address to the parents, Prof. Kwok said, UIC attached great importance to the communication and interaction with parents; parents were important contributors to the education of their children. UIC needed parents' understanding, patience and support when carrying out the college's educational approaches, some might be consistent with parents' values, some might be contradictory. It might take some time for parents' to comprehend UIC educational philosophy, for it was new in Mainland China.
Ms. Lillian Li making a speech
Ms. Lillian Li said the challenge which UIC posed to new students were not only the shift of language, but the shift of ways of thinking. Students' should change the former habits and lifestyles to adapt to the exam-oriented education to an open and out-come based education. UIC would provide ample freedom to students, and require a high standard of self-discipline, time management, financial management and emotion management, and academic management.
During the student sharing section, Liu Shengyi, a year-three student of Cultural Industries Management, said she had learned more than she expected at UIC. Before coming to UIC, she was a little girl who could not even buy a bus ticket to a neighboring town, or withdraw money for an ATM. But now, she had become a leader of a 30 student team that won an outstanding prize in an international competition held in Shanghai. She expressed her joy and confidence, as well as gratitude to her teachers.
Mr. Yu Ziquan making a speech
During the High Table Dinner, Mr. Yu Ziquan, the father of Yu Lizhong, a graduate of UIC, shared his experience of being a father of a student of UIC. He told the attendance-200 formally dressed parents-frankly that his son were enrolled through direct enrollment four years ago, and he was concerned with his son's future and unsure about UIC's education. "Today I can't cover my joyful feelings with you, for the progress my son has made is impressive. He has been admitted to a post-graduate programme of Hong Kong Baptist University, " said Mr. Yu.
The Four Year Convenant with Parents"
During the High Table Dinner, the college asked parents to write down their wishes for UIC and their children, and they were sealed to envelopes and kept in a tank. Four years later, the envelopes will be opened and the parents may see if their wishes have become true. This was called a "Four Year Covenant with Parents".
High Table Dinner
The High Table Dinner marked the end of the Parents Forum 2010, but the communication and interaction between parents and UIC is going on and on.
Reporter: Richard Xu
MPRO
