China Daily 25/7/2014 Teaching life lessons At a time when college education is increasingly seen as a stepping stone to a secure and profit-oriented career, Hang Seng Management College is keen to broaden the horizons of its students. Lin Jing talks to Simon Ho Shun-man, the institution’s new president. In Simon Ho Shun-man’s office, there is a potted bamboo — green and erect, blending into the soothing landscape outside the window of his office in Sha Tin, surrounded by trees and refreshing mountain air. In fact, the furniture in Hang Seng Management College (HSMC) is mostly made of bamboo. However, Ho, the newly-appointed president of the college, insists that while the elegant bamboo is easy, almost therapeutic, on the eyes, its impact on the human mind could also be far-reaching. “Bamboo is a symbol of integrity, honesty and courage,” he said. The attributes that the bamboo represents also inform the philosophy of the college’s education policy. Located in the New Territories, HSMC was founded in 2010 by Hang Seng School of Commerce. Between 2010 and 2012, HSMC launched five bachelor’s degree programs. “We’re ready to change HSMC from a private specialized college to a comprehensive university by 2017,” said Ho. The transition will take some effort. There are eight private colleges in Hong Kong relying on self-financing. And the government, keen on quality control in education, is usually a little more stringent on evaluating a private college than it would be in case of a public school. Ho, who took office only four months ago, said he already felt a sense of responsibility and expectation weighing down on his shoulder. “The road for a private college has not been easy in Hong Kong as society has various misgivings about our mission,” he said. For example, there is a notion that private colleges are focused on profit — an idea that Ho does not agree with. “Actually, the government has set the bar high for us in terms of infrastructure, equipment, choosing faculty and has put a cap on tuition fees that we charge. The higher cost has ruled out the possibility of profit,” he said. In his opinion, a private college complements the presence of public universities. “Many top-level colleges in the United States are privately owned, with no more than 3,000 students.” Ho used to be the vice-rector (Academic Affairs) at the University of Macau, before he joined HSMC. He said that unlike Macao, where every high school graduate can go to college, colleges in Hong Kong can take in only a section of the high school graduates. Since 10 years ago, public schools in Hong Kong can admit only 15,000 students per year, which leaves out more than 10,000 high-school graduates who must look elsewhere to pursue higher studies. Some students travel overseas in search of suitable schools. “It is not fair on them,” said Professor Ho. And this is precisely where private schools can play a role, by “providing opportunities to those who are eager to study”. He feels the government could show greater support to private colleges. “Some private colleges in Taiwan or Singapore receive 20 percent of funding from the local government. But we are on our own.” During a career spanning over 20 years, Ho has taught and held senior positions at several institutions, including Hong Kong Baptist University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He reckons that HSMC will enjoy more freedom and flexibility in its course design and planning, compared to government-run colleges. Meeting society’s needs “We will design and add new courses on the basis of students’ demands and societal needs. This is something public universities cannot do,” said Ho. Last year, the college launched a new course in news writing and business document drafting, which they called Applied Chinese. This autumn the college will launch five more bachelor’s degree programs, including popular ones such as financial analysis and corporate governance. Ho said it was necessary for higher education institutes to keep pace with the rapid changes in society to be able to stay in the business. HSMC is offering a few new-age programs, such as data science and business intelligence, that are not available elsewhere. Its mission too is slightly different from that of other universities. College rankings or the number of research papers produced are not considered to be matters of supreme importance. The college encourages faculties to spend more time with students rather than on their research. “Many professors in public universities are focused on their own research and will be out of reach after classes. Students will not receive enough guidance and care in such cases. That’s not what I encourage in HSMC,” Ho said. The idea is to keep the classes small. There are only about 22 students per class on average right now. Ho’s target is to bring the number down to 20 to facilitate greater student-teacher interactions. Friends, tutors for life “We encourage professors to attend more student activities after class, and students to keep in contact with at least three of their favorite teachers, even after graduation. Those professors could be their friends and tutors for life.” To say nothing of the fact that keeping in touch with one’s tutor well after one leaves college could help them get recommended when they are looking for work or internships. HSMC has the capacity to admit 1,300 students annually. Admission to the institution is extremely competitive. Until the middle of July, the college received about 9,000 applications for the year of 2014-2015, a significant increase from last year’s 8,000 although the application deadline is still a month away. Ho expects the college to become a comprehensive university, focused on business and management, while still emphasizing liberal arts education. “Business and management are what distinguish us from other universities. However, we have to add new courses, in order to enhance our strength in the liberal arts.” Although Hong Kong is one of the world’s major financial centers and a fast-paced business society, Ho does not expect his graduates to focus solely on business. “We cannot over-emphasize the importance of professionalism, but professionalism should not be isolated from moral education and the liberal arts.” “In today’s society, we are also concerned with culture, arts and interpersonal skills. So education should not only be a tool in helping one to look for jobs and make money, but also provide a clear and wide humanistic perspective. This is what prevents any wrongdoings in the future.” To fulfill this mission, HSMC will add new courses this year, such as journalism and communication, and English. Ho said more general education courses, such as those in philosophy, history and sociology, will be added soon. Every student is expected to complete 30 grades of general education. Besides, in order to graduate, each student must pass languages tests, such as Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi (PSC) and IELTS, as well as physical tests. These requirements might seem like a tough call, but Ho believes that the benefits accrued from them will last the students a life-time. Last year, about 90 percent HSMC graduates found jobs. Ho feels students should not worry too much about securing a first job. It was more important to be able to nurture a broader perspective, develop inter-personal skills and keep learning on one’s own. “These skills will accompany you for life, no matter what you do.” Happiness, said Ho, was not about getting a job or making money. Rather, it had to do with finding one’s own interests, connecting with society and being able to benefit others. Contact the writer at linjing@chinadaily.com.cn We will design and add new courses on the basis of students’ demands and societal needs. This is something public universities cannot do.” Simon ho shun-man president, hsmc We cannot over-emphasize the importance of professionalism, but professionalism should not be isolated from moral education and the liberal arts.