The HSUHK New Student Welcome Day 2022 was held on 15 and 26 August 2022 respectively for Senior-Year Entrants and Year-1 Entrants. This year’s theme ‘WeBound’ expressed our wish for all new students to leap forward, spread their wings and grow strong at HSUHK. Over 1,700 students and staff members took part in the wide range of Welcome Day activities to usher in a new academic year.

The Welcome Day began with a welcome speech by President Simon S M Ho and Provost and Vice-President (Academic and Research) Professor Y V Hui. They used a basketball game as an analogy of the life at HSUHK to inspire students to play their best and team up closely with their peers and teachers to achieve more. Ms Diana Ng, President of The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong Students’ Union, then shared with the new students a quote of Lu Xun, “the earth had no roads to begin with, but when many men pass one way, a road is made,” encouraging them to grasp every moment in the University and to live an ideal life ahead.

Dr Tom Fong, Vice-President (Organisational Development) and Ms Antonia Yeung, Associate Vice-President (Development and Campus Services) next introduced the University’s senior management members to the students. A sharing session on university life planning then followed, with six senior students sharing how they planned their colourful university lives under the facilitation by Ms Esther Lee, Director of Student Affairs and Mr Lin Chor, Assistant Director of Student Affairs. Keith, a recent BBA (Hons) in Data Science and Business Intelligence graduate who had six internship experiences throughout his life at HSUHK, said, “through working with interns from other universities during my internships, I realised that HSUHK students have the same starting line as all other university students. If we are determined to seize the opportunities with good planning and preparation, we can all shine in the professional arena. The University offers various support services, such as Careers Fairs, the Career Nomination Scheme and the Professional Mentorship Scheme, to help every student.” Another recent graduate Myrna, who studied in the BBA (Hons) in Human Resources Management Programme, encouraged new students by sharing bits and pieces of her own fruitful university life, “you should proactively take part in various kinds of activities, such as serving as student leaders of student associations, living in Residential Colleges, participating in the Student Ambassador Programme, etc., in order to expand your social circles and enjoy a rewarding life at the University.”

The new students then participated in a series of activities which enhanced their understanding of HSUHK and built their social networks, including Campus Hunt, Student Life Fair and Photo-taking Booth, to create memorable first moments at HSUHK. The Welcome Day concluded with the activity ‘The Way Ahead in HSUHK’ , in which all freshmen, guided by senior students serving as their Campus Life Mentors, proactively set their goals for their university life ahead.

In addition to the above events and activities, different HSUHK offices and units, programmes and student organisations also arranged diversified thematic activities for our new students in August and September. These activities included Academic Sessions, Student-led Orientation Activities and Extended Orientation Weeks, which facilitated new students’ adaptation to the life at HSUHK. Together, HSUHK teachers, staff members and senior students will make our “WeBound” with the new students in the days to come.