Prof. Francis Y.L. Chin and Prof. Peter K.K. Lee’s terms as Associate Dean of the Faculty ended on December 31, 2014, and Prof. Lee has retired on the same day. Prof. Chin will retire at the end of June 2015. We are delighted to have a nice chat with Prof. Chin and Prof. Lee about their devotion to teaching, unforgettable experiences and future plans.
Prof. Francis Y.L. Chin (left) and Prof. Peter K.K. Lee (right)
Reporter: Could you share with us why you chose teaching as your career?
Prof. Chin: In my younger days as a student, I had a passion for learning and this passion led me to pursue a Ph.D. Of course, after obtaining Ph.D., an academic career was the natural path for me to take. I have been working at HKU for 30 years and my academic career has spanned nearly 40 years. I have enjoyed all four aspects of academic work: research, teaching, administrative duties for the University and service activities for the community.
Teaching is an important part of being an academic. Teaching is always fun. I like to challenge students with interesting problems and guide them to find the solution with the new tools they have learnt. I am proud to say that I have taught some really bright students who have gone on to have great success in their own careers. For example, in recent years I have had students who have had job offers from Google, Amazon, etc. I recently attended the stock market listing ceremony of a company founded by a few of my students.
Teaching also keeps me young because it means interacting with young people all the time.
Prof. Lee: In the engineering profession, guiding young teenagers to mature and become professional engineers is challenging. Engineering knowledge is always advancing fast with time. Ever since I joined the university 45 years ago, I have to concentrate in keeping myself abreast of the most up-to-date technological advancements and integrate such information into teaching and research leaving me no time to think of or venture into another career. In teaching, this means continuous updating the curriculum with introduction of new degree programs as necessary in order that the best learning opportunities are offered to the talented young people admitted to the university. The eventual reward of this teaching career is to watch that so many of our graduates have been able to serve and contribute to the society and help to shape a better Hong Kong.
Reporter: What factors did you consider when taking up the Associate Dean role?
Prof. Chin: Taking part in administrative duties of the Department, the Faculty and the University is important as an opportunity to shape the way forward for the University. During my tenure at HKU, I have served as the Founding Head of the Department of Computer Science for 12 years and an Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering for seven years (not counting the four years of service outside our Faculty as an Associate Dean of the Graduate School). Most of you might think that my administrative workload was heavy. On the contrary, I still spent most of my time on teaching, research and working with my students. Except for more meetings, I don’t think that my administrative workload was especially heavier than many of my colleagues.
On the whole, I enjoyed and learned a lot from these administrative duties. Through these experiences, I understand how decisions are made, the rationale behind each decision and the necessity for transparency to resolve conflicts.
Prof Lee: Through serving as Head of the Department of Civil Engineering for eight years, I gained administrative experience in managing the operation of a department. When called upon to the Associate Deanship, I contemplated that my experience from the department might contribute to the education of a wider scope of engineering disciplines within the Faculty.
Reporter: What were the most unforgettable experiences during your teaching and Associate Dean roles?
Prof. Chin: This is actually a very difficult question.
Some say that, as a tenured academic, you don’t have a boss. That’s not true. I’ve had quite a few bosses during my 30 years at HKU in terms of deans and vice-chancellors. Bosses can make life unforgettable. Some of them are quite hands-off and others take a more caring approach. No single approach is better or worse than others. It takes time to adapt when transitioning from one boss to another.
Prof Lee: I took pride in successful implementation of Project-Based-Learning pedagogy in the undergraduate curriculum in Civil Engineering. Over 90% of our students join the industry after graduation and these experiences have helped them in the development of their later career in engineering. Efforts in overcoming difficulties faced in mounting the 2+2 study program with Sun Yat Sen University and the Civil Engineering-Law double degree program with the Faculty of Law also proved worthwhile. Graduates of these programs were well sought after by the industry.
During my tenure as Associate Dean, I was involved in the proposal for a new degree structure for the BEng programs. The new structure essentially provides a broad engineering education which is the direction modern university education is heading along.
Reporter: Could you give some advice to the younger generations?
Prof. Chin: Enjoy what you do, be open to opportunities that come your way, be transparent to resolve conflicts and remember who is boss.
Prof Lee: Apart from the knowledge you acquire from university, a positive learning attitude is equally essential. I hope every student can develop a mature mentality to become an all-rounded person.
Always remember, don’t be afraid to do more and offer more. The more you contribute, the more you will be rewarded in the end. Students should have themselves well prepared for joining and contributing to the society.
Reporter: What is your plan after your retirement?
Prof. Chin: Although I will officially retire at the end of June, I still need to wrap up my responsibilities to the Department, such as completing supervision of graduate students and post-doctoral students and completing funded projects. After that, I’m not sure. As long as I am still healthy, I would like to continue contributing to society with my knowledge and experience.
Prof. Lee: Well, I do not have a concrete plan. I am gradually reducing my commitments in the university and venturing into something different outside. Currently, I am still involved with the work on Mingde projects.
Reporter: Thank you very much for making tremendous contribution to all aspects of academic work including research and teaching as well as administrative duties for the Faculty. We will miss the both of you. We sincerely wish you good health and all the best!
Prof. Ricky Kwok (left) and Prof. David W.L. Cheung (right) appointed as new Associate Deans of the Faculty.