Today (5 September) marks the first day of the new academic year at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), with the resumption of face-to-face classes. President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing extended a warm welcome to all students. “You are the one to determine your own path, and hard work is the key to success,” he said. He wished all the students a fruitful and meaningful learning journey and encouraged them to go beyond the boundaries.

Prof. Lam and Vice President (Student and Support) Prof. Ricky Kwok Yu-kwong welcomed the students at the HKMU Main Campus this morning and distributed cookies and refreshing drinks to them, symbolizing the beginning of the new term.

Inauguration ceremony sessions were held last week to welcome all freshmen to the HKMU family. Addressing the ceremony, Prof. Lam pointed out that the higher education sector is now entering a “Don't ask where the hero comes from (英雄莫問出處)” era. He said, “University graduates are increasingly judged based on who they are, what they have achieved while at university, and how they can contribute to a company, institution or the community.”

Prof. Lam elaborated that the higher education sector has seen a great deal of change over the past 30 years. From having only two universities at the beginning, the sector expanded rapidly, and there are now 11 universities plus several other degree-granting institutions. Moreover, many Hong Kong students choose to study abroad, so there are numerous pathways to access university education, which is very different from the idea of “elite universities” in the past.

“It is not easy nowadays to define accurately where a ‘hero’ comes from,” he said. “The most important thing is to let the world know what you are capable of.” He emphasized that in this new generation, with opportunities everywhere, to stay competitive, students should keep learning and upskilling by developing their fundamental qualities such as analytical skills, interpersonal skills, technical competence and trustworthiness, and have a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn.

Prof. Lam urged the students to seize every opportunity and to work hard to open their road to success. “Be a hero to yourself, and together let's make your time at HKMU fruitful and meaningful,” he concluded.

HKMU is the largest self-financed university in Hong Kong. This year, more than 3,000 students were admitted to over 60 full-time undergraduate programmes offered by the University’s five Schools: the School of Arts and Social Sciences, the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, the School of Education and Languages, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, and the School of Science and Technology. A wide array of welcoming activities are organized by the Student Affairs Office to enrich the students’ campus life.