A remarkable welcome to life at the School of Engineering awaited the first batch of Year 1 four-year undergraduates The city-wide 334 reform, which has seen Hong Kong move to a six-year secondary school, four-year university degree education system, brought the first intake of four-year undergraduates to the School of Engineering in September 2012. These 750 young engineers are younger than their three-year counterparts, with a broader secondary school diploma experience and more varied academic backgrounds than the focused approach of Hong Kong A-level graduates. At the same time, the four-year degree system they have entered is more open and flexible than the three-year system, giving them a year to explore their interests before choosing a major, and a wider range of courses to select throughout their time at the School. To assist the Year 1s in their academic choices, transition from school to university, and to foster a sense of belonging and identity, the School implemented a fresh introduction to the university experience, tailored to these students’ needs and groundbreaking in its approach to engineering education support. We Support You, Young Engineers! Clan-tastic On arrival at HKUST, four-year entrants were placed into one of nine “clans”, which immediately enfolded them within a group environment. Members include a mix of local, mainland and international Year 1s, student mentors from other years, faculty members, and a “clan fellow”, often a Head of Department. Even the Dean participates. “The clan concept covers four main areas, academic, social, emotional and institutional attachment, to help Year 1s over the transition from school to university and to expand their university experience,” said Prof Roger Cheng, Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies). “For example, in their first year in the clan, they will also get to know people who may eventually choose different majors from themselves. This can help interdisciplinary communication.” One activity to help clan members get to know each other saw professional trainers with experience of working with major corporations and engineers hired for a one-day team-building camp. Each clan offered its own camp, securing 60% to 70% total participation – a major success for a non-compulsory activity held at a weekend. “After the camp, we had lots of positive feedback,” Prof Cheng said. “The young engineers were surprised and pleased that we would organize something like this for them.” 5 IN FOCUS
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