Since its establishment, Student Housing and Residential Life Office (SHRL) has been tapping into the diverse culture of HKUST and the metropolis to create a memorable living and learning experience for our residents. One could not help but wonder what the hall has to offer besides simply a living space. The answer is simple, hall is the venue for nurturing graduate with global outlook outside classrooms. SHRL celebrated its achievement with a 3-day exhibition starting from 25 April. All students and staff members of HKUST were welcome to join the event.

The 3-day exhibition started on 25 April with the Opening Ceremony, followed by Seeing Eye Dog Visit and SHRL Cooking Competition in the afternoon and the evening of 26 April respectively. It ended on 27 April with Electric Bike Generator Demonstration, Green Trekker roadshow and Social Etiquette Workshop. One does have to admit that what made the exhibition so much fun were the diverse elements. Whether one was in the mood to look at the work of SHRL or know more about what was going on beyond student halls, one would find something to relate in the exhibition.

Opening Ceremony

Kick-starting the Opening Ceremony, Prof. YEUNG Lam Lung, Head of Student Housing and Residential Life Office (SHRL) gave a brief welcoming remark. He restated the importance of residential life and emphasized the value of SHRL. After his inspiring speech, the student MCs officially commenced the launching of SHRL Exhibition. Guests and participants were then invited to visit the exhibition area where display boards were set up to showcase the achievement of SHRL.

Seeing Eye Dog Visit

The Seeing Eye Dog Visit in the evening of 26 April showed that the virtue of caring could always go beyond hall premises or even the campus. The trainer of seeing eye dog explained the significant role of the dog in the community. Participants grabbed the chance to interact with the dog and learn from the trainer. The visit raised the social awareness of students, which would eventually extend to a bigger community.

SHRL Cooking Competition

Following the Seeing Eye Dog Visit, SHRL Cooking Competition was held in the evening of 26 April to raise students’ awareness of healthy diet. Four teams competed against one another with their signature dishes. Each team tried their best to impress the judges with the presentation, healthiness and taste of the dishes. The competition was intense. Each dish had its  unique characteristic and the judges was amazed by the creativity of the teams. Competition aside, this event was a platform for the participants exchange ideas on healthy lifestyle.

Electric Bike Generator Demonstration

Carbon emission and energy consumption have always been two of the most discussed topics of urban development. A group of postgraduate (PG) students teamed up to construct electric bike generators to illustrate the concept of energy consumption on 27 April. The amount of energy generated was displayed simultaneously on a specially designed display panel when participants paddled the bike. The PG students seized every minutes to explain the mechanism of the device and the consumption of energy. The result was a stronger sense of environmental protection among members of HKUST.

Green Trekker: Start from Halls

After the energy consumption class 101, participants were invited to move over to the exhibition booth of Green Trekker. Green Trekker was formed by a group of residents who was passionate about green living. Challenging questions were prepared to test the participants’ knowledge on environment policy of HKUST. Participants were amazed by the effort paid by the University to preserve a better environment for the next generation.

Social Etiquette Workshop

Good behavior and manners are never out of style, this was why the 3-day exhibition concluded with Social Etiquette Workshop. Social manners could appear to be painstaking and complicated at the beginning. However, there are countless opportunities to practise small kindnesses that will quickly spread. Given enough time and patience, one will understand the rules of etiquette instinctively. During the workshop, participants were taught the logics and applications of social etiquette through various scenarios and interaction with the instructor.

The 3-day exhibition provided opportunities for members of HKUST to learn and explore. The active involvement of participants and the effort of SHRL staff members translated into a stronger connection between the halls and the rest of HKUST. The presence of all the guests and participants was a strong show of motivation for the Office to move forward.

Written by Anthony Lai, Student Housing and Residential Life Office