“Follow your heart and go for your dreams!” Professor L. S. Chan, the newly appointed College Principal of the HKU SPACE Community College, dreamed of being a geologist when he was in secondary school. He remembers that there were no local universities offering Earth Sciences at that time. Though he had his doubts, especially after pressure from his peers, he never thought of giving up his goal. When at long last his dream came true, he became the first native born geologist in Hong Kong, and a founder member of the Department of Earth Sciences at The University of Hong Kong, which has since nurtured hundreds of local geologists. His persistence and purity of heart have led him to where he is today.

Professor Chan appreciates the students’ passion for learning, and hopes to create a pleasant environment for their studies and opportunities for their ongoing education. Given that there are not enough funded undergraduate programmes currently available for students seeking to acquire a degree to fulfil their and their parents’ hopes, his top priority after taking office is to develop more articulation pathways for students who want to further their education in senior years of undergraduate programmes after completing their sub-degrees.

As an advocate of making learning fun, Professor Chan sees education as more than classrooms and textbooks. He has plans to expand the current programme structure to encompass a new comprehensive learning model, introducing affective learning, e.g. weekend camps or fieldtrips, unconventional learning, problem-based learning and live briefs. By taking students into the community and workplaces, or getting out of the classroom and into the wild, they will be able to apply what they have learned. Along the way, teachers will offer support and assess students’ progress, in hopes of nurturing wellrounded and versatile individuals who are competent in many different areas.
It should come as no surprise that Professor Chan enjoys getting outside the classroom with students to explore the wonders of nature. Students of the College should expect good times ahead!