Mentoring activities provide students with the opportunity to meet peers, build networks and enjoy their academic and social journey over the course of their studies.
Mentoring plays an important, supportive role for students at the HKUST Business School. No matter whether it’s a formal or informal experience, the benefits of mentorship are widely recognized for providing tangible benefits to both mentors and mentees involved. Recently, the concept has been raised to the next level with the opening of the Karen Lee Student Mentoring Center – a purpose-built facility designed to encourage student guidance activities and to promote a supportive culture on campus.
The Center was named after the late Dr Karen LEE, a visiting scholar and later an Adjunct Associate Professor who was a faculty member at the School between 2008 and 2014. To memorialize the values that she upheld, a $20 million donation from the Dr Karen Lee Memorial Fund, established by family members in her honor, was used to establish the Center and launch a series of student mentoring activities.
A centralized hub for mentoring activities
Located in the Lee Shau Kee Business Building, home of the Business School, the Center provides a welcoming environment for students. It consists of study areas on two floors connected by a staircase, a learning commons, and meeting and advising rooms. Speaking at the opening ceremony, HKUST President, Professor Wei SHYY, expressed gratitude to Dr Lee’s family and praised her dedication to education and students’ well-being. “The Center will continue Dr Lee’s legacy of making a meaningful difference to our holistic education through mentoring activities that help students to gain practical advice, encouragement and support during their studies and beyond,” said the President.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, Professor Emily NASON, Founding Director of the Center, said HKUST’s new addition is a fitting legacy to a committed academic and positive people-person who generously gave her time and attention to students, both inside and outside of the classroom. “It was important to Dr Lee that students discover their personal leadership strengths and live their own purposeful lives,” remarked Professor Nason, who reflected on the passion and commitment her friend and colleague assigned to mentoring.
A kick-off ceremony was held on March 18, officiated by representatives of HKUST and the Dr Karen Lee Memorial Fund.
In recognition of mentoring efforts
“Excellence in Student Mentoring Awards” were also presented at the ceremony to students who have excelled as mentors and volunteer members of the School’s Peer Mentoring Program. Award recipient, April AU Wing-yin, a Year 3 BBA Information Systems and Management student explained how she decided to became a peer mentor since she had benefited as a freshman from being guided, something that helped her to overcome her initial anxieties as a student at the School. “My peer mentors gave me lots of good advice and support that eased my concerns,” said Au, pointing out that mentoring is a two-way street. “Mentors benefit from being able to improve their communication and interpersonal skills,” she continued. At the same time, mentees receive practical advice and can learn from the experiences of others.
Fellow award recipient, Henry NG Chun-hung, a sophomore BSc Economics student, also believes that the program provides a positive experience for both the experienced student and the newcomer. “Peer mentoring is a mutual way of developing understanding and empathy towards others while getting involved with university life,” Ng stated. “It’s not just academic studies students want to talk about, we talk about all aspects life,” noted Ng, who is grateful for the support his own mentor provided in helping him overcome his shyness.
Jackson KWOK Ho-lam, in his first year studying Quantitative Finance, described how becoming a mentee opened his eyes to the various holistic learning opportunities that university life can offer. “At first I was quite introverted and ambivalent about the social side of university life, but everything changed when I met my mentor,” recalled Kwok. “It was the start of broadening my horizons, enriching my knowledge and becoming a more outgoing person,” Kwok said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Business School Communications Tutor Patrick Megan said the Center provides a facility where students can make new friends in a relaxing environment. “Sometimes students can be a little reluctant to engage with others, but the Center is a place where they can listen to others and be listened to,” explained Megan, who worked periodically with Dr Lee.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg once remarked that, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves by listening to them and giving them the support and guidance they need to reach their highest potential.” No doubt, Dr Lee would have agreed, and the new Center bearing her name should go some way to facilitating this.
