With just about a year to go before the implementation of the new four-year university curriculum in 2012, Lingnan University is poised to offer the best of liberal arts education under the new framework.

To do so, we are determined to keep our student number small, as we have done in the past decade. Therefore, by 2012, we shall only have 2,600 students. The size is ideal, and crucial, in fostering our unique, Lingnan community spirit where there are close interactions among students, teachers and administrators, a salient characteristic that is at the core of liberal arts education at Lingnan.

The same scale will enable us to put in place measures conducive to making learning exciting. For example, by 2012, 80% of our students can live on campus with the addition of hall places. The said figure makes Lingnan the institution with the highest residence percentage among our local peers. Life at the halls is fun and an integral part of the Lingnan experience. Residence is guaranteed for all freshmen. Moreover, by 2012, we can send half of our students to participate in exchange programmes to our 70 partners of the Mainland and from overseas, an unforgettable experience for those who choose to participate. At the same time, we welcome the cultural diversity brought by incoming students from different countries worldwide.

These, in addition to the activities offered by our 37 clubs and societies, and the opportunities for internships, scholarships and learning-through-service programmes, make campus life at Lingnan enjoyable and meaningful.

On the academic front, the four-year curriculum will be enriched by substantially increased credits in our new "core curriculum" and language proficiency courses. Our faculty members are student-oriented. They are also accomplished researchers and experts in their fields. To know more about them, read through the prospectus or visit our website.

All these new changes and facilities have but one objective: to provide an optimal environment for our students to realise their full potentials in Lingnan’s liberal arts context.

At last year’s Lingnan University Liberal Arts Conference, the merits of liberal arts education were once more affirmed by educators and graduates. The general consensus was: liberal arts education shapes students’ outlook, encourages them to challenge convention, and prepares them to react responsibly to changing circumstances in our world. This is my image of our graduates.

It is also my strong belief that Lingnan’s liberal arts graduates gain more than knowledge; they gain wisdom and independence of thoughts which will serve them well in their pursuit of further studies and careers. As the global economy gradually recovers from the financial crisis, our students, with their intangible and higher skills, will surely benefit.

I urge prospective students to carefully peruse our programmes in Arts, Business and Social Sciences, find out more about our rich student life, and experience for yourself the liberal arts education at Lingnan.

CHAN Yuk-Shee