Alumni Link talks — Learn more from legal experts

The Alumni Affairs Office of the Public Affairs Unit organized three Alumni Link talks, at which volunteer speakers highlighted some of the legal issues commonly encountered at work or in everyday life. Each talk was attended by about 150 people.

The first talk on the ‘Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, Negligence Claims and Privacy Law’ was conducted by solicitor Mr Herman Tang on 18 May, who was a part-time member of the Central Policy Unit of the Hong Kong SAR, and currently serves as voluntary legal consultant for a number of associations. Various topics were covered in the talk, including the definitions of self-employed and employed, the liability of an employer in the event of the death of a staff member on a business trip, the required elements of negligence claims and the privacy concerns surrounding positive mortgage data-sharing. Participants learnt more about their legal rights.

Solicitor Mr Jackie Chiu, who specializes in cases involving family law, personal and work injuries, delivered a talk on ‘Civil Case and Insurance Investigation’ on 23 May. Citing controversial cases, such as a traffic accident involving a coach bus hired by a housing estate and accidents occurring in public spaces, Mr Chiu explained the general procedures of civil cases. He also advised participants to study insurance policies in detail to avoid any misunderstandings. For example, confinement in rehabilitation centres is generally not covered by medical insurance, but this particular clause is often overlooked by many people, he said.

Counsel Kevin Wong, who specializes in criminal cases and is concurrently a mediator, presented a talk on ‘Criminal Laws’ on 30 May. The talk introduced the investigation procedures of criminal cases. Mr Wong stressed that people have the right to remain silent when being investigated by law enforcement officers, although that right can be overridden under Section 183 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance in an investigation by the Securities and Futures Commission.

Fresh graduates share their learning experiences

Ten fresh graduates from the distance learning, part-time face-to-face, and e-learning programmes were invited to the Graduates’ Roundtable organized by the Public Affairs Unit on the evening of 24 June to share the joy and hardship of study at the OUHK. Though coming from different job sectors, including legal services, computer engineering, interior design, education and handicrafts, all participants nevertheless share a common study goal — to learn more and to enrich their lives. Although the pursuit of knowledge is tough and painstaking, they were all in agreement that the process was full of pleasure and satisfaction.

Alumni Association visits a low-carbon home

The Alumni Association of the OUHK organized a visit to Mr Eddie Chan’s low-carbon home in Tai Po on 23 July. Serving on the Tai Po Environmental Association and the Hong Kong WEEE Recycling Association, Mr Chan is a pioneer in environmental protection and is applying many energy saving practices in his daily life. Apart from sharing the various methods of conserving the earth’s resources, the participants also enjoyed cycling and kite flying in Tai Mei Tuk.

Putonghua talk on artistic teaching

Art advisor of the Putonghua Association of the OUHK (Alumni) Ms Tam Cheng-zhu conducted a talk on artistic teaching at the Ho Man Tin campus on 14 May. Through an interactive session, Ms Tam vividly demonstrated how artistic performance can enhance interest in learning and presentation skills. She also illustrated that adopting an activity approach is the most effective way to help students master the rhythm of Putonghua. The Association also attended a conference held in the Hong Kong Baptist University on 4 June to exchange their experiences of Putonghua teaching with guests and representatives from 11 local tertiary institutions.

Fundraising appeal for Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund

The Alumni Affairs Office launched a fundraising campaign for the Alumni Scholarship and Bursary Fund in May. With the support of 172 alumni and students, a total of $102,500 was solicited, which will be matched 100% by the Mr Vincent Woo Matching Donation Fund. The contributions will be allocated to provide assistance to outstanding or financially-needy students. As a token of appreciation, the Alumni Affairs Office invited the donors to attend the three Alumni Link legal talks.