We need volunteers to help our Alumni Association in Ontario grow. If you are interested in this or joining the WhatsApp group, don't hesitate to email alumni@ust.hk. HKUST Alumni HOME AND AWAY 12 13 Welcoming you to Toronto Patrick Hung is President of the HKUST Alumni Association in Ontario. A 1995 MPhil and 2001 PhD in Computer Science from HKUST, Patrick is a Professor and Graduate Program Director of Computer Science at the Faculty of Business and Information Technology, Ontario Tech University, Canada. He is a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Aston University, England, and an Honourable Guest Professor at Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan. Previously, he worked with Boeing Research and Technology in Seattle, and was a Research Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. Meet Christina Ng, a volunteer of Alumni Association in Ontario. A 2001 BBA in Marketing, she is currently Operations Project Manager at Amico Accessories. She has deep experience in marketing, tradeshows, sales operations, administration and customer service. WEBSITE INSTAGRAM Patrick Hung Christina Ng How did you start your association with HKUST? I am one of the originals, I joined HKUST in 1993. My path to Toronto included a stint in the Hong Kong Civil Service, working at HKUST, studying for a PhD and then finally moving in 1999. It was just for fun at first, but somehow I really liked it. After a time in Australia, I went back to Ontario and got a job in Toronto. What is great about Toronto? I would say it is metropolitan and diversified. There are all languages from Spanish to Asian dialects – but what is great is there is a huge community from Hong Kong. People are open to anything. What I love is the city is still growing and changing. Some people enjoy the weather, but I would say it’s quite snowy and that can be hard to adjust for Hong Kong people. How can people adapt to Canadian society? Be ready to understand and change. Be open to new experiences. Learn to relish problems and find solutions to them. Integrate with the wider society. That way you will understand more customs, culture and values in Canada, and ultimately grow as a person. What activities do you have to make people feel at home? We have a lot of small activities like picnics, which are fantastic. We also have annual meetings, one with other alumni associations in Toronto, and the other for Lunar New Year. When you have no family and friends you will never feel lonely. This year we held our Lunar New Year dinner in the classroom! Many of our activities include alumni associations How many years have you been in Toronto? I have been living in Toronto for close to 15 years. Immediately I found this diversity of lifestyle that you cannot find in Hong Kong. What are the advantages of living in Toronto? The weather is amazing, although winter is cold, it's great if you love nature, the outdoors, and snow sports. The long daylight hours are perfect, while you don't have as many mountains there are many green areas. Over here you can also kayak and camp easily. What are the challenges? I would say there is a big cultural difference to building your own lifestyle, thriving in your job and career. In Toronto you might need around 6 to 10 months to find work, or a year before you discover a dream job. So, network is important? New arrivals should explore the Alumni Association in Ontario network, because there is a job market that is completely hidden from view. When I moved to Canada I started from scratch from very elementary work. How are things different now? Graduates are much more prepared when they come to Canada. You still need to get accustomed to the local language and the culture. It is important to watch the news and have things to talk about. from other universities, so there is no shortage of people to meet. Thanks to the efforts of our Founding President Albert Wan, we have gained strong support from alumni. What makes you so passionate about HKUST alumni? HKUST changed my career. Before I thought I would simply be a good IT manager. My supervisor encouraged me to do a PhD. I said:‘no way I want to be a boring professor’! Somehow he convinced me to do a PhD and gave me his entire support. Eventually I grew a passion for academia. Without HKUST this would have never happened. Now I travel around the world, and I am so appreciative. That’s why I want to give back so much. Do you see comparisons with your experience and those of new immigrants? When I see young people now, I can see myself. The challenges I faced, being abroad for the first time, and the changes I went through. You may be able to talk and communicate with anyone, but the psychological aspect of being new is the same. In 1999, I knew nobody, I could find a job in a month. Now it might take six months to one year. This world is complex, that’s why we need to support each other. But is taking the plunge still worth it? I tell students who move that breaking through barriers and challenges will help you grow as a person, and help you hone your tastes, abilities and understand your talents. See challenges as opportunities! And remember to come say hi, we want to hang out with you. Canada seems like a very welcoming place... There is a huge focus here on multiculturalism which is great because they are always willing to help new immigrants. Canadians are very willing to make conversation with people they don't know. How did you get involved with the Alumni Association in Ontario? I started around six years ago, and it has grown tremendously, particularly in the last two years, where we have seen many more young people arrive. I have been focused on settlement advice. What problems do you help solve? We are looking at finding people a good place to live, connecting them with alumni, jobs and a support network. We are organizing more activities because many people are moving without family, and many miss family and friends. How did you get so passionate about alumni affairs? I was always quite active with volunteering in school and HKUST so it just came naturally to me. It is fortunate that in the last two years we have had around 200 newcomers as well. I have seen people find friendships, networking, and adapt to the new environment through even simple activities like picnics, so this is very rewarding. I'm reliving my most exciting university life again! What are the most popular activities? I want to organize more nature-based activities. Predictably, the most popular activities are about food! Our Lunar New Year Eve dinner is always amazing, and during COVID we kept it going. I actually asked my mom to volunteer as a cook! That year we cooked, packed and dropped food off. We all ate together on Zoom. Now we can do things like Poon Choi. Anything else to add? Reach out to us. Join our WhatsApp group before you land. People want to share their experience to help you settle in.
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