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HKUST Alumni News 2015
Insight
What made you decide to study on the WBB program?
Sophia:
Being born in Hong Kong but raised in Shanghai and
attending an American-curriculum international school, I was conflicted
about where to attend university - in Hong Kong at HKUST or in the
US. By luck, a representative of WBB visited my high school and
introduced the program - and I knew then I wanted this unparalleled
experience! WBB grants students the opportunity to study in three
elite universities - HKUST, University of Southern California and
Bocconi University in Milan, where I am now studying Year 3.
What have been the highlights so far?
Sophia:
Being a WBB student gives me international exposure, as
well as three degrees from respected universities. I have enjoyed
meeting and working with a diverse group of people, including a
good mix of international students.
Why is community service important to you?
Sophia:
Community service is a great way to learn about and
appreciate the community, to talk to local citizens, and to experience
the world from a different perspective. It is also the ultimate tool for
character development, requiring all sorts of character traits: humility,
diligence, teamwork, patience and leadership. You can't just learn
these in the classroom, you learn them through action.
What types of community service projects are you involved in?
Sophia:
I’ve helped at orphanages, visited elderly homes, taught
classes at rural schools, coached badminton at migrant school, and
painted buildings. Behind the scenes, I've made quilts and stuffed
animals for donations and done a handful of fundraising projects.
Tell us about a particularly memorable experience.
Sophia:
Last January, I went to Myanmar with the Chinese YMCA
of Hong Kong and University-YMCA. It was a great opportunity
for me to meet HKUST students who were passionate about
community service. The week-long trip involved cultural exchange
and service work
in orphanages,
schools, universities,
churches, and
other affiliated
organizations. For
me, the highlight
was learning the
importance of leadership in service. As the assigned group leader,
I was very disappointed in the first few days because I was always
running around organizing events and I missed out on one-on-
one interaction with the service targets. However, I soon learned
that service as a leader meant getting that joy from helping others
enjoy the service progress.
You recently took part in the Boao Forum – what did this
involve?
Sophia:
The Boao Forum is a political and business conference
hosted annually at Boao, Hainan, China. I was nominated to attend as
a messaging team member, which involved attending conferences,
taking notes, and writing reports to upload to the forum website. I got
to listen to what opinion leaders such as Bill Gates, Wang Feng, and
President Xi Jinping have to say about our world today.
What does it mean to you to be an awardee of the AEF
Community Service Award?
Sophia:
Today many scholarships and awards are fixed on academic
merit and neglect the importance of the personal development of
students. Hence, I truly value AEF’s effort to focus on community
service, because I love to quote Martin Luther King, Jr, “Intelligence
plus character — that is the goal of true education.”
Sophia Lim is among the first cohort of the
pioneering World Bachelor in Business (WBB)
undergraduate program, a pioneering business
degree jointly offered by universities across
three continents. She is also a recipient of
the HKUST AEF Community Service Award,
for her work in the community.
Global Student
