Dr. Ulrich Wannagat
Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
1994 – 2004 – 2014: These are the landmarks of my career at CUHK. In 1994, I arrived in Hong Kong and assumed duty as lecturer in the German Studies programme. In 2004, we founded our Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages. And in 2014, I retired from my position as Senior Lecturer and Head of Modern Languages.
These twenty years were filled with many changes, inspiring encounters, success stories and also challenges. My students were always the focus of my work. Studying a language does not only provide a tool for communication and orientation in a foreign environment, it also opens a window to a world of different customs, habits, lifestyles and ways of thinking. I experienced this myself when I studied Chinese as an elective course at university in Germany. It aroused my curiosity, and eventually I grasped the chance to learn more when I was offered the opportunity to work and live in China. Learning a new language and culture made me reflect on my own culture and identity and really enriched my life. It is fascinating to see my students going through the same process.
When I recall the many memorable events, the study trips with student groups to Germany and China come to my mind. I love to remember these trips because I had the chance to get to know my students better and to observe them learning outside the classroom. One year after my arrival, in 1995, I organised my first homestay programme in Germany. Students stayed with local families and explored facets of German life through service learning. When strolling through my hometown today, I occasionally meet former host families. Some tell me enthusiastically that they are still keeping in touch with their former guest student from Hong Kong, even after so many years. Some students come back regularly and drop by when visiting Germany with their partners and children. Some returned to Europe after graduation to work. A son of a host family, having made friends with his guest student, decided to major in Chinese and Japanese Studies and is now a renowned scholar and university professor of Sinology. This is just one example of how the first-hand experience of another culture and making friends overseas can have a strong impact on life and career choices. An architecture student who went on exchange to Germany told me that her studies in heritage preservation during her year at Freiburg University shaped her professional career, and that she chose heritage protection as a focus of her career as an architect. Until the 1990s, we had no student exchange programmes with universities in continental Europe. I vividly remember the struggle to convince our university of the benefits of such exchange agreements. Although the structural differences were considered insurmountable, I initiated the first student exchange agreement with a German university on college level, between Chung Chi College and the University of Bonn. This opened the door to further agreements, and now students have a wide choice between universities in many European countries. Another step towards international exposure for our students was the introduction of the Chung Chi study trips “Exploration of German Society” in 2000, and I had the privilege to organise and accompany these trips for seven consecutive years. Following the successful example of the German trips, study trips to France were introduced soon. These schemes provided a model for other colleges.
Last but not least, a highlight of my work is my courses. It is rewarding to see how enthusiastically my students embark on the journey of language exploration. I enjoy following their development from beginners to advanced level proficiency and watching them gradually become independent users of the new language. A very special highlight was the success of a student of our German Studies programme at the Third Inter-University German Speech Competition in November 2013. After competing with twelve finalists from four universities in Hong Kong, Cyrus was awarded the first prize, a free return trip to Germany and a language course at a Goethe Institute. This reflects the high quality of our students who inspire their teachers with their strong motivation, cheerfulness, open mind and perseverance. It was a wonderful experience to teach them!