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9 DO YOU LEAD WELL?
UMP 大學廣場
OCT 2013
Interviews with the presidents of three student associations
Leadership may sound a big word to many people, but you may get a fuller picture of it after reading what the presidents
of the Postgraduate Student Association of CUHK, the International Student Association, as well as the Mainland
Undergraduate Association share with us their views on leadership and the challenges.
Student Reporter: Celia Chong
Xu, President of the Postgraduate Student Association
of CUHK (CUPSA), said he has become more caring,
decisive, and less result-oriented after taking up the post.
There were many reasons why he decided to run for
President of CUPSA. He first felt the
touch of CUPSA at the orientation prior
to his MPhil-PhD programme, and was
impressed by its style – “pragmatic
and people-oriented”, as he described.
“Despite its low profile, it has been
organizing many activities that many
members enjoy, like hiking and boat
trips.” Having spent four years at CUHK
for his undergraduate degree, he felt that
he should be in the position to serve,
make good use of his knowledge of both
CUHK and Hong Kong to “mediate the differences among
the postgraduates from different regions, and introduce
the postgraduate community to the other students at the
University.”
When asked about his views on leadership, Xu thinks
a democratic, rather than authoritarian leader would be
more desirable as student leaders share a similar level
of knowledge and experience. “Everybody has a say in
decisions, and committee members can make the most
of their talents. Leadership is not inborn, and you need
opportunities to train yourself, so we are also guiding
potential leaders in our enlarging workforce to share the
workload and carry on responsibilities.
I am happy to witness the growth of
every individual committee member,” he
believes. Other qualities that a leader
should possess, as he presented, include
visions, experience and the sense of
responsibility, which would help make
decisions that also consider the needs of
various parties.
Xu and his team have a motto in mind:
“Be humble and down-to-earth.” He
proudly illustrated, “The well-being of our members is our
utmost concern.” Committing themselves to the rights and
welfare of their members, the committee is now reaping
what they sowed despite previous difficulties. Talking
about the key to leadership, Xu suggested that leaders
value every member and opinions – “Be flexible, and take
the initiative to look for more to better your service.”
Xu Bing - CUPSA
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