CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

College Master Prof Suk-Ying WONG and Dean of Students Prof Vincent CHEUNG designed and cohosted a new series of events, Questioning and Asking, a platform where questions can be questioned, as distinguished from the mere act of asking. In two nights of intellectual wonder, respectively on 22 November 2022 and 29 March 2023, the novel activity drew around 15 students, both local and non-local, on each night.

Questions were first gathered anonymously via a wooden mailbox, reminiscent of an age when thoughts were put on paper. They were then answered at the Q&A Nights, where the questions themselves were explored in greater depth. Intrigued by the title with a philosophical touch, students found themselves engaged in animated discussions over a vast area of interests, from the arts, sciences, social sciences, to daily interactions among residents.

For a fun warmup, students in the first session participated in a question-guessing game — to guess and infer the original question from a given answer. One of the ‘answers’ was ‘one can go to school for years, and not be required to sit any exams or complete any assessment or take any attendance’; it proved a great way to unleash students' imagination. (The model ‘question’ was: What's the difference between schooling and education?’)

The transition from asking to questioning was unforced, yet significant. ‘What can university students do in the summer holidays of their first, second, and third year of studies?’ was one of the anonymous questions received. A commonly asked and straightforward question for college students, it spawned an intellectual discussion over societal expectations, portfolio building, and definitions of success — where students questioned the assumptions, however taken-for-granted these are, on things that seem matters of fact. To quote one student: can't we just relax and do what we like?

A question on perceived prioritisation of different student groups started an interesting sharing and analysis. One student postulated that the question, instead of a ‘priority’ problem, could reflect hidden frustration induced by cultural differences and broader social issues. Another related his observation of stereotypical descriptions of students from different origins. As anecdotes were shared, there was a moment of magic — an apparently contentious question was transformed, bringing forth a cordial exchange of views and perspectives, characterised by curious sharing and understanding, rather than argumentative debates.

Through questioning, students have discovered a new-found attitude to addressing multifaceted issues, with a renewed understanding of things through reflection and candid exchange with peers.

Questioning and Asking will come back again with innovative modes of delivery, to continue to pique our students' imagination, and to reimagine Q&A.