EY1920 Year Book

123 122 Leung Pak Wah Ambrose My EY plan was taking HKU free electives in Sem 1 and going to the USA for exchange studies at UC Davis in Sem 2. I anticipated an adventurous experience for my EY, taking a year off from medical knowledge and trying on new things. I have been a self- taught philosophy nerd and I really appreciated the chance to receive formal teaching on the subject. Also, I looked forward to having long overseas stay as I could immerse myself into the local culture and broaden my horizon. My EY Plan Courses at HKU I studied extensively about philosophy at HKU. Course contents cover history of philosophy, metaphysics, morality, etc.. I particularly enjoyed the course about Ludwig Wittgenstein, a linguistic philosopher. His ideas enlightened me to rethink the role of language in anthropology and our everyday life. Language has its flexibility and limit. It benefits and confuses us. Wittgenstein famously said ”philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language” and his views did transform me to have a more receptive mindset. UC Davis Exchange In January, I went to California for exchange studies. It was my first time to travel to the Land of Free and I was thrilled. At UC Davis, I took classes about logic, economics and calculus. I enjoyed the time there, meeting people and learning about local culture. During my stay at the States, I visited several places, such as San Francisco, LA, Houston, Atlanta. I love visiting the art museums to see masterpiece of painters, especially the modern artists like Claude Monet, Rene Magritte, Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein. Coronavirus Outbreak Due to the unexpected turn of events, I returned to HK in late March. It was an early, disappointing but necessary end to my time at the States. I was supposed to take two quarters there (as the school runs on trimester system), but I end up finishing one only. I came back to HKU to take some courses to make up for the credit requirement. I have yet to visit the wonderful places in America and I will certainly go back there in the future. MY ENRICHMENT MY YEAR MBBS Enrichment Year 2019/20 Leung Pak Wah Ambrose Sem 1 < IC - Elective Courses at HKU, Hong Kong >; Sem 2 < IC - HKUWW Exchange Programme at University of California D avis, US > Reflection Future This year has been rewarding and chaotic. The world is relativistic, and morality is subjective. Nothing really matters, but I am glad to be born just in time to stand on the shoulders of giants and to appreciate great accomplishment of humankind – paintings, plays, movies, music, thoughts. I come to realize that I should appreciate so many things I take for granted – my senses, my existence, my radical freedom. The world is amazing and full of possibilities. If there is a creator, I cannot thank him or her more. I am a part of this world. I bear the collective legacy of homo sapiens and shall make the world a better place. This year brought substantial changes to my belief system. I am a more receptive and thankful person than I was one year ago. This year sparked my interest in arts, and I am going to explore more about artworks. This year showed me how fun and overwhelming philosophy is, and I shall read and learn more. The world may be getting worse, but I can make it better. I feel energized after this year to take on the challenges ahead, on my future academic and life journey. I have a stronger faith in doing medicine now. Meanwhile, I hope to complete a major in philosophy at HKU. I look forward to the future. Academics • Science and religion is an interdisciplinary field involving the study of philosophy, theology and history of science. • The course began with an introduction to philosophy and theology before moving on to examine more specific applied issues such as evolution and anthropology. • As customary at Cambridge teaching was delivered mainly in the form of supervisions and weekly essays, alongside lectures. o This small group teaching was a welcome intellectual challenge. o Unique opportunity to be taught by some of the most eminent in the field and discuss ideas with them - no pressure! o Dramatically improved my literacy and ability to form cohesive arguments. • I found the learning environment at Cambridge hugely refreshing: o The libraries were absolutely beautiful. o Students actually chose to study what they were genuinely passionate about. o Everyone I spoke to was just very interesting and nerdy in the most Cambridge sense e.g. had an entire conversation at the pub about the fermentation, sourdough baking and the importance of bread to the formation of Western civilisation. Cambridge Life • With such a diverse student body there were all sorts of niche societies: I decided to join the Cambridge Union, Bridge Club, orchestra and the college badminton team. • Besides this so many things go on during term time; I went to countless concerts, recitals, talks (woke up at 7am once just to hear Bill Gates), plays, and ceilidhs. • Not to mention the other quintessential Camb experiences like formal halls (high table dinner’s really got to step it up), punting and cycling around town listening to classical music whilst pretending you’re starring in the opening scenes of a Jane Austen adaptation. Sadly because of coronavirus May Week did not go ahead and my dreams of the English summer were dashed, but at least I got to make a tiny snowman in the college gardens. What I’ve Learnt This Year • Books are incredible – though the reading lists were long and at the time I despised getting through them, I have rediscovered the joy of reading literature. • Science is built upon a particular set of assumptions and is value-laden – one should be aware of its limits. • Theology is an erudite pursuit with much to contribute to modern discussion even if I disagree with its premise. I could still write a thesis length paper along the lines of Bertrand Russell’s Why I Am Not a Christian though. • Cooking is fun and a great stress reliever! MBBS Enrichment Year 2019/20 Leung Stephanie Ho Yee Full Year < IC - Course on Science and Religion at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, a partner institution of the University of Cambridge, UK > Leung Stephanie Ho Yee