The Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held its Mentorship Programme 2015-16 Kick-off Meeting on 22 January 2016. A total of 57 mentees and 18 mentors enthusiastically participated in the event.
The Head of Department, Professor W.K. CHOW extended a warm welcome to all mentors (practitioners from the BSE industry) and mentees (BSE students) at the beginning of the meeting. To begin with, a concise introduction of the programme was given by Professor C.M. MAK, the leader of the BSE Mentorship Programme.
The Mentorship Programme has been established since 2002 in the BSE Department. The programme aims to allow each full-time BSE student to have the opportunity to learn from a mentor, who is a mature, wise and sensitive practitioner. Mentoring is a structured relationship between the mentee and the mentor, such mentor-mentee relationship is expected to last until the graduation of the mentee.
The kick-off meeting gave a good chance for mentees and mentors to have face-to-face interaction. Certainly, the regular and constant contacts between the two parties were also encouraged in future.
The objectives for such interaction are:
• to foster a caring and supportive relationship
• to encourage the mentee to develop to his/her fullest potential
• to help the mentee develop his/her vision and aspiration for the future
• to help groom the mentee to be a "preferred graduate"
To express gratitude for the mentors’ support to the Mentorship Programme, Professor CHOW presented the souvenirs and certificates of appreciation to the mentors as recognition of their contribution and efforts to the programme.
Immediately after presenting the certificates, a lively sharing session was held between the mentors and mentees. The mentors shared their valuable learning and working experience. The mentees showed strong interest in knowing more about the challenges that they might encounter in the work place.
BSE Mentorship Programme 2015-16 Kick-off Meeting on 22 January 2016