(......Continued)

Keeping in touch with the alumni
The care and support we offer students does not stop with graduation. We are actively developing our alumni network to foster links with graduates and enlist their support in forming a close network of professional educators.

Despite our relatively short history as a unified institution, our alumni community has a 65-year heritage in teacher education because it includes graduates of the former Colleges of Education. By the end of June 2003, we had recorded a total of 11,732 registered alumni.

To strengthen ties with our alumni and alumni associations, the Alumni Affairs Secretariat organised a very well-received Teacher Education Heritage Tour in June 2003. Special guests were invited including representatives from the Rural Training College and the Vernacular Tai Po Normal School. The alumni and guests visited a number of historic sites including Liu Man Shek Tong Ancestral Hall in Sheung Shui and King Law Ka Shuk in Tai Po.

Our new Alumni Newsletter was published in April 2003 and its e-version was simultaneously launched. The newsletter will be published regularly to bridge the communications between alumni, alumni associations and the Institute.

We are very sorry to note that four of our alumni died and three were injured in the Tuen Mun Highway Accident on 10 July 2003. To offer our condolences and assistance to the victims and their families, we initiated the "Operation Care" campaign which received a total of over HK$ 280,000 in donations. Many touching messages were posted by the deceased teachers' friends, students and by members of the public on the online memorial message board at our website.