Congregation Venue
I write to let you know that, having heard the opinions of many graduates and students about the change of the Congregation venue, the University has decided that this year's ceremony will be conducted in the Atrium as before.
The Congregation is the most important annual event of the University and the Atrium has been used as the venue since HKUST was founded. The beauty of the Atrium's grand architecture is there for all to see, but its openness and poor acoustic quality are obstacles to its use for major events, especially in bad weather. Since the conclusion of last year's Congregation, staff members have put in considerable effort to explore the possibility of holding the ceremony in the Sports Hall, with the single purpose of making it an even better event. Their study showed that the Sports Hall could indeed be turned into a grand setting to fit the occasion and accommodate almost the same number of people as the Atrium. This was the background against which the University decided to change the venue.
It does appear, from the representations that have been received, that some confusion and disappointment has been caused by a lack of explanation and discussion of the reasons for the intended change of venue. My colleagues and I respect the views that have been expressed and it is for this reason - coupled with the lack of sufficient time adequately to explain and demonstrate the very real benefits of using the Sports Hall as a venue - that we have decided to revert to using the Atrium this November. When this year's Congregation is over, we will begin a process of explanation and discussion with graduates and students regarding ways in which the Congregation arrangements might be further improved. Your opinions and suggestions will be welcome when the process begins.
Sincerely yours,
Paul Chu
President