Hin Yeung (Alex) Chu
The importance of self-reflection and learning from past mistakes. It takes courage to acknowledge and rectify them.
Hin Yeung (Alex) Chu is an ANU Chancellor's International Scholar. Relocating from Hong Kong to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the Australian National University.
He was attracted by the prestigious alure of the National university, especially among scholars of history and political science.
“I was surprised by sheer number of possible combinations in the BA program. I did three different majors: history, political science, and Spanish. I was again surprised when I shared my honours year courses with PhD students. It was great and humbling to learn from people at such an advanced stage in their academic journey.”
Also attracted to the more relaxed pace of life than his hometown, Alex comments, “Having grown up in Hong Kong, I always wanted to experience a life in a quiet location close to nature. The bush is literally everywhere in Canberra. This is great for me as I love the outdoors and have become an active participant of The ACT Rogaining Association.”
It’s sufficive to say, Alex’s favourite study spot is also outdoors, near the Crawford School of Public Policy. “Overlooking Lake Burley Griffin, the view at dawn is breathtaking. Just remember to bring a jacket!”
Alex has been an administrative assistant at the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals, a Research assistant at the ANU Research School of Social Sciences, and Podcast host at ANU Student Media. He also enjoys trail running and scuba diving. Hence, he advises busy students, “Have fun, but not too much fun. You still have to study. Having a fixed work schedule helped me balance the various commitments I had.”
One of his academic highlights was the capstone course, HIST3007: Making History. “Students of the course, design and execute their own historical research study. I focused my project on the Spanish Civil War memorial at Lennox Garden in Canberra. The course gave me a taste of academic historical research. It was exhilarating to learn about something entirely new.”
As he looks forward to graduation, Alex aspires to pursue a career in the public service and academia. His time at ANU has imparted a profound lesson, “The importance of self-reflection and learning from past mistakes. It takes courage to acknowledge and rectify them.”
