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Office of International Student Exchange
Austria• University of Innsbruck• University of Salzburg• Vienna University
of Economics and Business Administration
Denmark• Aarhus University• Danish School of
Media and Journalism*• University of
Copenhagen
Finland• Aalto University• University of Helsinki• University of Turku*
France• “n+1” Engineering
Institutes*• Alliance Française
Bordeaux*• Ecole Nationale
Supérieure Agronomique*
• EDHEC Business School (Lille + Nice)*
• IMEF • Institut Européen de Français • Montpellier*
• Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (SciencesPo)
• Lille Catholic University*
• Télécom Ecole de Management*
• The Catholic University of Paris*
• Université de Bourgogne*
• Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3
• Université Lumière Lyon 2
• Université Paris• Dauphine
• Université Rennes 2*• Université Stendhal•
Grenoble 3*• University Marc Bloch
of Strasbourg*
Germany• Albert• Ludwigs•
Universität Freiburg• Bucerius Law School,
Hamburg*• Dresden University of
Technology*• Eberhard Karls
Universität Tübingen• European Business
School*• Hochschule Bremen•
University of Applied Sciences
• International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef• Bonn
• Ludwig Maximilians University Munich*
• Pforzheim University*• Technische Universität
Darmstadt*• Technische Universität
München*• Universität Bonn• Universität Bremen*• Universität Kassel*• Universität Konstanz• Universität Tübingen*• University of Bayreuth*
• University of Heidelberg*
• University of Koblenz• Landau (Campus Landau)
Ireland• University College
Dublin
Israel• Bar Ilan University*• Radzyner University*
Italy• Università commerciale
Luigi Bocconi*• University of Cagliari*• University of Perugia*
Latvia• University of Latvia
Lithuania• Vilnius University
Norway• BI Norwegian School of
Management*• University of Bergen• University of Oslo
Poland• Warsaw University of
Technology*
Russia• Far Eastern Federal
University• Lomonosov Moscow
State University*
Turkey• Koç Üniversitesi
UK• City University London*• Durham University• Imperial College
London• King’s College London,
University of London• Newcastle University• Queen Mary, University
of London• Royal Holloway,
University of London• The University of
Aberdeen• The University of East
Anglia• The University of
Edinburgh• The University of
Manchester• The University of
Nottingham• The University of
Sheffield• The University of
Warwick*• The University of York• University College
London*• University of Bath*• University of
Birmingham • University of Bristol• University of
Cambridge• University of Dundee*• University of Essex*• University of Exeter• University of Glasgow• University of Hull*• University of Kent*
Spain• Escuela Don Quijote
(Sevilla)*• Instituto de Empressa*• Universidad de Alcalá*• Universidad de
Granada*• Universidad de Navarra• Universidad de
Salamanca* • Universidad de
Santiago de Compostela*
• Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo*
Sweden• Göteburgs Universitet• Jönköping University*• Lunds Universitet• Stockholm University• Uppsala University
Switzerland• Universität Zürich• University of Geneva*• University of Lausanne• University of St. Gallen
The Netherlands• Academic Centre
for Dentistry in Amsterdam*
• Eramus Univeristy Rotterdam*
• Maastricht University• Tilburg University*• University of
Amsterdam• Utrecht University
• University of Leicester• University of Liverpool• University of Oxford*• University of
Southampton• University of St.
Andrews*• University of Surrey*
UK
France
Germany
Finland
Latvia
Sweden
Norway
Poland
Spain
AustriaItaly
Ireland Denmark
The Netherlands
Switzerland
Canada• Bishop’s University• McGill Univeristy• Queen’s Univeristy• Quest Univeristy• Simon Fraser
University• University of Montreal*• University of Alberta• The University of
British Columbia• University of Calgary• University of Ottawa• University of Prince
Edward Island*• University of Toronto• University of Victoria• University of Waterloo• Western University• Wilfrid Laurier
University• York University
Chile• Pontificia Universidad
Católica de Chile
Mexico• Tecnológico de
Monterrey• Universidad de
Monterrey
USA• Ball State University• Bentley University*• Boston College• Boston University*• Brooklyn Law School*• Case Western Reserve
University*• Columbia University• Cornell University*• Drexel University• Duke University*• Embry• Riddle
University• Harvard University• Illinois State University• Indiana University*• Ithaca College• Massachusetts
Institute of Technology• Mount Holyoke College• New York University*• Northeastern
University• Oberlin College*• Princeton University*• Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
• The Pennsylvania State University
• The Ohio State University
• The Johns Hopkins University
• The University of Arizona
• The University of Georgia
• The University of Kansas
• Tufts University • Tulane Law School*• University of California
(Berkely, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz)
• University of Connecticut
• University of Denver• University of Illinois at
Urbana Champaign• University of Maryland• University of Missouri*• University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill• University of North
Carolina at Charlotte*• University of Notre
Dame• University of Oregon• University of
Pennsylvania*• University of
Pittsburgh*• University of Richmond• University of Southern
California*• University of the
Pacific*• University of Virginia• University of
Washington, Seattle*• University of
Wisconsin• Madison
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
• Washington University in St. Louis*
• Wellesley College• Winona State
University• Yale University
Uruguay• Universidad de
Montevideo
India• Rajan Dental Institute*• Shri Ram College of
Commerce, University of Delhi
Indonesia• Baiturrahmah
University*• Gadjah Maha
University*• Trisakti University*
Japan• Akita International
University• Chuo University• Hiroshima University• Hitotsubashi University• Hokkaido University*• Hokkaido University of
Education*• International Christian
University• Jutendo University*• Kagoshima Asia-
Pacific Intercultural Center*
• Kansai Gaidai University*
• Keio University• Kyoto University• Kyushu University• Nagoya University• Niigata University*• Oita University• Ritsumeikan Asia
Pacific University• Ritsumeikan University• Showa University*• Soka University• Sophia University• The University of Tokyo• Tokyo Gakugei
University*
Taiwan• Kaoshing Medicine
University*• National Chengchi
University*• National Taiwan
University• National Tsing Hua
University• Taipei Medical
University*
Thailand• Chiang Mai University*• Chulalongkorn
University• Khon Kaen University*• Mahidol University*• Prince of Songkla
University*• Thammasat University
Australia• Australian National
University• Deakin University• Flinders University• Griffith University• Macquarie University• Monash University• Murdoch University• The University of
Adelaide• The University of
Melbourne• The University of New
England• The University of New
South Wales• The University of
Sydney*• The University of
Queensland• The University of
Western Australia
New Zealand• University of Auckland• University of
Canterbury• University of Otago
• Tokyo University of Foreign Studies*
• Tsurumi University*• Utsunomiya University• Waseda University
Korea• Ewha Womans
University• Korea University• Pusan National
University• Seoul National
University• Sogang University*• Yonsei University
Malaysia• International Islamic
University Malaysia*• University of Malaya• Universiti Sains
Malaysia
Philippines• Our Lady of Fatima
University*
Singapore• Nanyang Technological
University• National University of
Singapore• Singapore
Management University*
South Africa• Stellenbosch University• University of
Johannesburg
China• China University of
Political Science and Law*
• Fourth Military Medical University*
• Fudan University • Fujian Medical
Univesity*• Guangzhou Medical
University*• Harbin Institute of
Technology • Nanjing University • Peking Union Medical
College*• Peking University • Renmin University of
China• Second Military
Medical University*• Shangdong University • Shanghai Jiao Tong
University• Sichuan University• Sun Yat Sen University • Tianjin University• Tongji University*• Tsinghua University• Wuhan University• Xiamen University• Xi’an Jiaotung
University• Zhejiang University
Canada
Russia
China
Australia
India
USA
Mexico Philippines
Turkey
IsraelTaiwan
Japan
Korea
Indonesia
Thailand
Singapore
Chile
UruguaySouth Africa New
Zealand
Malaysia
* Faculty-level partners * Faculty-level partners
Like Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong (HKU) maintains a unique position as an international gateway between East and West. This is true geographically and culturally of Hong Kong, in that students from abroad attending HKU on a study abroad or exchange scheme have the opportunity to understand a part of the world that is forecast to have one of the most rapidly developing economies over the next few decades. It gives them experience of an exciting and vibrant city. But the “gateway” concept is also true in terms of the nature of the tertiary education that is provided by HKU. All of our teaching is in English, and HKU is an intellectually stimulating and competitive learning environment, because – having a reputation as one of the best international universities in Asia – we are
The beginning of the University of Hong Kong’s second century brought many exciting changes to campus, including the opening of our new Centennial Campus and its rich and stimulating teaching and learning environment, and our new four-year undergraduate curriculum with its emphasis on the totality of learning experiences that the University can bring to our students.
HKU has also always been very internationalised in both its faculty and student body, and this tradition will continue to be strengthened in the twenty-first century. The Office of International Student Exchange aims to offer students a “totality of learning experiences” in its broadest sense, making the world their classroom, and helping students find “rich and stimulating learning environments” through our established network of universities, academic institutes and NGOs around the globe.
I hope you will find the stories of our students as inspiring as I did, and I look forward to welcoming you to the many international learning opportunities you will find with us.
Ms Isabella WongDirector of the Academic Liaison Section
able to attract students who are amongst the highest achievers in this part of the world. Overall, HKU also has over 83 different nationalities represented in our student population today. The university strongly encourages its students, including its international students, to spend time abroad and we are pleased to say that HKU students have developed a reputation of contributing significantly to their host institution. We are always in search of more ways to connect to universities around the world and would appreciate your thoughts if you have similar goals.
Professor John SpinksDirector Undergraduate Recruitment and International Student Exchange
2 FOREWORD FOREWORD 3
The Office of International Student Exchange (OISE) is responsible for creating and administering study abroad programmes for students. We currently have 285 exchange partners worldwide spanning 35 countries on six of the seven continents. OISE constantly works to develop and enhance international relations with universities around the world to establish joint student mobility programmes and other academic collaborations. In a nutshell, OISE is where students can make their interest in study abroad a reality.
Our largest venture to date is the HKU Worldwide Exchange Programme (HKUWWE), a scheme allowing undergraduates from any major to study abroad. In addition to the Worldwide Exchange Programme, OISE offers summer study, undergraduate research, and a variety of student led initiatives overseas to students. These programmes, though different in duration and structure, share the goal of promoting internationalization on the HKU campus and transforming study abroad from a privilege into a typical component of university life. n
OISE is where students can make their interest in study abroad a reality.
4 ABOUT OISE ABOUT OISE 5
The HKU WWE programme is incredibly strong and diverse. OISE facilitated over 1,500 student exchanges under the HKU WWE Programme during the 2012-2013 school year. HKU students have over 200 partner schools to choose from when planning a semester or yearlong exchange. At the same time, our vibrant campus atmosphere, English medium courses, diverse student population and high academic standards attract students from all over the world to study at HKU. Besides the Worldwide Exchanges, HKU also offers a number of visiting programmes at highly competitive institutions such as Princeton, Cambridge and Oxford, and special scholarship are provided to trouble students to participate in these programmes.
Photo by student Jiayi Jin Janet
6 SEMESTER ABROAD SEMESTER ABROAD 7
OISE’s ultimate goal is to send HKU students to every nation in the world. Although we still have a long way to go, we successfully develop student exchange programmes in new regions every year.
8 SEMESTER ABROAD SEMESTER ABROAD 9
The University of Hong Kong
Semester Abroad
“The stunning beauty of nature was what I enjoyed most, like soaking in a hot spring while looking up at the fantastic Milky Way in the sky.”
Mok Kai Hei was among the first batch of HKU students to go on exchange to Chile. A Linguistics major, Kai Hei had long been interested in learning about other cultures and wanted to do so in a meaningful way. He says, “Travelling only offers you some days or up to a week to stay in the same city, while an exchange programme offers you a semester or even up to a year to live in the city and explore the culture. I thought that it would be a great chance to get to know more about Latin American culture if I could stay in Santiago, Chile.”
Kai Hei’s primary goal for his exchange was to soak up the local culture. “I wanted to meet some local people in Chile and get to know their culture, not just by visiting some tourist spots but by really having a deep talk with them. I think this expectation was fulfilled. I enjoyed their party culture, and
hung out with them almost every weekend!” Through his coursework, Kai Hei discovered not only an opportunity to learn more about Chilean society but also a chance to represent his own country. “When I did a presentation about the relationship between Hong Kong and China, all my local classmates said they had no idea about this issue before, even my Japanese friends did not know about the issues. I felt like I had done something to make more people know more about the challenges Hong Kong is now facing, and I did a good enough job that they were interested to learn about it.
Kai Hei’s life outside the classroom proved just as rewarding as his academic endeavours, especially the picturesque views he found in the surrounding areas. “I enjoyed the time going to some great natural spots like The Paine National
Park, having a 5-day-camping trip in the wild, or, going up to the active volcano, The Villarrica Volcano. The stunning beauty of nature was what I enjoyed most, like soaking in a hot spring while looking up at the fantastic Milky Way in the sky.”
Beyond his studies and activities, experiencing local culture allowed Kai Hei to broaden his views. “The experience helped me develop into an open-minded person, and cultivated in me a global mindset. From what I observed there, I came to realize that the division of classes in society is serious here. I have learnt that equality in a society is not that easy to achieve but at the same time, is essential to construct a harmonious society and something that we cannot ignore.”
“When I did a presentation about the relationship between Hong Kong and China, all my local classmates said they had no idea about this issue before.”
10 SEMESTER ABROAD SEMESTER ABROAD 11
For most students, studying abroad is a way of experiencing something new, to discover new adventures or to broaden their horizons. For some students, study abroad ends up being a life-changing experience. The Yale Visiting International Students Programme (Y-VISP) – an exclusive programme that invites 20 students to attend Yale College for a year as visiting students – has proved to be one of these life-changing experiences for its participants.
Y-VISP is unique not only for the extensive support it offers participants, but also for the great lengths the organisers have taken to ensure that no distinctions are made between full-time and visiting students. Y-VISP aims to see that visiting students are treated in an identical manner to full-time students by all teaching staff, students and the college community. Rachel Leung, an Arts student selected for Y-VISP says, “Y-VISP is probably one of the best opportunities HKU has to offer. Students can fully integrate due to various kinds of resources, for instance, the peer liaisons and advisers arranged at Yale. The support provided by both HKU and Yale is very heart-warming.”
Having to adjust to a different teaching and learning style, as well as a new set of cultural norms, makes undertaking a year of study in another country no small
feat. To prepare for their year abroad, Y-VISP students regularly received one-on-one advice about all aspects of the programme, including what kinds of classes to take, cultural differences they may face and whom to approach for help once on campus.
This support came not only from HKU staff, but also from Y-VISP colleagues at Yale, who visited HKU in the spring to host an orientation for the first HKU cohort. Saga McFarland, a Journalism student chosen for Y-VISP 2012/13, says “I could not be more excited to be part of HKU’s first group of Y-VISP students. I really appreciate that while we are visiting students, we will be fully integrated into the Yale community, with the same opportunities and advantages as other Yale students, for example, the ability to take any course we want and access to Yale’s internship database.”
Another student selected for Y-VISP, Hosea Lee, believes his time in the programme will affect his future decisions when he returns to HKU. Majoring in International Business and Global Management, Hosea spent his first year studying at HKU concerned about grades, the effect his GPA would have on his future career options, and other such worries that many local students experience as a result of the extremely competitive environment in Hong Kong. His
time overseas greatly changed his outlook. “My future goals at HKU have been affected in a positive way. Before going to Yale, I thought I would only take business and economics-related classes at HKU – taking classes outside of my major had never crossed my mind. However, after my amazing learning experiences at Yale University, I’ve recently decided to take philosophy and humanities classes at HKU to enrich my knowledge and challenge myself. My goal at HKU is no longer to pursue a perfect GPA within the business and economic faculty, but instead, to strive for holistic development through a multi-disciplinary approach.”
No matter what kind of programme students join, their experience depends heavily on their attitude, which, as evidenced by Hosea, can lead to an enlightened approach to life. As Hosea puts it, “I do think that the opportunity to study abroad is extremely valuable to students. Not only did I experience countless cultural exchanges with American and international students, my horizons have also been widened to an extent that I never expected. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities given to me by HKU, which completely changed my life.” n
“I am extremely thankful for the opportunities given to me by HKU, which completely changed my life.”
The University of Hong Kong
Semester Abroad
12 SEMESTER ABROAD | A LIFE CHANGING VISIT SEMESTER ABROAD | A LIFE CHANGING VISIT 13
These short-term mobility programmes are becoming a trend at many universities, where students may be more interested in “trying out” a study abroad experience before committing to an entire semester or even school year abroad. At HKU, many students enjoy their summer experience so much that they decide to apply again for a semester exchange, which they are welcome to do.
In addition to the international opportunities available during the school year, OISE offers a variety of summer programmes. Summer programmes allow students who are required to stay at HKU during the school year, whether to fulfil academic requirements or for personal reasons, an alternative opportunity to study abroad.
14 SUMMER ABROAD SUMMER ABROAD 15
The University of Hong Kong
Summer Abroad
16 SUMMER ABROAD | RE-DEFINING “PERFECTION” SUMMER ABROAD | RE-DEFINING “PERFECTION” 17
The Weitz Lab studies
the physics of soft condensed
matter, materials which are easily deformable by
external stresses, electric or magnetic fields, or even by thermal
fluctuations. These materials typically possess structures which are much
larger than atomic or molecular scales; the structure and dynamics at mesoscopic scales determine the physical properties of these materials. The goal of our research is to probe and understand this relationship.
Weitz Lab website
“The Weitz Lab had a
very friendly environment
and I felt happy to have spent the summer with so many
intelligent people surrounding me.”
“Never be afraid of failure, which is temporary and really just a chance to better approach perfection.”
Describing the atmosphere he enjoyed during the summer, Zeyi recalls, “The Weitz Lab had a very friendly environment and I felt happy to have spent the summer with so many intelligent people surrounding me. Not only did my mentor, Tom, discuss possible solutions with me, but also everyone was interested in my progress and the difficulties I encountered, and was enthusiastic about sharing their experience or opinions. Without their help, it would have been impossible for me to make such good use of all the chemicals and the state-of-the-art equipment.”
Surrounded by friendly co-workers, a supportive team and state-of-the-art facilities, Zeyi learned that a positive attitude and teamwork are instrumental in conducting research. “Teamwork strengthens the overall power of a research project and can make a hard project easy! To take my project as an example, I spent two months developing a fabrication method, so that my mentor could
finish the following physical tests on the product. Afterwards, the results would be compared with the computer simulation and the final conclusion on the theory would be drawn. Every step can be viewed as a systematic sub-project within the big project as a whole. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day.”
Apart from doing research, Zeyi also attended seminars about ethical issues that arise within research and interacted with other first-class students from around the world to discuss their own research projects. Through these activities, Zeyi came to question his preconceived notion that research requires limitless background knowledge in a subject and does not allow room for failure. He says, “The most precious thing I learned from doing research this summer is that the smartest way to put an idea into reality is trial and error. Never be afraid of failure, which is temporary and really just a chance to better approach perfection.” n
18 SUMMER ABROAD | RE-DEFINING “PERFECTION” SUMMER ABROAD | RE-DEFINING “PERFECTION” 19
LearningOutsidethe ClassroomOne of the most popular programmes at HKU is the Pembroke-King’s Programme, more commonly referred to as PKP. PKP participants spend the summer at either Pembroke or King’s Colleges at the University of Cambridge in the UK, taking courses in the arts, social sciences, business and management, humanities, sciences or other subjects. A unique feature of PKP is the supervision option, in which students can conduct research on a topic of their choice under the close guidance of a faculty member.
“I saw PKP as a great opportunity to widen my horizons.
The University of Cambridge has a long history of innovation
and a tradition of excellence in
both teaching and research.”
20 SUMMER ABROAD | LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM SUMMER ABROAD | LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM 21
The University of Hong Kong
Summer Abroad
Every year, three full scholarships are awarded to students undertaking a supervision. One such student was Christy Hung, a Biochemistry major at HKU who spent her time at the University of Cambridge researching living systems at the molecular level. Christy says, “I saw PKP as a great opportunity to widen my horizons. The University of Cambridge has a long history of innovation and a tradition of excellence in both teaching and research. With my interest in broadening my understanding of bioscience, I saw taking part in the independent study as yet another great opportunity to increase my exposure.”
Christy’s goals for the programme were to establish a close connection with her assigned supervisor and to have in-depth discussions on her project, but ultimately she achieved much more. “Through the project-based learning, I improved my ability to review science journals, to interpret scientific data as well as to express ideas in appropriate scientific language. I also came to know another culture firsthand. You can’t understand another culture by just joining a
short tour visiting popular tourist destinations and shopping malls. I got the chance to make the most of my stay and to live and study amongst locals. Not only did I experience cultural differences in terms of language and ways of life, but I also gained better insight as to their beliefs and views about the world.”
The cultural exchange Christy experienced over the weeks she spent at PKP had a great effect on her. “Learning about a new culture was a good opportunity for me to challenge and reconsider my own beliefs and values, while at the same time to embrace new concepts and perceptions. Although venturing into a new place and being immersed into a totally unfamiliar environment seemed scary, it was undoubtedly a good chance to learn how to be independent and to take good care of myself,” she says. n
“Through participating in the exchange programme, I got the chance to make the most of my stay and to live and study amongst locals.”
“Through the project-based learning, I improved my ability to review science journals.”
22 SUMMER ABROAD | LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM SUMMER ABROAD | LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM 23
A student’s experience overseas is not limited to our Worldwide Exchange, Visiting or Summer Programmes.
The University strongly encourages students to get involved with community service, and for many students volunteering in other countries is a wonderful way to broaden their horizons and make a difference at the same time. Many students return with a wealth of knowledge not only about other cultures, but also about their own values and beliefs.
Photo by student Lam Tsz Yam
24 SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES 25
Upon her recent graduation from HKU, Rebecca Lo wanted to make the most of her summer before entering the workforce. Instead of rushing to find an internship or going on a graduation trip with friends, Rebecca decided to do something much more unusual. By joining the U21 Social Entrepreneur Corps in Guatemala, Rebecca took the opportunity to volunteer with local Guatemalan organisations and help the resident community.
Self-EmpowermentThrough Others
Considering Rebecca had no prior Spanish instruction, spending a summer as a volunteer in Guatemala was adventurous. “Before making this important decision I looked at the many choices HKU has to offer its students, ranging from summer programmes in Korea to UC Berkeley. HKU offers the most diverse and meaningful trips and experiences for students who would love to see the world with an open heart”, Rebecca says. In the end, she decided on the U21 programme because Guatemala seemed like an exciting destination and she wanted to learn more about social entrepreneurship, due to its growing popularity among young people.
Rebecca found the purpose of the trip very meaningful. Alongside other students from around the world, she worked with a local organisation called Soluciones Comunitarias putting together marketing and sales campaigns in the cities of Antigua,
“Through helping the local entrepreneurs help their own people, I felt empowered by the work I engaged in.”
Xela and Panajachel. Soluciones Comunitarias sells daily necessities that are normally not accessible to many local residents. As Rebecca explains, “We helped them to sell items that most Guatemalans generally do not have access to, such as reading glasses, water filters for safe water and solar products, because access to electricity in certain areas could be tricky at times. We also sold seeds because access to vegetables is limited and the people are mostly familiar with growing corn and black beans, which lead to malnutrition in young children. All these products serve the simple purpose of providing the community with access to necessities. Through helping the local entrepreneurs help their own people, I felt empowered by the work I engaged in.”
When asked what she enjoyed most about the programme, Rebecca responds, “Literally everything. The people in Guatemala, the diversity of the students in my group (we had students from Australia, Romania, Singapore, the United Kingdom, China and America), the food in Central America (corn, black beans, fruits and more black beans), reaching conversational level in a language I hadn’t studied before, and most of all, the social impact I made in the local communities of rural and urban Guatemala.”
Through this wonderful experience, Rebecca learned that setting ambitious goals for yourself is a lifelong process and not just a part of university study. “Even though this was my final summer during my university years, it actually helped the most in terms of learning how to achieve goals, not just as a student at HKU, but also for myself in so many different ways.” n
The University of Hong Kong
Service Opportunities
26 SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | SELF-EMPOWERMENT THROUGH OTHERS SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | SELF-EMPOWERMENT THROUGH OTHERS 27
What We Call Home
When the 311 Eastern Japan Earthquake struck, many
members of the HKU community were motivated to action. The
Office of International Student Exchange even received an
invitation from the Foreign Ministry of the Japanese Government to send a
group of HKU students representing Hong Kong
SAR to Japan.
The University of Hong Kong
Service Opportunities
28 SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | WHAT WE CALL HOME SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | WHAT WE CALL HOME 29
Called the Kizuna Project, the trip was designed to build up relations between Japan and other nations by organising various activities for
students during a tour of several places in Japan. For James Li Tsz Shu – a Chinese Medicine student whose interest in Japan only
deepened after the earthquake – the Kizuna Project seemed the perfect opportunity to get involved. James says,
“Having arranged different fundraising events during my year as the President of The Hong Kong University
Students’ Union in 2011, I have a particular emotional attachment to this tragedy, so when I became
aware of this Kizuna Project and its meaningful cause, I had no second thoughts about joining.”
During the trip, James and the other students met local students, visited sites
dedicated to reconstruction after the earthquake, and of course, tasted many of Japan’s culinary delights. The main purpose of the trip aligned directly with James’ interest in how Japan has recovered from the destruction caused by 311. “One of the major purposes of the trip was to visit the 311 Eastern Japan Earthquake-affected areas and to enhance mutual understanding between China and Japan. I have wanted to witness the reconstruction work in Japan since 2011 and gain a deeper understanding of the needs of the affected Japanese population with a view to see if I could, as an individual, offer any more help and support for the people. More importantly, I wanted to evaluate how a developed country
like Japan could tackle a natural disaster as great in magnitude as
the 311 Earthquake and adapt after their experience. This knowledge may apply to my mother country in the future.”
The Kizuna trip proved incredibly fruitful, as students had the chance to communicate with many local residents and see firsthand how the country has responded to 311. “My expectations were really fulfilled during these eight meaningful days, when instead of having to read the news, I had the opportunity to witness and receive firsthand information on how Japan as a country recovered from the heavy blow it was dealt.”
James cites interacting with those who remained in their hometown after the earthquake as one of the most memorable experiences during the trip, saying, “Their strong concept of ‘home’ deeply affected me. While many others questioned their decision to remain living in the radioactive areas, they were never in doubt of their decision. Their concept of ‘home’ is the place where they were born, where their fathers were raised, where their ancestors have lived and where the whole family belonged. No matter how ruined their homes were after the disaster, they never gave up on them, because home is where the heart is.” n
During the trip, James and the other students met local students, visited sites dedicated to reconstruction after the earthquake, and of course, tasted many of Japan’s culinary delights.
“While many others
questioned their decision to
remain living in the radioactive areas, they
were never in doubt of their decision.”
30 SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | WHAT WE CALL HOME SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES | WHAT WE CALL HOME 31
Many students have a strong impetus to pursue activities other than coursework abroad and we often support students, in both a financial and administrative capacity, who want to take part in international programmes our office has not offered in the past. Several
of the programmes we currently offer were brought to our attention by former students. We sponsored their participation on a trial basis and the success of these programmes inspired us to continue to administer and fund them in the following years.
32 STUDENT PROJECTS STUDENT PROJECTS 33
At first glance, Mohamed Shibly Jameel Ur Rahman and Mohamed Shibly Kaamil Ur Rahman look very similar. For one thing, their names clearly give away that they are related. Both Engineering majors, these brothers were also selected in consecutive years to represent HKU at the World Model United Nations (WMUN) Conference. Kaamil, who graduated from HKU in 2012, joined the first HKU delegation to attend the WMUN conference in Vancouver in 2012. The following year, his younger brother was selected to attend the conference in Melbourne. Amongst the many applicants interviewed, both brothers stood out for their in-depth knowledge of current affairs, amiable personalities and genuine passion for debate. Surprisingly, they do not practice debate together!
While both Kaamil and Jameel enjoyed the conference greatly, they experienced WMUN in very different ways. When Kaamil joined WMUN, the project was brand new to HKU. After receiving a proposal from a student interested in sending a delegation to WMUN, the OISE decided to provide sponsorship and proceeded to open applications for the remaining delegates. Kaamil submitted an application and interviewed alongside many
other students, from which he was selected as a delegate. The following year, Jameel went through the same process. He says, “I have always been interested in MUNs since I took part in my first one while at high school. The WMUN is considered one of the most international MUNs to be hosted. Then the opportunity presented itself, so I grabbed it.”
For Kaamil, WMUN proved a useful opportunity to learn about leadership and teamwork. “What really impressed me about the programme in Vancouver was the high quality of the research and performance of the delegates” he says. “I learned a lot of new things about diplomacy and leadership. I noticed many delegates had different leadership styles. You can always identify the most influential delegates. They gather other delegates around them. Some of them would be really energetic and enthusiastic. Others spoke very quietly but were at the centre of the discussion. So it’s definitely something to think about.”
In addition to leadership strategies, Kaamil also gained insight into the mechanism of large, international organisations. “The purpose of the WMUN is to help students learn more about the
Additionally, there were students from all over the world and I got to meet so many interesting people.” Jameel adds, “The WMUN experience cannot be separated from the conference experience and the experience of going to an entirely new country.”
When asked what the most memorable part of the conference was, Kaamil responds “I think the most memorable moments were when the delegate of Syria complained that all the women wearing skirts were obscene and
called for a minute of silence to reflect on the horrors of western imperialism. Meanwhile the delegate of North Korea was busy trying to get the US banned from the summit. People really get into their roles and things become very interesting.” For Jameel, the answer is more difficult to put into words. “I can’t say I have any one specific event I hold memorable as the whole trip was memorable. To individually mention all the memorable moments would be describing two weeks of my life in detail. I think you get the gist!” n
“It’s a pretty realistic UN simulation so you get a great idea of how the different committees in the UN run”
workings of the United Nations. It’s a pretty realistic UN simulation so you get a great idea of how the different committees in the UN run. You also get a feel for the great potential for co-operation that the UN offers and why sometimes it feels like nothing gets done.”
While Kaamil utilised WMUN to observe leadership skills and the inner workings of the UN, Jameel turned his gaze inward and gained introspective insight. “If two weeks can change a man, I am a changed man. The trip was a journey of
enlightenment, friendship and self-discovery. Everyone gets something different from the experience. For me, my priorities changed. One thing I have realised after the experience is that trying to achieve global goals is commendable, but at the same time it is important to face yourself before you face the world.”
For both of them, WMUN was a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange. Says Kaamil, “In Canada I got to experience a very different culture and country.
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Student Projects
34 STUDENT PROJECTS | BECOMING A GLOBAL CITIZEN STUDENT PROJECTS | BECOMING A GLOBAL CITIZEN 35
What makes the Harvard College in Asia Programme (HCAP) attractive to HKU students is that it is an entirely student-run programme. Bringing together students from Harvard College and various other Asian universities to discuss current topics, HCAP allows students to attend and organise student-run conferences. As former HCAP participant Kirsty Huen explains, “The purpose of HCAP is to foster international exchange between delegates by providing a platform for Asian and Western students to exchange ideas. We interact with professors and students at Harvard by attending academic functions and sharpening our leadership and critical-thinking skills through case study and discussion according to the theme. The theme for our programme was ‘Social (In)Justice and Technology’.”
Students Teaching StudentsAfter enjoying their own visit
to Harvard, students returned to campus to face the task of organising their own conference programme
for their Harvard counterparts visiting in the spring. Kirsty Huen recalls her experience with HCAP memorably, saying, “HCAP is not
only an academic function in which students interact with professors; it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for personal growth and understanding global issues in a critical perspective. The process of planning the one-week seminar allowed us to apply knowledge of social justice and technology we obtained during the Harvard Conference.”
During the HKU conference, students enjoyed intellectual exchange and social networking with other delegates, and the Harvard students found it especially fascinating to learn about social justice and technology in such an advanced city as Hong Kong. Says Kirsty, “The world is a really vast and amazingly diverse place. Just hearing about our delegates’ different backgrounds made us want to explore countries that we would not have contemplated otherwise.” n
“The world is a really vast and amazingly diverse place. Just hearing about our delegates’ different backgrounds makes us want to explore countries that we would not have contemplated otherwise.”
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Acknowledgements
The University of Hong Kong is grateful for the unfailing generosity of all its sponsors and donors. Without their
support, the global opportunities and the inspiring stories in this booklet
would not have been possible.
Special thanks to all the students below for contributing the photos and stories.
Kristy HUENChristy HUNGJiayi Janet JIN
Pang William KOKai Hei MOK
Tsz Yam LAMHosea LEE
Rachael LEUNGTsz Shu James LI
Rebecca LOSaga MCFARLAND
Mohamed Shibley Jameel UR RAHMANMohamed Shibley Kaamil UR RAHMAN
Wei Yan TSOIZeyi ZHANG
Ranked according to the surname
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www.hku.hk/exchange
