Summer adventures in Hong Kong

Intensive day classes on campus, lazy nights in student hostels and scorching excursions around Hong Kong became a weekly routine for international students participating in CUHK's International Summer School (ISS) 2011.

Five hundred international students from 20 countries along with 170 Hong Kong residents and CUHK students had a busy summer this year and they were challenged academically in business, engineering, humanities and social science in addition to Putonghua and Cantonese courses. Paul Wan, a student from Nanyang Technological University was amazed at how international the programme was and gained much from interacting with students from all over the world. "I was not as active as others at the beginning but as time passed, their curiosity and active learning attitude motivated me to be more open in expressing my ideas. I benefited greatly from their sharing and different perspectives", said Paul.

Full day excursions around Hong Kong from outdoor markets to extravagant shopping malls to fishing village gave students a true appreciation of the Hong Kong style of living. "I will miss the shopping, CUHK's beautiful campus and fellow students of the ISS! I hope to return in future as an exchange student for a term," said Johanna Rand, an international student from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

As the 5-week programme drew to an end, students gathered one last time at the Farewell Dinner for a memorable evening of fine dining and entertaining performances by the students themselves before they went their separate ways.

Offering intensive Chinese language classes, the Chinese Language Programme was a continuation of the ISS. Close to 100 students joined the Chinese Language Programme this year, with 67 students coming from Japan. Not only did the students learn Putonghua, they also had the opportunity to explore China and its special regions through weekend excursions to Macau, Shenzhen and the Big Buddha in Hong Kong. Students from the ISS and the Chinese Language Programme also had the opportunity to tour the heart of China, Beijing City on an optional 4 or 5 days tour during the last week of August. They all had the chance to be 'Heroes' by climbing the Great Wall.

Brown University-CUHK Summer Institute 2010-2011

The first Brown University-CUHK Summer Institute took place in the summer of 2011, with CUHK's Faculty of Arts hosting the programme on comparative cultural heritage. Eleven students from Brown University and CUHK took part in the inaugural Institute entitled "Cultural Heritage Preservation and Management Strategies: Hong Kong and New England".

The first half of the programme commenced in Hong Kong on 7 June 2011. Students explored ways in which individuals, institutions, and the government have preserved the city's cultural heritage, and examined the conflict and negotiation of economic and political interests in urban renewal and heritage conservation and preservation. After four weeks in Hong Kong, the students visited Beijing during 3-7 July 2011 before they flew to Providence, US for the second half of the programme.

The visit to Beijing started with a tour of the Palace Museum where the students took a glimpse into palace life of ancient Chinese emperors and attended a tour on architectural conservation of the Palace Museum. The students also visited a number of historical sites and tourist attractions including Yuanmingyuan, the Great Wall, Beijing 798 Art Zone, Ullens Center For Contemporary Art, as well as Peking University. The second half of the programme was held in Providence from 11 July to 5 August 2011. During this time students investigated the philosophy and politics of preserving sites and stories from Colonial times to the present, and explored the role of historical archaeology, preservation, museums, and oral history.

Linda Chan, a year-one student from CUHK majoring in English was grateful for being one of the 11 students of the Institute. "Since every student majored in different disciplines, when we examined a cultural issue, we were able to look at the issue from various angles. Ideas from peers and professors inspired me to examine whether the method used for heritage preservation in Providence can be implemented in Hong Kong. Thank you to CUHK and Brown for making my summer rewarding and unforgettable."

Truda Tsoi, a year-one student from CUHK majoring in Pharmacy enjoyed her time with other students in Hong Kong, Beijing and the US. "I had countless first times in the past nine weeks, meeting curators, digging like an archaeologist, and talking to local residents. Without taking this course, I would not have had a chance to understand the uniqueness of our culture. Most thankfully, some traces from the field trips have become new inspirations for my revitalization project about the forgotten past."

To conclude the 9-week programme, a closing ceremony was held at Brown on 5 August 2011. CUHK representatives Prof. Gordon Cheung, Director of Academic Links and Prof. Jenny So, Professor of Fine Arts joined the students in marking the end of the 9-week journey into 3 cultures and cities.

Student's sharing: A journey that opens my eyes to the world

Studying abroad is a dream to many students. Tam Hoi Lun Alan, a year-4 student majoring in Integrated BBA (Marketing), went on an exchange at Bocconi University, Italy in the Fall of 2010 for a term long exchange. In addition to meeting students from around the world, Alan has strengthened his perseverance in overcoming difficulties and realized the importance of conserving the environment during the exchange. The following article is Alan's sharing of his exchange experience in Italy:

"It was one of my dreams to live in a country with a unique culture, language and pace of life. I was struggling between Mexico and Italy. My passion for European cultures finally brought me to Bocconi University in Milan. The most notable personal growth after my exchange study was that I have improved my ability to remain determined in adverse conditions so as to accomplish certain tasks. I had the experience of walking in the street for more than 3 hours while carrying my luggage of 25 kilogrammes , having got lost in Morocco under 35 degree Celsius, and living in the Sahara Desert under poor hygiene and weather conditions, to name a few. Through these experiences, I have enhanced my perseverance and learnt to stay calm during critical and depressing moments.

Another valuable experience was that I had the chance to take courses which were not offered back home, such as courses relating to Italian fashion and monetary policy of the European Union. My fellow students debated in class quite often. It was thought provoking to hear their opinions because they came from different countries and see things from different angles and perspectives. I was motivated to think from a wider perspective while exchanging ideas with them.

During the term break and holidays, I travelled to Morocco to embark on a 3-day adventure in the Sahara Desert where I saw a completely different life compared to the city life in Hong Kong. I also left my footprint in the Middle East and different parts of Europe, from Scandinavia Europe in Finland to South Europe in Malta and from Western Europe in the UK to Central Europe in Hungary. The more I travelled, the more I appreciated the beauty of the world. The more I felt the need to conserve the environment because human activities have brought lots of damage to the environment.

After returning to Hong Kong, I started to look for opportunities to participate in environmental protection activities. Voltra is a non-governmental voluntary organization dedicated to promoting international voluntary services in Hong Kong through its worldwide network with international workcamp organizations. It organizes volunteering camps overseas, particularly in some developing countries. I am more than willing to make a contribution to change our world to a better place, such as through serving at the camps to help solving river pollution problem in India or desert conservation in Africa. I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the University for offering me this exchange opportunity and to the student advisors at the Office of Academic Links who have provided me with endless support for my exchange!"

Tam Hoi Lun Alan