CW Chu College The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

Mr LIN Jian-Cheng Jason was an exchange student from National Central University in Taiwan in 2018–19. He has shared with us his College life below:

'Time flies but stories stay.' This meaningful saying best describes my exchange life in Hong Kong!

When I first arrived at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), I found that the campus was so huge and I was so puzzled by the routes and the schedule of the school buses. As time passed, I got more and more familiar with the campus. I also explored some magnificent spots there. CUHK comprises nine colleges. I was so lucky to be affiliated to CW Chu College, one of the newest colleges that offers communal dinners and high table dinners to their students.

CW Chu College is an intimate community composed of around 300 students, along with user-friendly facilities, and a lot of interesting events and student activities. I still remember the moment when my College Basketball Team teammates and I won the College's first victory in the male basketball competition, against SH Ho College. Many of my teammates burst into tears! In addition to sports, I also participated in several other wonderful College events and activities, such as the CWC Festival, Thanksgiving Party, and Sai Kung Geopark tour.

Apart from my college life, I really have to say that the professors and students of CUHK are brilliant. I gained both theoretical and practical knowledge from the lectures. As Hong Kong is an international financial centre, it is definitely a great idea to study at CUHK if you are interested in business-related fields!

Most importantly, I think what makes my exchange life so splendid is the people I met. I am very grateful for their support, company, and kindness, which I will never forget. I am glad that I did seize the chance to study at CUHK during my university life. Thank you, CW Chu College, for treating me so well this year. I will bring all my charming memories back to Taiwan with me! An exchange programme to CUHK not only provides you with rich academic resources but also enriches and inspires your life profoundly!

By Mr Robin Lobosch PANNEWITZ

Mr Robin Lobosch PANNEWITZ was an exchange student from Freie Universität Berlin in Germany in Term 2, 2018–19. He has shared with us his College life below:

When I applied for the exchange programme at CUHK, I wasn't familiar with the concept of the collegiate system at all. At my home university in Berlin, campus life happens mostly in the departments or when there is volunteers' engagement. You either meet people from your major or fellow students that share the same particular interests. The concept of a college where people from different majors and backgrounds live together in a community sounded new and really exciting to me. After researching some information on different CUHK colleges online and talking to fellow students from my home university who had studied at CUHK previously, I decided to apply for CW Chu College, because it seemed to be the most modern and intimate of all colleges.

I was not disappointed! CWC proved to be a great home to me, not only physically but also and especially in the sense of community that I found here. The College offers such a wide variety of opportunities that I can only name a few that I have especially enjoyed.

The three communal dinners per week at CWC are a great chance for me to get to chat with fellow students and meet new friends. Twice a semester the College holds the High Table Dinners. The food is especially good; students and College Fellows dress up formally in their College gowns, and there are speeches by the College Master and guests of honour on those occasions. I felt honoured when I was invited by the College to serve as MC for the Fourth High Table Dinner this academic year. I had the chance to teach hundreds of people how to make a toast in a German way, and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Another great opportunity was playing in different sports teams. Spring term was all about racquet sports, and so I joined the CWC tennis, table tennis, and badminton teams. While I had played table tennis and badminton before, I was completely new to tennis. The most memorable moment for me was when my partner and I won our very first doubles match in the tennis competition against Chung Chi College after practising for just a couple of weeks.

The Residents' Association (RA) is very active here and does a great job in offering many different and always fun activities. Fellow students taught me how to play Mahjong. I learnt a lot about Chinese culture during the Chinese New Year event. The main event was Singatolia, a singing and dancing competition where I could admire the musical talent of CWC students on stage.

Other cultural activities that I joined included the Toastmasters Club Taster Sessions where I had the chance to practise public speaking in a fun setting, the Dutch Cultural Night with fun games, and the Wine and Cheese Tasting Workshop where a College professor introduced us to a variety of wines and cheeses and their pairings.

All in all, I am delighted that I could call CWC my home at CUHK!