Media

An HKU spokesperson responds to media enquiry about HKU students outside HK learning experience

18 Apr 2015

An HKU spokesperson responds to media enquiry about HKU students outside HK learning experience as below:

“The University of Hong Kong (HKU) strives to ensure that all of our graduates are globally-minded citizens with a good knowledge of Greater China. Other than on-campus learning in Hong Kong, we strongly believe that students would greatly benefit from learning experience overseas and in China. It is our aim that by 2022, 100% of our students will have the opportunity and a rich choice to have learning experience outside Hong Kong, at least once overseas and once in the Mainland. This plan was supported by the University Senate. A series of consultations and discussions with students, staff and stakeholders will now take place before implementing this long-term goal. We plan to provide opportunity for all our students. Whether it will eventually become mandatory will depend on further consultation and deliberation.

Our students have benefited from a wide variety of overseas experience over the years. They worked on research projects in universities in the United States, led architectural projects in our HKU’s Shanghai Study Centre, gained valuable experience as engineering interns in Shenzhen’s industries, taught English in Mynmar’s remote villages, built houses in rural Chile, and designed bridges and kindergartens in remote villages in Mainland China. In addition to the large-scale HKU Worldwide Scheme (which sends hundreds of students for overseas exchanges),  Faculties and Departments have already included internships and learning experience outside Hong Kong as part of their curricula, e.g. Chinese Medicine’s 1-year placement; Social Sciences "China Study" field trip; Education language and cultural immersion programmes; Earth Science field trips in Cyprus; and overseas field trips also for BBA(IBGM), Geography students and students in other disciplines. On their return to Hong Kong, we have witnessed that our students greatly benefit from a learning experience outside Hong Kong, gaining broader perspectives, new ideas, and heightened sensitivity to different cultures. 
 
Therefore, the idea is to extend the scope of this learning experience to cover all students, to provide them with as much flexibility and alternative choices as we can to suit their academic need and interest. They can have classes, internships, field trips, immersion or professional training programmes etc., overseas and in the Mainland.  HKU teachers will be involved in the design/teaching/supervising of most of these programmes. We will discuss with students on the design and arrangements of these programmes and seek their views.

Professor Ian Holliday, Vice-President and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) is currently engaged in detailed discussion concerning optimal implementation of the plan:
"I have worked closely and engaged in dialogue with students throughout my 9 years of service at HKU. In my current position, I have had dialogues with students in an HKUSU open forum, at Faculty Board meetings, and in informal gatherings. I will continue to meet with students for their opinion. I am currently arranging a meeting with students for further discussion.”