By Davis Palmer – From the Archives: A Semester 2017

My exchange to The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) from January through to May 2017 has been the most insightful experience of my life. From the different culture, meeting new friends and starting a fresh new life in a dynamic country is the most exciting opportunity any student could ask for. Hong Kong offers hikes, beaches, city life, bars/nightclubs, monastery’s, temples, Buddhism, diverse food, theme parks and much more. You can get a taste of every fun activity within one country, you’re bound to find something to enjoy. I have had the time of my life in Hong Kong and I hope this information will convince students to take a leap of faith and step outside of their comfort zone to study abroad.

Why did you go on an exchange?

To immerse myself into a new culture and open my eyes to what Asia has to offer in terms of business opportunities and travel.

How did an exchange in Hong Kong change your life?

With a new outlook on Asia and the constant energy and diversity within Hong Kong has blown my mind. Experiencing many cultural and social activities with new exchange friends from all over the world makes it so much fun. I now have friends across the globe and have already made plans to meet up with people next year in 2018. I have fallen in love with the exchange programme so much that I already have applied for another exchange at Maastricht University in The Netherlands to do it all again, but in Europe!

To expand my knowledge and perspectives of the world at such a young age (22) is advantageous for my future as I am more globally minded and prepared for a potential career overseas. It is the best incentive to travel the world and to study towards a qualification at the same time as you’re working to advance your degree and not to just waste time. I recommend any student to study abroad, especially when you pay the exact same fees as you would at the University of Waikato, get Studylink and the chance to obtain scholarships. I was honoured to receive the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia which awarded me $8,000 NZD towards my exchange.

Helpful Tips:

If you decide to go to the Chinese University of Hong Kong then that is amazing! My recommendation though would be to do it during A semester (January-May) as it is their cool season and a lot less humid than later in the year. I barely used my room’s air conditioner when I studied in A semester 2017, during B semester in Hong Kong you would be using it every day, therefore; higher costs using the air conditioner as the student pays for it. Choose Sh Ho College, Morningside or International Houses 3 & 4 to live in, great locations right next to the best canteens and the MTR train (the main mode of transport people take in Hong Kong).

In terms of a Student Visa for Hong Kong get on to the application as soon as possible. It takes I think from memory two months to process. Also, apply for a multiple entry tourist visa for Mainland China in New Zealand before you depart. I did not think I wanted to go to China during my stay in Hong Kong, but that changed quickly as I ended up being keen to explore the mainland. I therefore, applied for a China tourist visa in Hong Kong but was only offered a single or double entry visa. This restricted my chances to explore China.

Weather conditions: If you go in A semester January-May it gets quite cold at times. It is their winter in January-February. I assumed that Hong Kong was always warm being in Asia, that is not the case, be prepared and take some layers over. Over time it does get warmer and more humid in April-May so do take summer clothing as well. Take an umbrella as there are sometimes heavy downfalls.
Living costs: Cost of living on campus at CUHK is cheap. $1000 NZD per semester for a room. The canteen meals are on average $5-$8 NZD per meal, depends on the college. Getting money out of an ATM using your NZ Visa credit/debit card costs $7.50 NZD per transaction so get large lump sums out.

Travel is so convenient living in Hong Kong as you are so central in Asia that neighbouring countries are at a 1-3 hour flight away on average. These flights are relatively cheap too!

What was the quality of the learning experience offered by the Uni?

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was of a good standard. Learning facilities were readily available when required such as computers, printers, exchange student help, etc.

The CUHK campus is of a very large size meaning a lot of walking from location to location. CUHK reduced this barrier or inconvenience and made facilities readily accessible to all students by storing for example, computers mainly in libraries and in certain colleges. This made it easy to get work done, especially when you have last minute changes to assignments.

The teaching quality was great as the lecturers’ were enthusiastic and passionate about what they were presenting to we students. However, I did feel some lecturers’ knowledge of subjects were lacking and with the inconsistent flow of course material and management problems made it difficult to know what to prepare for in tests. Lectures were three hours long which was a shock at first as back at my home university the University of Waikato the classes only last for one to two hours.

This made it hard to stay focused especially in the last hour of class, although I did get used to the new routine of extended lectures. Overall, with some minor educational problems I was satisfied with my learning experience.

Each teaching block or building had places to eat so it was very convenient after class to grab a bit to eat, this saved a lot of time preparing meals before leaving for a day of class.

Recreational facilities were endless at CUHK. Tennis courts, football fields, baseball fields, table tennis tables, basketball turfs, gymnasiums, you name it they provide it. With such great access to these fun activities made it easier to make new friends with similar interests. When I started playing tennis at the beginning of the semester I developed friendships with a couple of local students, so it was nice integrating myself with the Hong Konger’s. A lot of exchange students loved the amount of sporting opportunities at CUHK, so if a student was into these types of recreational activities then this university would be for them.

What were your highlights?

Highlight one:
Integrating myself into Asian culture while experiencing it with new exchange student friends. Big Buddha, 10,000 Buddha temple, monastery’s, ladies market, celebrating Chinese New Year have been one of many day trip excursions to immerse ourselves into the Hong Kong culture. I have learnt a lot about Buddhism and the history of Hong Kong’s evolution as a nation, there is so much more to be explored but for what I have had the privilege of doing has been eye-opening. While developing friendships through CUHK and doing day trips has also developed my interpersonal skills on how to interact with different cultures, a skill that is invaluable.

Highlight two:
I’ve been on a few trips overseas throughout the exchange experience travelling with my exchange friends.
The travel opportunities were endless due to Hong Kong’s central geographic location in Asia. The trips were to Vietnam, Taiwan and China. Immersed ourselves into the culture and had so much fun doing it. Great to learn about the history of these countries.

Highlight three:
Learning about Marketing and Operations Management strategies and tactics on a global scale. As previously stated that my courses were globally oriented so it was interesting being taught for example how western cultures like the U.S.A seek prestige and happiness in individualism motivations, whereas eastern cultures such as China seek desires in collectivism motivations.

What were the challenges you overcame?

Hong Kong’s official language is Cantonese Chinese, but with the country’s emphasis on western culture reduces the language barrier. Hong Kong was originally a British colony and the large influx of Chinese citizens fleeing Mainland China made Hong Kong a diverse multi-cultural country to live in.

Most people in Hong Kong therefore know English as it is taught in elementary schools all the way up to high school education. The older generations do struggle with English or do not know any as there was no incentive back in the late 1900’s to learn another language. These generations generally work as taxi drivers, so when my friends and I want to go in a taxi we would have to research the Chinese name of a location and memorise how to pronounce it to communicate effectively.

Also, there have been times where I have gone to the local areas of Hong Kong that have more of a Chinese culture than other sections of the country and I have tried to talk to people to ask for directions but they would immediately give you hand gestures to go away. I have got the sense that there is a slight attitude problem towards English speakers because since Cantonese is very much the dominant language in the country citizens despise the uses of other languages. Overall, Hong Kong has few language barriers but when there is a language barrier it is difficult to come up with alternative means of communication.

In general, adjusting to a new way of life. Hong Kong is so much different compared to New Zealand in terms of culture, transportation measures and being away from the comforts of home. There is very much a western cultured vibe to Hong Kong but there is a heavy Chinese culture that surprised me in the first one or two weeks of the exchange. The shock was in terms of most of Hong Kong being of Asian ethnicity, traditional acts of Buddhism being displayed and Cantonese language being used all the time.

The MTR train was a totally new mode of transportation for me as at home I normally drive my own car. Also, being away from the luxuries and comforts of home like for example, my own car, a backyard with a pool, my own bedroom, and seeing family every day.

I responded to my new world in Hong Kong with positivity and a willingness to change my routines and adjust to some new ones. I had to mature quickly and become fully reliant on myself. I’ve never been so independent in my life, this has definitely helped me grow as a person.

How has your outlook changed as a result of your exchange experience?

I have become more open-minded of the world that we live in. New Zealand has been my country of birth and therefore have lived there for 22 years. Staying so long in one place has grounded me but has made me ignore the rest of the world in terms of opportunities and room to grow as a person in different cultured environments.

Coming on exchange and being given the prestigious PMSA has opened my eyes to a new, dynamic way of life in Hong Kong and in other countries in Asia that I will never forget. It has made me want to travel more and experience other places to become more globally minded.

I wish I had a longer period of time practicing the Cantonese language and learning about the culture. Four months learning a language is unfortunately not enough and it will be hard to learn and put to practice back in New Zealand.

The exchange programme however has played a major platform in helping me learn about the business world of Asia. Without the scholarship funds, it would have restricted my opportunities to network with people and help fund the living expenses. I am forever grateful for the generous sum of money awarded to me and am appreciative of Education New Zealand for the opportunity to expand my knowledge of Asia and to grow as a person.