My study programme
I went on an exchange to Hong Kong in the fall semester of 2018-2019. I participated in the exchange programme between the University of Groningen and Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). I selected five courses that suited my academic interests as a media student: visual communication, multimedia journalism, writing for new media, gender, society and culture and Internet Identities, New Media Literacies and Ethics.
My schedule consisted of five lectures of three hours per week - fifteen hours in total.
I would say the level of education is lower than at the University of Groningen, but the workload is heavier. HKBU values progress based learning and team work, so expect to be having lots of group projects and assignments throughout the semester, rather than midterms and exams.
The team work aspect was a little challenging for me. Even though English is an official language in Hong Kong and HKBU is an English university, local students don’t seem to feel comfortable expressing themselves in English – which makes it hard to communicate. Their are also extremely passive and shy, so you have to break the ice and drag them through projects with you, sometimes.
Overall, I enjoyed my courses. I had a really friendly, helpful and international pool of teachers and I learned a lot of practical skills.
Language
There are two official languages in Hong Kong – Cantonese and English. You will be able to get around and survive in English. Everyone at your university will be able to at least speak basic English, street signs are in English, the public transit system operates in English and all touristic sights provide English. Beware that most taxi drivers do not speak English, so make sure you bring the adress in Cantonese or show them the route on Google maps.
Finance and other conditions
It is very hard to give an indication on living expenses in Hong Kong, because A) a lot of prices are very inconsistant compared to Dutch prices and B) many factors play a role in how much you will spend. I’ll give an example: going out for dinner is cheaper than in the Netherlands. An average meal including a drink will cost you around HK$60 (+/- 6 euros), but if you decide to cook a meal, you will pay more than in Groningen. Especially Western products like milk (3 euros per litre) and cheese (7,5 per mozzarella) are extremely expensive, just like alcohol (7 euro per beer). Also make sure you take costs of public transit into consideration. In Groningen, I always travel by bike – which is free. Here, you will spend money on commuting. Overall, I would say I spent twice as much on living expenses as in the Netherlands.
Also, make sure you save some money for traveling. Hong Kong has an amazing central location and offers cheap flights to any direction in Asia. I saved 2000 euros which covered my trips to Macau, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul and Sri Lanka.
Preparation and contacts with the faculty before, during and after my stay There is a lot of paperwork involved in preparing for a semester abroad. It’s an annoying process, but unfortunately, it is part of the deal (and absolutely worth it in
the end). Just keep all your stuff organized and make sure you maintain good communication with the faculty and your host university.
Make sure you save some money for traveling, have a valid passport, visa,
creditcard, universal plug, etc., and try to think about what your plans are after your exchange BEFORE you book your flight. I, personally, continued traveling after my exchange, so I did not book a round trip – which saved some money.
Housing
HKBU offers exchange students a place in their dormitory for a very reasonable price. It is very interesting to experience Hall Culture, which is a huge part of
university life in Hong Kong. The people on my floor were very inclusive and invited me and my French roommate to dinners, events and parties. It was very convient for me to live on campus, because there are a lot of facilitie nearby and all other
exchange students live near you – which makes it easy to meet up for drinks, planning trips or just hanging out.
Furniture included in the dorms were: a wardrobe, a bed, a matrass, a desk, a chair, a bin, a minifridge, an AC, and some shelves. Be aware that you need to provide your own sheets, pillow, hangers, cooking equipment, etc. You can either bring them with you or buy them here. I just bought them here.
Culture
Hong Kong culture is amazing. The city has so much to offer and you will be exploring and discovering hidden gems long after you arrive. There is an amazing blend of foods that you can try, there is a nice fusion of East and West, traditional and modern, and what you might not know: Hong Kong has amazing nature! 80% of Hong Kong consists of natural reserves – beautiful mountains, forrests, beaches.
There is plenty of space to escape to if you ever feel overwhelmed by the immensely crowded central area. You will find the dynamic between Hong Kong and mainland China particularly fascinating, because you feel the tension everywhere you go. Be sure to ask local about their opinion about it, it is very interesting.
Free time
I would spend my free time either traveling or exploring the city. I loved to take the MTR (metro) to a random neighborhood and just look around. I made a list of things that I wanted to visit including touristic attractions, restaurants, museums, hikes, beaches, art galleries, movies, shopping areas and casually worked my way through it.
Traveling
Hong Kong is the perfect destination if you like to travel and explore surrounding Asian countries. Hong Kong International Airport is an amazing airport that is really well connected to the city and offers tons of options. I went to visit Macau, Singapore, Japan, South-Korea, China, Taiwan and Sri Lanka – had a great time there - but other great options are Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. All of them are easily accessible and not expensive.
Other
I think I covered the gross of what my experience entailed. If you have any questions about anything at all regarding your exchange to Hong Kong Baptist University or Hong Kong in general, feel free to send me a text or email. I would love to answer them.
One last word of advice: you will face challenges from time to time, but you are going to have an amazing experience in the end. Enjoy!
Cheers,
Maud Rebergen
msrebergen@gmail.com +31611708807
