Study

Short introduction of yourself
Hi, I am Vivian Turnbull and I am a third year student of Industrial Engineering and Management. I have a big international interest and definitely want to work abroad in the future. So that is why I decided to study abroad for a semester. My preference was Hong Kong, a fascinating and vibrating city with a totally different and interesting culture.

Contact information of the university
Office of Academic Links (i-Centre)
1/F, Yasumoto International Academic Park
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3943 7597
Fax: (852) 2603 5402
Email: iasp@cuhk.edu.hk
Website: www.oal.cuhk.edu.hk

Practical information

University

When did you study abroad and what program did you follow?
In the first semester of 2014/2015 I studied abroad, this was from September until December. Since it was an extra minor for me I had a free choice in the courses I wanted to follow. So it was not a specific program, but I focused mostly on international business and business in China.

Which courses did you attend?

• - Marketing in China
• - International Business
• - The Chinese Economy
• - Global Enterprise Management
• - Energy, Technology and the Environment

What did you have to do to get a place at the university?
I applied for the exchange via the Multi Faculty Exchange program from the RUG. To get a place at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), I first had to be selected by the RUG. I had to send them my grades, my Curriculum Vitae, a motivation letter, a recommendation letter and a certificate of an English test from a recognized institution. After I was selected by the RUG, I also still had to be selected by CUHK. For this, about the same documents were needed.

Were the credits you gained accreditable?
No, I could not find enough suitable courses for which I could get credits here. So I decided to do an extra minor.

Did you have language courses in advance or at the destination?
No, since Chinese is extremely difficult to learn and they speak good English in Hong Kong, I did not take any Chinese language courses. One semester is just not enough for this. So if you are interested in learning Chinese, I would recommend to already start with Chinese courses before you go or to continue with it after you returned.

Is there an study association or international community that you can join?
There are a lot of study associations, sports teams etc. that you can join at CUHK. As an exchange student you are also automatically part of the ‘International Asian Studies Program’, which organizes several activities for the international students at CUHK.

Preparation

What were important items that you brought?
Since the space in my suitcase was limited, I decided to focus on summer clothes. Only in November it starts to get colder, so I just bought some warmer clothes there at that time. Further, I brought some of my favourite Dutch/European products since you cannot buy them (easily) in Hong Kong.

How did you travel (cheap) and how did you arrange that?
It is best to book your plane ticket as soon as possible. Often you also have the possibility to have a flight with one or several layovers for a cheaper price than a direct flight.

Did you need any visa or other official papers?
Yes, I needed a visa. CUHK arranged this for us and had a clear protocol for what we had to mail them before a specific deadline.

Living

Did you arrange a room or place to stay in advance?
CUHK provides on-campus accommodation for exchange students

How expensive is living over there?
For your room you definitely pay less than you do for a room in Groningen. Further, you can have a meal on campus in one of the many canteens for around 3 or 4 euros. In general in Hong Kong the Chinese products are quite cheap and the Western products expensive. Also prices really depend on which area of the city you are in.

Experience

How were the first couple of weeks?
Great! It was really easy to make new friends, because there were so many new people and everyone was very open. Also there was a Facebook group with all the exchange students which also gave you the opportunity to plan activities together. Every day we went to explore the city. Further, CUHK provided very clear information about the course enrolment and all the other necessary preparations for the upcoming semester. They were very helpful if you had any problems or questions.

How did you experience studying abroad?
You really learn a lot from studying abroad. You experience different teaching methods and lecturers can have a different perspective on certain issues than lecturers in Europe. Also, it was a challenge to do group projects together with students from such different cultures. Sometimes it was difficult to deal with the cultural differences and you really had to learn how to make it work together.

How was the total experience? (Country, people, living, culture)
It was an unforgettable experience. Life in Hong Kong is just so different. It was amazing to live that life for a couple of months and meet so many new people from different cultures. Things that you take for granted back home or think of as normal, you see in a whole new perspective. You learn to appreciate the good things back home more but also get to see what we can learn from other cultures.

Did you experience a culture shock?
A little bit. In the beginning it was all new, it felt like a vacation, and I didn’t experience a shock at all. Only after a couple of weeks I suddenly sometimes got really irritated about certain things and just wanted them to be ‘normal’. Also in the beginning I was tired all the time because of all the new impressions. However, after a while you do get used to it and you find your way to adapt to the culture.

How was the food?
In general most of the locals eat rice or noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. However, to eat it for breakfast was a bit too much for me. Further you have some typical Chinese food traditions such as Dim Sum and hot pot. I liked the Chinese food, but I was glad that you could also get western food if you wanted to every now and then.

What was better than expected?
In general people in Hong Kong can speak English. So I often didn’t have much trouble communicating with them or had troubles with that in shops or in asking my way around. Also almost all signs in Hong Kong are also in English which made things a lot easier.

What was worse than expected?
It always took so much time to get somewhere. Hong Kong is a really big city so you really have to count in a lot of time for getting around. ‘Quickly’ going to the shopping mall or having a drink in the city centre was not really possible.

City/student life

How was your overall experience with the city?
I love Hong Kong! It is such a world city and there is always something to see and do. It has everything; old traditional Chinese areas, modern Western areas, beautiful temples, interesting museums, a buzzing nightlife, huge shopping malls, beautiful hiking trails, stunning beaches, countless restaurants, I just can’t stop naming things. Also Hong Kong’s history makes the city so interesting and the cultures so intermixed. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China and in many ways very different than China. It was great to learn more about that. I would really like to live there again for a while.

How was your living place?
On campus you have different buildings where the student rooms are located. Some buildings are old, some are new. I was lucky to be placed in a new building, so everything looked very nice. Each floor had several two-person rooms, a communal room with a kitchen and a bathroom area. It was a bit strange to suddenly share quite a small room with someone else, but for one semester that was fine. For the rest our building had a canteen, two study rooms, a big terrace, laundry rooms and an own gym.

Travel

Did you have any chance to see something of the country?
A few years ago I already did a round trip through China, so this time I visited Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand. Throughout the semester you have the possibility to go away for long weekends every now and then and since the semester ends early you have time to travel afterwards.

What are do or don’ts concerning trips?
There are so many beautiful places to visit in Asia, so definitely make the most of your time there and take every opportunity to travel. There are so many options and time flies, so it can be a good idea to make a small travel planning at the beginning of your semester.

Looking back

Was it worth it?
Definitely. I will never regret going to Hong Kong. Even though it is not part of the program, I am so happy I did it. It is a once in a lifetime experience, I get instantly happy when I think about my time there.

What did you learn?
Amongst others I learned to have a different perspective on things because of the totally different culture. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and to adapt myself to a new environment. Also, I learned to work together with people with such a different culture and the corresponding habits.

What do you regret?
Sometimes it can be difficult to become friends with the Hong Kong and Chinese students. It is possible that you have to put more effort into these friendships because of the large gap in culture. During my stay I didn’t really have such a close friendship with a Hong Kong or Chinese student. So I do regret it a bit that I didn’t put more effort into these friendships.

Would you recommend studying in Hong Kong to others?
Absolutely! Without any doubt.

Are you still in contact with your friends/fellow students?
Yes I still have contact with the friends I made in Hong Kong every now and then. With one of my friends I already met up and I am sure we will keep having contact in the future.

Other tips & tricks?
Not any specific tips or tricks. You will find your way in every step of the exchange experience. There are always people who can help you. Going abroad is such a special experience, if you are thinking about just go for it and don’t let anything hold you back from it.