Hong Kong is a world renowned global centre of trade and business, not only famous for envious business prospects, but also for its delicious food, fascinating culture and extensive shopping opportunities. Although all of this and many other reasons alike equate to the interest in travelling to and residing in Hong Kong, I believe another reason that should make Hong Kong stand out is its uniquely impressive education prospects. An opportunity that few can resist.
Hong Kong hosts one of the world’s most impressive collections of high ranking universities, including three within the world’s top 50. Hong Kong is ranked by QS the tenth most affordable city for students in 2014. The concern of how affordable the experience of higher education is is common to many British students. Hong Kong offers an affordable, yet non-the-less exciting and desirable location. A place at any of the universities is widely coveted. There is absolutely no worry about a language barrier as most of the courses in all universities use English and the majority of the locals know English.
Crucially, I find that an important difference between Hong Kong and British University courses is that, unlike in Britain, university courses do not just have students study and learn for exams but also highlight personal development. It is a remarkable opportunity that the universities provide, allowing students to broaden their knowledge, not just on their subject choice, but on culture, ethics and have students accumulate practical experiences so that the skills students develop can be applied in the real world: an invaluable trait.
Not only do the many University ranking guides speak for the excellence in education but also the fact that graduates of Hong Kong universities include Nobel laureates, prize winners for new technology and other people of great merit. This is very important as it shows that the different ways of teaching that take place in Hong Kong are successful. The universities have proven to have the highest quality education, to produce individually thinking, independent young adults who will thrive in the working world. Thereby, revealing the success and value of embracing Higher Education in the Far East.
Among the great many experiences that these universities offer is that on some courses a year or two transfer to study in Beijing or Shanghai can be applied for, even by international students, which will open up a whole host of new possibilities to fall at your feet. In taking part in this experience students can learn Cantonese in Hong Kong and Mandarin in mainland China. Students can also see the differences in different parts of China and look at the different infrastructure, culture and what each city’s economy is based on. This can help students’ understanding of Asian culture; also students are able to experience other universities besides the one they attend in Hong Kong.
As mentioned before Hong Kong has a rich and diverse range of interests. These all combine to make Hong Kong an even more desirable destination of study and even work. Hong Kong’s landscape is varied and so many activities can be found within and around the city, there is a volcanic rock region, mountainous areas and beaches around Hong Kong for many leisure activities to take place. Not all of Hong Kong consists of the fast paced city, there is the countryside and various islands belonging to Hong Kong, great for trips and weekend breaks.
Significantly, being in Hong Kong, British students are able to take advantage of the opportunity to easily take short vacations to other Asian countries also rich in culture and ancient history, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Japan, although not next door, these places of interest are much closer than compared to England. Students can also easily access mainland China. These countries, often regarded as mysterious to many young students immediately become a realistic adventure, because of embracing education in Hong Kong.
Being a student of Mandarin, this would be an amazing opportunity to practice more of it, in both Hong Kong and China, and for any students interested in business it is a great way to get ahead, learning the language of China, which has a booming business economy. However, all of these curiosities are just an added bonus when Hong Kong offers such a wide range of attractions.
Hong Kong has one of the world’s most spectacular skylines, simply walking around the city and along the waterfront will be a feast for your eyes, providing the sights of countless architectural masterpieces, anyone would be captivated by. If an atmospheric historical feel is sought after, then the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple is a great place to experience both the country’s traditional religious and cultural aspects and at temple street night market the rare, complementary combination of modern and traditional practices can be experienced. Hong Kong accommodates every interest, for example; social, economic, geographical, historical and even futuristic regarding its growing business at the forefront of technology, just to name a few! I also know that British students will also enjoy the sub-tropical climate we are consequently unaccustomed to. Temperature dropping below freezing is a concept unknown to inhabitants of Hong Kong.
Interestingly, a past student traveller to Hong Kong have said that they loved the place, the food and how fast pace everything is. For British students, studying in Hong Kong would be an interesting experience to see what it is like to live and studying in a former British colony and more so, one that fuses colonial British history with modern Chinese society; essentially it is a place that has the best of both worlds. A collision of two distinct cultures has created an explosion of opportunities.
Being the best of both worlds, there will still be some homely familiarities in Hong Kong left over from when it was colonised by Britain until 1997. Hong Kong has both Chinese and European entertainment, art, sport and music, so you could spend a night at the Cantonese opera or go out in the day to watch a rugby match. Of course, you could always just spend a day shopping, known as a shoppers’ paradise, with numerous shopping malls and areas of town, no sales tax and low duties on imported products. Hong Kong isn’t too expensive and sells everything you could want and more, an important consideration when living on a student budget!
Hong Kong is easy to navigate around, 90% of daily journeys are on public transport; this is the highest rate in the world. There is a sophisticated and efficient Octopus card, much like London’s Oyster card in order to pay for public transport without the hassle of counting out money; this is especially useful to new international students who are unfamiliar with the currency. These helpful cards can be bought in every railway station in Hong Kong. However, at the moment even better than our Oyster cards, their form of non-touch payment allows payment for not only the various ways of public transport such as trains, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses but also parking meters, convenience stores, supermarkets, vending machines and even fast food restaurants. A great way to make your way through the city without being too worried about how much each little coin and bank note is worth.
Geography is not the only difference to studying at British universities to some extent, not only focused on academic learning, as the learning approach takes a different angle, application is a key concept in Hong Kong. Students learn how to transfer their skills into the working world. Also, choices are wide ranging and plentiful for example the Chinese university of Hong Kong has 61 departments to choose from.
In the Chinese university of Hong Kong students live on campus, international students often share accommodation with a local student to help them settle in and be immersed in the Chinese culture.
Regarding the University of Science and technology .The School of Engineering is named No. 21 amongst world’s top 100 engineering and technology universities by Times Higher Education World University Rankings published in 2013.
And in Greater China it is 1st. It’s much sought-after Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA program, also topped the Financial Times EMBA global rankings for the fourth year straight.
This university is not only academically impressive as it also homes over 12,000 students from more than 30 countries of 5 continents, so there is opportunity to meet people from all over the world. There are many benefits in going to Hong Kong; scholarship programmes are available to local and international students. And at CUHK these scholarships can range from 60,000 to 165,000 Hong Kong dollars per year! This is over £4,650 to £12,850!
Additionally, the universities are also very health conscious, having on campus doctors, something that’s unlikely in Britain. You should feel very safe in Hong Kong, the crime rate is low and the security has been described as very good but unobtrusive.
In conclusion, any British student should consider going to Hong Kong for Higher Education, it would be an amazing life experience, it is affordable, has many home comforts and the education is known to be of an excellent standard. Hong Kong will open your eyes to the vast world of education and ultimately, open many doors to the world of work. Hong Kong is a dream destination for university study.
Hong Kong hosts one of the world’s most impressive collections of high ranking universities, including three within the world’s top 50. Hong Kong is ranked by QS the tenth most affordable city for students in 2014. The concern of how affordable the experience of higher education is is common to many British students. Hong Kong offers an affordable, yet non-the-less exciting and desirable location. A place at any of the universities is widely coveted. There is absolutely no worry about a language barrier as most of the courses in all universities use English and the majority of the locals know English.
Crucially, I find that an important difference between Hong Kong and British University courses is that, unlike in Britain, university courses do not just have students study and learn for exams but also highlight personal development. It is a remarkable opportunity that the universities provide, allowing students to broaden their knowledge, not just on their subject choice, but on culture, ethics and have students accumulate practical experiences so that the skills students develop can be applied in the real world: an invaluable trait.
Not only do the many University ranking guides speak for the excellence in education but also the fact that graduates of Hong Kong universities include Nobel laureates, prize winners for new technology and other people of great merit. This is very important as it shows that the different ways of teaching that take place in Hong Kong are successful. The universities have proven to have the highest quality education, to produce individually thinking, independent young adults who will thrive in the working world. Thereby, revealing the success and value of embracing Higher Education in the Far East.
Among the great many experiences that these universities offer is that on some courses a year or two transfer to study in Beijing or Shanghai can be applied for, even by international students, which will open up a whole host of new possibilities to fall at your feet. In taking part in this experience students can learn Cantonese in Hong Kong and Mandarin in mainland China. Students can also see the differences in different parts of China and look at the different infrastructure, culture and what each city’s economy is based on. This can help students’ understanding of Asian culture; also students are able to experience other universities besides the one they attend in Hong Kong.
As mentioned before Hong Kong has a rich and diverse range of interests. These all combine to make Hong Kong an even more desirable destination of study and even work. Hong Kong’s landscape is varied and so many activities can be found within and around the city, there is a volcanic rock region, mountainous areas and beaches around Hong Kong for many leisure activities to take place. Not all of Hong Kong consists of the fast paced city, there is the countryside and various islands belonging to Hong Kong, great for trips and weekend breaks.
Significantly, being in Hong Kong, British students are able to take advantage of the opportunity to easily take short vacations to other Asian countries also rich in culture and ancient history, such as Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Japan, although not next door, these places of interest are much closer than compared to England. Students can also easily access mainland China. These countries, often regarded as mysterious to many young students immediately become a realistic adventure, because of embracing education in Hong Kong.
Being a student of Mandarin, this would be an amazing opportunity to practice more of it, in both Hong Kong and China, and for any students interested in business it is a great way to get ahead, learning the language of China, which has a booming business economy. However, all of these curiosities are just an added bonus when Hong Kong offers such a wide range of attractions.
Hong Kong has one of the world’s most spectacular skylines, simply walking around the city and along the waterfront will be a feast for your eyes, providing the sights of countless architectural masterpieces, anyone would be captivated by. If an atmospheric historical feel is sought after, then the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple is a great place to experience both the country’s traditional religious and cultural aspects and at temple street night market the rare, complementary combination of modern and traditional practices can be experienced. Hong Kong accommodates every interest, for example; social, economic, geographical, historical and even futuristic regarding its growing business at the forefront of technology, just to name a few! I also know that British students will also enjoy the sub-tropical climate we are consequently unaccustomed to. Temperature dropping below freezing is a concept unknown to inhabitants of Hong Kong.
Interestingly, a past student traveller to Hong Kong have said that they loved the place, the food and how fast pace everything is. For British students, studying in Hong Kong would be an interesting experience to see what it is like to live and studying in a former British colony and more so, one that fuses colonial British history with modern Chinese society; essentially it is a place that has the best of both worlds. A collision of two distinct cultures has created an explosion of opportunities.
Being the best of both worlds, there will still be some homely familiarities in Hong Kong left over from when it was colonised by Britain until 1997. Hong Kong has both Chinese and European entertainment, art, sport and music, so you could spend a night at the Cantonese opera or go out in the day to watch a rugby match. Of course, you could always just spend a day shopping, known as a shoppers’ paradise, with numerous shopping malls and areas of town, no sales tax and low duties on imported products. Hong Kong isn’t too expensive and sells everything you could want and more, an important consideration when living on a student budget!
Hong Kong is easy to navigate around, 90% of daily journeys are on public transport; this is the highest rate in the world. There is a sophisticated and efficient Octopus card, much like London’s Oyster card in order to pay for public transport without the hassle of counting out money; this is especially useful to new international students who are unfamiliar with the currency. These helpful cards can be bought in every railway station in Hong Kong. However, at the moment even better than our Oyster cards, their form of non-touch payment allows payment for not only the various ways of public transport such as trains, buses, trams, ferries and minibuses but also parking meters, convenience stores, supermarkets, vending machines and even fast food restaurants. A great way to make your way through the city without being too worried about how much each little coin and bank note is worth.
Geography is not the only difference to studying at British universities to some extent, not only focused on academic learning, as the learning approach takes a different angle, application is a key concept in Hong Kong. Students learn how to transfer their skills into the working world. Also, choices are wide ranging and plentiful for example the Chinese university of Hong Kong has 61 departments to choose from.
In the Chinese university of Hong Kong students live on campus, international students often share accommodation with a local student to help them settle in and be immersed in the Chinese culture.
Regarding the University of Science and technology .The School of Engineering is named No. 21 amongst world’s top 100 engineering and technology universities by Times Higher Education World University Rankings published in 2013.
And in Greater China it is 1st. It’s much sought-after Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA program, also topped the Financial Times EMBA global rankings for the fourth year straight.
This university is not only academically impressive as it also homes over 12,000 students from more than 30 countries of 5 continents, so there is opportunity to meet people from all over the world. There are many benefits in going to Hong Kong; scholarship programmes are available to local and international students. And at CUHK these scholarships can range from 60,000 to 165,000 Hong Kong dollars per year! This is over £4,650 to £12,850!
Additionally, the universities are also very health conscious, having on campus doctors, something that’s unlikely in Britain. You should feel very safe in Hong Kong, the crime rate is low and the security has been described as very good but unobtrusive.
In conclusion, any British student should consider going to Hong Kong for Higher Education, it would be an amazing life experience, it is affordable, has many home comforts and the education is known to be of an excellent standard. Hong Kong will open your eyes to the vast world of education and ultimately, open many doors to the world of work. Hong Kong is a dream destination for university study.