It is a rare opportunity for undergraduates to take part in international academic conference as presenters and researchers of their own individual or group projects. On 15 and 16 April 2019, 12 students majoring in applied sociology, criminology, psychology, and social work from the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences (SS) shared their original and intellectual research works in collaboration with their teachers at the British Conference on Undergraduate Research (BCUR). Among some 500 participants over different continents, students of CityU presented 10 research works at the conference at the University of South Wales in Cardiff, UK.
Photo 2: Anthony FOK (second from right) valued the opportunity to exchange ideas with other BCUR participants.
Photo 3: Myra KWOK (left) presented her work to other participants in the conference.
Student social worker FOK Chun-him Anthony, who is interested in elderly care and ageing-related research, said the conference was a precious opportunity for intellectual exchange. “I remember that one of the UK student researchers presented a game for seniors with dementia and had had a positive result in slowing down the rate of dementia. Her research has provided an insight to me as a social worker when working with elderly with dementia.”
Majoring in criminology, KWOK Wing-nam Myra presented her work on McSleepers (those who stay overnight in a 24-hour McDonald’s) discrimination and victimisation in the conference, and found the trip very rewarding and meaningful. “During my presentation, I was able to talk to other scholars and gained new knowledge of my research. For example, I learnt that the homeless people in England are not allowed to sleep in McDonald’s because the restaurant has the right to kick them out.” She also said that the trip gave her deep inspiration on her academic life and boosted her confidence in carrying out more research in the future.
Led by Dr HUI Na-na Anna, Associate Professor from SS, the trip received sponsorship from CityU’s Development Office and the Office of the Provost to support students in this unique learning experience.
The research topics presented by CityU students in the conference are as follows:
| Presentation topic (in alphabetical order) | Student | Collaborating teacher |
Application of strengths perspective to increase the happiness level of Chinese older adults in social work practice | FOK Chun-him Anthony | Dr Estella CHAN |
Does cooperative learning enhance reading comprehension and reduce reading anxiety in second language? | LI Marie | Dr Bonnie CHOW |
Effectiveness of vocational training in Hong Kong’s prison on assisting ex-offenders’
employment | PANG Nga-wun Venus and
KONG Ying-hei | Dr Eileen TSANG |
Gender differences in the effects of value similarity on friend selection | LI Chaoyu | Dr Sam YE |
Learned to be an abuser: Correlates of perceived marijuana use for university students in Hong Kong | LI Yujie and
CHAN Ming-yan | Dr Oliver CHAN |
McSleepers’ discrimination and victimization | KWOK Wing-nam and
NG Wing-sum | Dr Rebecca WONG |
Orthographic effects on L2 phonology for advanced Chinese learners of English | DENG Wenxiyuan | Dr Vivien CHEN |
Perfectionism, academic motivation, achievement goals: An integrated study in
Hong Kong | LO Cheuk-lai Raphael | Dr Anna HUI |
Sexual harassment in higher education behind the #metoo Movement in China | ZHANG Dingyu Ada | Dr Eileen TSANG |
The Tree of Life: An application of narrative therapy in social work group work for Chinese women with mental illness | CHAN Ka-yan | Dr Estella CHAN |
