Exchange fund widens horizons

The Academic Exchange Office kicked off a new year for the Student Exchange Fund with a "sharing session" that showcased the experiences of students who have already completed exchange programmes.

 

More than 100 students, academic advisors and exchange officers packed the sharing session on 15 January at the Lecture Theatre of the Academic Exchange Building. It was announced that in 2002-03, the Student Exchange Fund will sponsor 99 students at the undergraduate or associate degree level in credit-bearing exchange programmes offered outside Hong Kong on a semester-long basis.

 

"You can learn more when you are far away from home and friends," said Professor Edmond Ko, Vice-President for Education at the session.

Said Professor Y S Wong, Vice-president for Institutional Advancement: "The experience of living in a foreign country will add value to your profile and facilitate your career development in the future."

CityU began student exchange activities in 1996. Since then, the University has built links with 25 internationally renowned institutions. To date, about 400 students from CityU and abroad have taken advantage of the programme.

Applicants must acquire a grade point average of over 3.0 and score at least 550 in TOEFL, or meet the standards set by individual institutions. Programme sponsorship may cover the whole or part of any return economy-class air ticket, as well as local room and board, while the host university normally exempts tuition fees. Interested students may contact the Academic Exchange Office or their own department office for details.

"The learning atmosphere is a totally new experience," said Matthew Chang, an exchange student who studied at McGill University for one semester in 2000-01. "I learned about questioning and critical thinking."

William Lau, an exchange student whose host university was Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said he "treasured" his exchange experience. "They are top-notch students and very hardworking," he said.