About CUPA

History of CUPA

History of CityU Postgraduate Association (CUPA)

Founded in 1996, CUPA has been striving constantly to achieve perfection in providing services, academic forums, trainings, events, non-academic or even leisure activities for all our CityU postgraduate students over 10 years. Being a postgraduate association, we aimed at transforming our advanced educated members as ridgepoles and beams in various fields over Hong Kong, Mainland and even overseas societies. Therefore, CUPA not only serves as a unidirectional channel, but also serves as an important communication platform for our postgraduate students to give opinions to their schools, which in turn, to seek for an even higher standard of education service provision of the university.

Presidents and Executive Committees of all sessions have been doing a lot of great accomplishments to satisfy the needs from postgraduate students with various backgrounds. In order to have a thorough understanding of their needs, CUPA organized many regular gatherings, formal meetings and consultations for our class representatives and members in recent years. It is believed that their opinions can help improving the learning environment of the university and, therefore, CUPA tries all her efforts to reflect their wants to the school.

Apart from channeling opinion between the university and the postgraduate student community, our many members also demand for some leisure activities, for the sake of balancing their tightened work-and-study life. The organizing of Sports Fun Days, Leadership Training and some charity activities are part of our disciplines, not only to give our members chances to relax themselves, but also to cultivate their willpower.

The aids to our members’ academic achievements and excellence are also the concern of CUPA. We constantly do surveys to comprehend their approaches so as to devise some ad hoc talks, forums and events regularly.

Changes in Hong Kong society inspire CUPA to have a rapid transformation to cater our members’ changing needs. By adopting open-minded approach to hear suggestions every whither, CUPA promises to do her best to cooperate with various organizations and communities in providing the best learning environment and services for our members continuously.

Mission of CUPA

To be the voice of the City University postgraduate students and be an advocate for their rights. Acting as a bridge between the university and the postgraduate students.

By establishing a close cohesion between its members, CUPA strives to make the campus life more enjoyable and fruitful for postgraduate students.

With promoting the welfare of our members, CUPA will try its best to seek for the benefits and safeguard the interests of its members.

By establishing a linkage with local universities and overseas tertiary educational institutions, we provide more opportunities and channels for our fellow students through academic exchanged research developments, open forum and other activities.

Build up networking and facilitate the communication among postgraduate students, undergraduate students, university, external institutions and entities.

With the aim of enhancing research culture, CUPA will promote better academic channels for students to exchange ideas locally and globally.

CUPA's Statement

CUPA aims to act as a partner for all postgraduate students studying at City University, and provide with them a platform to expand their network, especially with members of the industry. In addition, we also aim to provide opportunities for members to get to know one another, interact and make new friends among fellow postgraduates.

Role of CUPA in CityU

Independent – not under any academic or administrative units in the University
Sole representative of postgraduate students in CityU
CUPA nominates 2 members for the University Senate
CUPA also nominates a representative to run for the election of postgraduate student member to the University Council

Membership Information

Ordinary Membership

CityU Postgraduate Association (CUPA) is an official student body for postgraduates in City University of Hong Kong, with its members covering both research and taught postgraduate students. Postgraduate students will automatically become a CUPA member upon registration with the University, and such registration is subjected to automatic payment of membership fee through the finance office.

Membership Fee

Membership fee is HK$150 for Part-time Student and HK$300 for Full-time Student. Membership fee is paid once until completed your program study.

The membership fee is listed in the web site of Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies, City University of Hong Kong.

http://www.sgs.cityu.edu.hk/student/TPg/fee/

The membership fee information will be listed in the web site of individual program. Please contact the program admin if you have any queries.

E.g. Master of Business Administration

http://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/mba/content.cfm?page=programmefee

Withdrawal of Membership

CUPA serves as a communication channel between postgraduate students and the University. Its key objective is to promote a better academic environment and research culture in the University by encouraging communication and interaction among postgraduate students. Being members of CUPA gives postgraduate students channels to express their concerns and opinions about policies in the University as well as the Hong Kong society.

As a liberal Assoication, CUPA has a Withdrawal procedure for new postgraduate students. It is available for those who wish to withdraw from CUPA membership. Applications of withdrawal from CUPA are to be submitted within 15 calendar days after the tuition fee payment due date. Applications that lack any necessary documents and late applications would NOT be considered.

1. Applicants need to settle the CUPA fee payment to the Finance Office first.

2. Applicants are required to complete the Membership Withdrawal Form* and to return to CUPA office by fax, mail or in person with:

- a copy of the student ID card;

- a copy of the payment receipt (CUPA fee).

3. Successful applicants will receive an email notice and refund will be given accordingly.

If a member has once joined any activity organized by CUPA, no refund shall be made, even though an application is submitted within the prescribed period.

The Executive Committee reserves all the rights in the approval of membership’s withdrawal and refund matters.

* Membership Withdrawal Form is available at CUPA office upon request.

CUPA Activities

Membership

Recreational activities for members, including

Orientation Night
Sports Fun Days (Rock Climbing, Diving)
CityU Banquet (in conjunction with SU)
Boat Trips
Students Survey
Christmas Gathering

Mentorship

Activities geared towards the development of members’ academic, career advancement, such as:

Career Talks
Research Talks

Leadership

Activities for the training and development of members’ leadership qualities

Joint-Universities Mainland Study Tour
National Day Forum
Overseas Exchange Visit
Leadership Training Series

Citizenship

Fund-raising/Charity Events

Participation in External Fund Raising Activities (e.g. Raleigh Wilson Trail, Sowers Action Challenging 12 Hours Charity Marathon
Emergency Relief Fund
Volunteer Project

Services Provided

Thesis Binding Service

CUPA now offers a hard cover thesis binding service for postgraduate students (same as those in CityU Library from research students). The service is provided by the Dolby Binding Co.(Dolby) that CUPA would help to collect our members' thesis and deliver for the Dolby, members can pick up the bound thesis in CUPA office. The sample of bound thesis is available in CUPA office.

Each thesis binding is charged for $140

Duration: 7 -10 working days

Member is required to print out all hard copies for binding and check the page order before binding. Also, please check with SGS (research students) or your department (taught-course students) for the request on page order and design of hard cover.

We will inform members to get back the thesis from CUPA Office after 7 working days.

CUPA Office: Room R6167, 6/F Amenities Building (Lift 13, 19 or 20)

Should you have any queries, please contact our office via email (cupaao-c@my.cityu.edu.hk) or call 3442 5662.