Chinese University of Hong Kong

About: 

Founded in 1963, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a forward-looking comprehensive research university with a global vision and a mission to combine tradition with modernity, and to bring together China and the West. CUHK teachers and students hail from all around the world.  

As a top university in Hong Kong and Asia, CUHK aims to nurture students with both specialised knowledge and wisdom for life. The education experience here is distinguished by a flexible credit unit system, a college system, bilingualism and multiculturalism. There are general education courses to broaden students' perspectives and develop in them the ability to face the challenges of contemporary society. 

Contact at CUHK:

Heidi O, Regional Programme Officer (Europe and South Africa) heidio@cuhk.edu.hk. Alternatively contact Exchange Programmes Admissions at iasp@cuhk.edu.hk.

Room 1302, Yasumoto International Academic Park, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong 

Highlights: 

CUHK has always been at the forefront of teaching and research, nurturing the next generation of leaders in all fields and advancing the frontiers of knowledge and technology. The galaxy of distinguished scholars and researchers at CUHK include a Nobel Laureate, a Field Medalist, a Turing Award winner and countless academics with international recognition.

Of all Hong Kong universities, CUHK is the only one that offers a college experience. College programmes and activities complement the formal curricula by delivering whole-person education and pastoral care. The college system also encourages intimate interaction among teachers, students and alumni.

Location: 

CUHK's beautiful 137.3-hectare campus overlooking Tolo Harbour is the largest and greenest in Hong Kong. It houses a range of facilities essential for an all-round campus experience, such as world-class libraries, art museums, music halls, swimming pool, sports fields, tennis courts, squash courts, water sports centre and gymnasiums. The CUHK campus is located near Sha Tin, 30 minutes by train from downtown Kowloon and 20 minutes to the Lo Wu border. From here you can do some great hiking, cycling and nature tours. 

Courses / Modules: 

• Information on the courses available can be found on the CUHK web pages. Courses offered by the Faculty of Business Administration and the Faculty of Law are very popular. Consider second choices and make backup plans.

• Some courses are not available to exchange students, or have strict requirements for entry.  Refer to the course exceptions list for more information.

Credit (Full-time Load per semester): 

At CUHK, one unit or credit is roughly equivalent to one hour of instruction per week. Most three-unit courses feature either three hours of lectures or two hours of lectures and one hour of tutorials per week. Students receive credits for all courses successfully completed, according to the academic standards of the department.

15 CUHK credits = 60 York credits (one semester)

30 CUHK credits = 120 York credits (full year)

Teaching Periods: 

Fall term: Late August/early September to Early December

Spring term: Early January to End of April.

Language:  

• Classes at CUHK are taught in English. 

• You may be required to provide evidence of your English language ability if English is not your first language. 

• Students may find Cantonese useful for social purposes.

Accommodation: 

When students submit applications to CUHK, they are required to indicate their preference for the types of on-campus housing:

-          Hostel managed by the Colleges (without mandatory college meal plan)

-          Hostel managed by the Colleges (with mandatory college meal plan) 

-          International House (i-House) – students staying at i-House have different College affiliation

Orientation / Welcome week:  

Orientation activities are organised to help students adapt to the new environment at CUHK. It covers information on the curriculum, study life, Chinese culture, Hong Kong society and support services available. In addition, it will be a great opportunity for students to get acquainted with each other.

Support Services: 

The Wellness and Counselling Centre is staffed by staff and counsellors to assist students with any specific needs that they may have including disabilities and mental health, as well as a Peer Counselling Network.

Visas: 

Students who do not have a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card will be required to apply for a student visa from the Hong Kong Immigration Department through the Office for Academic Links before travelling to Hong Kong.

Health insurance:

Students are required to arrange accident and sickness insurance that includes emergency-evacuation  and repatriation expenses for the duration of your stay in Hong Kong at your own cost. If you plan to travel outside Hong Kong, make sure your insurance policy covers the place you are visiting. When you first report to the Office of Academic Links you will be asked for copies of insurance documents, in case of an emergencies.

Travel insurance: 

If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries.  You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange. 

David, Politics, Year Abroad 2019/20

"Living in Hong Kong was a very enjoyable experience and I would not consider it to be as much of a contrast as people might think. For the most part you can get in shops everything you would at home with some slight adjustments which are to be expected. The weather at the start of the exchange was very wet and humid but it got much better around October when it was sunshine every day. I would say the student life is one of the biggest differences as the culture is more conservative in general. However, the student experience you have is quite heavily dependent on who you meet. 

In terms of studying, I wouldn't say there aren't many great challenges and it was quite refreshing to have multiple assessments over the term rather than just two as I do at York. Anyone who has done a year of university should be able to adapt quite easily to the teaching styles which remain much the same as at home (although this can obviously vary depending on your professors). I would very much like to have been able to choose modules not related to politics to broaden my academic experience and make the year more interesting but I was not allowed to do so and would suggest this as a change to offer more flexibility to exchange students who want it."

Luke, Politics, Year Abroad 2019/20

"I think one thing that was surprising about politics modules in CUHK is that they were actually fairly similar to the UK. The difference was lectures were longer and you didn’t have seminars - however group presentations were mandatory across most modules and that often took up a hour or two in a session - there was usually a discursive element to them similar to seminars. Lectures also were smaller then in York and also more discursive. Most approaches to politics was also done from a western-liberal standpoint similar to the UK.

I can’t speak for other subjects though, they might be fairly different especially ones that require practicals.

Living in Hong Kong I guess other thing to note is that the metro is very cheap and accessible and is your main form of travel and if there is a protest or police action walking away from it is recommended. Also Hong Kong isn’t just an urban city - it has nature parks and islands that have a lot of natural plants and fauna; anyone going there has to check those out."

• CUHK

• Incoming Exchange Students

• CUHK Instagram / Twitter/ Facebook

• Office of Academic Links Instagram / Twitter

• CUHK Summer School

• Foreign Commonwealth Office Advice

• Numbeo - cost of living comparison site

• Expatistan - cost of living comparison site

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