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| With the local media coverage on the problems faced by Mainland university students last year, there has been genuine concern with regard to what tertiary institutions can best do to help these young students feel at home in Hong Kong. With our long tradition of close teacher-student relationships and strong mentorship culture, most Mainland students find campus life at the HKIEd to be a satisfying experience. As Mainland students are mostly first-time home-leavers, the Institute as a whole, and the Student Affairs Office in particular, does everything possible to orientate freshmen and their parents to the
campus, whilst also giving them a better understanding of the Institute before the start of term. As such, Personal Tutorials, Peer Mentoring Schemes and Cantonese-English training at the Centre for Language in Education are stepped up. Helping them to integrate into life in Hong Kong, the students are encouraged to participate in voluntary services, involving them in the local community and exposing them to Hong Kong and our culture through community and cultural visits as well as festival gatherings. Our Buddy Scheme also gives local and Mainland students the chance to become friends and they can join their own association – the HKIEd Chinese Students-Scholars’ Association (CSSA). Helping to broaden their horizons and learn from other cultures, they also benefit from opportunities to meet foreign students through cross-cultural exchange activities organised by the Centre for International Education and Club IEd.
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| When I was working in Beijing, I had the valuable opportunity to meet international students from around the world. As their Chinese language teacher, I needed to introduce Chinese culture and history to them, whilst also teaching them both written and spoken Chinese. I feel this is the best way to help foreign students understand China properly. After completing my doctoral programme
in HKIEd, I would like to start a |
| From left: Wu Jingjing, Wang Danping and Prof Philip Benson |
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| teaching career in Hong Kong, which is such a cosmopolitan city. At the moment, I am a research assistant for Prof Philip Benson, mainly in charge of the technical aspects of his special case study. Technology advances everyday, and I need to keep myself updated with the latest knowledge, to increase the sophistication of my work. I hope I can create an attractive and thought-provoking website for the Professor’s research study.
My local schoolmates have shown me the friendliness of the Hong Kong people. They teach me Cantonese, invite me to their homes, go shopping with me, and even help me pick my clothes to fit into fashion trends in Hong Kong. Because of them, I have adapted quickly to life in Hong Kong; and because of them, I don’t feel lonely at all.
Wang Danping from Beijing, China
(Doctoral Degree student and Research Assistant) |
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I have come across many friendly and helpful tutors and schoolmates even in my early days at HKIEd. My plan is to continue doing research work after graduation, though not solely as a research assistant. I would like to apply what I have learned from my studies and work in real-life teaching, to become an outstanding teacher. By combining teaching with research, and theory with practice, I hope to make a contribution to the development of education as best as I can. I consider myself lucky because of the present chance to work as a research assistant for the Department of English. This is a fulfilling and meaningful job, which I am greatly enjoying. Both the professor in charge and my colleagues are extremely helpful –they are very patient in guiding a “novice” like myself. My Cantonese is going well and I have no problems communicating with my colleagues. As young people, we have many traits in common. Every now and then, we have dinner together or play a sport after work.
Wu Jingjing from Hubei, China
(Doctoral Degree student and Research Assistant) |
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Having been at the HKIEd for nearly six months, I have had many unforgettable experiences. Even though I am not living at home with my parents beside me, a group of caring and friendly schoolmates have been providing lots of support. They have helped me to learn, face and deal with life’s difficulties and I am now more mature than I used to be. Some of my friends come from the Mainland while others are Hong Kong locals. Additionally, the monthly activity held at the student hostel gives me a chance to get to know more people and widen my social circle. I also teamed up with a group of schoolmates to form a cabinet to stand for election in the HKIEd Students’ Union. After surmounting huge difficulties and challenges, we finally won the election and are now on the Executive Committee of the 15th Session of the Students’ Union. The whole process has made me realise that nothing is impossible when there is unity. Life at the Institute has been both fantastic and fulfilling and I am also exceedingly grateful to my lecturers for their dedication and caring. Take Prof Trevor Bond for example – apart from sharing his own experiences with us in class, he invited us to his home on weekends. Mrs Bond’s homemade chocolate mousse is absolutely wonderful. We really feel the warmth of “home” away from home.
He Yiran from Wuhan, China (Degree student) |
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I am deeply touched by many people and events at the HKIEd. Citing two examples: when I spent my first Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong, I was really homesick. It was very kind and thoughtful of Prof Trevor Bond to invite the Mainland students to spend the Festival at his home. Everyone was very happy that night. I put aside my pensive mood as well and joined everybody in having a good time. Secondly, I must mention Dr Philip Hoare. I have learnt a great deal from his very thorough teaching methods. At regular meetings with us, he asks us to tell him all about the new words we have learnt and then he gives us ample opportunities to practise our English. He also cares about how well we are adapting to the new learning environment. I treasure these regular “appointments” with him very much indeed.
I found voluntary work in Hong Kong to be a new experience. Recently, I joined ORBIS, the international voluntary service organisation focusing on the prevention of blindness. I have worked at the airport and helped the organisation sell lottery tickets on the streets. It was an interesting experience and very meaningful, too. It was so different from my training in the army or in the farms back on the Mainland. In the last six months, I find I have grown more mature and become more independent.
Liu Mengxi from Beijing, China
(Degree student) |
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Time flies. I have been in Hong Kong for more than two years now. As a Mainland student, the two years seem protracted yet fleeting, busy yet relaxed. From not understanding a single word of Cantonese, I can now utter a few sentences, if still, rather awkwardly. I also started with no friends in Hong Kong, now I can’t even count the numbers. As for my English, I write a few thousand words for each of my assignments, when I used to write only a few hundred. However, I think the most significant change I have experienced is the shift in my focus. Hong Kong used to amaze me and make me curious, now, I look forward to the day when I will become a professional teacher. I fully
appreciate
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| that the education systems in Hong Kong and the Mainland are different, as is the situation facing students. The strong commonality between the two places, however, is the heavy responsibility and important mission placed on teachers. As my time to begin teaching draws nearer the need to become a good teacher also grows increasingly stronger.
Zhuang Yan from Anhui, China
(Degree student and Chairman of CSSA) |
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My ex-roommate Zhuang Yan is from Anhui Province. When I look back on our year together, a wealth of interesting recollections come to my mind. In particular, we were close confidantes. The heart-to-heart talks we had, helped her to pick up many colloquial Cantonese expressions from me, while I benefited from improving my not-so-perfect Putonghua by speaking to her. This lovely roommate of mine has made my hostel life both happy and rewarding.
Yuen Sze-wa from Hong Kong
(Degree student) |
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