The Hong Kong University
of Science and Technology
The Exchange report
ANR:620924
Name: Erik Jan Poelen
E-mail: e.j.s.poelen@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Fall 2013
Academic year: 2013/2014
Host University: HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Country: Hong Kong (China)
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
For this semester I lived in the most vertical city of the world: Hong Kong. The HKUST
university campus was located at the border of the city at Clear Water Bay. A beautiful blue
bay surrounded in green, populated with hard working students. The campus is build along
the bay and consists of the ‘old’ building and the new business building that just opened up.
Sometimes you have to travel a while to get to your lecture halls, but don’t be afraid of that:
there are enough escalators, elevators and friends to help you on the way. Everyone is very
kind and you can also ask the way if you’re late.
HKUST really stands out in its facilities. For breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack you have many
choices. You can go to LG1/LG7 for all kinds of Chinese Japanese food, but there are also
corners where they make western food. Ocean front is all the way below at the Student halls.
It is open till 2:00 am, so you can always get some nice roasted chicken before you go to
sleep! There are still some more places where you can food during the day, but the best one
should be the MC Donalds. The best things (ore probably the worst) is that prices run as low
as 20 hkd (approx 2 euro) for a Big Mac MENU.
Because the food is quite cheap you are probably going to eat a lot. HKUST knows this and
that is why there are plenty of sports facilities. At the bay there are: outdoor pool, indoor pool,
basketball field, running track, football field and a tennis court. The campus provides: gym,
climbing walls, table tennis, squash, dancing halls, and a basketball/badminton hall.
If you want to go to the city centre you have to take the bus/MTR ore take a cab. (1hour/
20minutes). Food is really a big thing in Hong Kong. People work very long hours in the city,
so when they are finished they want to relax. There is a very large range of good restaurants
with affordable prices, because of the competiveness. The night life is different from Holland,
but really tremendous. On Tuesdays you should go the Wanchai (Financial centre of Hong
Kong) for very cheap drinks and on Thursday/Friday/Saturday Lang Kwai Fong is the way to
go. Many different beautiful clubs, but beware: with high prices. Prices may run from 10 euro
to unlimited for drinks, so I advice you to go the 7/11 to get that Heineken bottle for just 1 euro
and have the same good time!
What is different from Tilburg?.. What is the same?! You are on new grounds. Do not expect
life will be same for that semester. It is really going to be an adventure. Consider this before
applying.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Visa procedure and arrival
 How long did it take you to arrange your (student) visa (if relevant)?
It took me some hours, but just to make sure there were no problems.
 How much did you pay for the visa?
I cannot recall that. (40-60 euros)
 How was your arrival organized?
The weekend before the start of the semester there is a buddy meeting and a tour
through the city. Both of them are recommendable, because you will learn your
buddy and your exchange students!
 Did someone pick you up from the airport/station?
No. You can just take a cab to the university or your hotel.
 How was the reception at the school?
Okay. Just like normal ones: always a little bit stressed on busy days.
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
Yes, very well. Administration is always controlled on the university.
Orientation/Introduction activities
 Was an orientation or introduction activity organized?
The orientation day was on the weekend before the start of the semester. We went
to see some things of the city and famous/important places. You should definitely
go there because of two reasons: you have to meet your fellow exchange students
and you will see some nice places of the city!
 Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
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Yes. There is a buddy day. At this day you will meet your buddy and have lunch.
Please do this, because your buddy knows a lot and are always willing to help you
quite a lot. They only apply for it, because they want to make some new friends.
Very respectable.
Did you have a student mentor/buddy?
Yes, check above.
Housing
 How was accommodation organized?
Accommodation is organized by the university itself. You can apple for 1 of the 9
student halls. Hall 1 is the oldest one and hall 9 the newest. I applied for hall 9, but
at the end I was confirmed to live in hall 1 for the semester. At first sight I was
disappointed, but believe me, it is the best hall to be in if you really want to live
abroad for the semester. Hall 1 contains the most Hong Kong and Chinese people
and has the most active and funniest hall committee. Everyone is very kind to
everyone and you really proud of your hall. (This seems a little bit silly, but at the
end you will feel the same wearing your Hall T-shirt).
Prices of the halls varies from 120-160 euro /month.
 Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a
place to live after you arrived?
As said before: organized in advance by the university. Every student will get a
room.
 What kind of housing does the university provide?
2-person rooms in one of the 9 halls.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
All the support you need for housing.
 Were you satisfied with your accommodation?
Yes after knowing everything I was. In the beginning I was confused how two
people could live in such a small room. Housing is very, very expensive in Hong
Kong. Prices of 1500 Euros for 40 square meters are normal, so I was very happy
with my small, but affordable room.
 Any special issues or good ideas/useful websites for prospective students?
past exam papers hkust on google search for old exams.
Living Costs
 How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from
Tilburg University?
I used private money.
 What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg?
Housing was a lot cheaper. Food far more expensive, because you cannot make
your own food apart from breakfast. All other expenses like travelling and going
out is really hard to say, because this really depends on what you want to see and
how you want to see it.
 What did you spend most of your money on?
Flight tickets.
 What would you advice future students to spend their money on?
If you are low on cash my advice would always be: spend money on things you
cannot do in Tilburg. You can buy clothing here, drink lots of alcohol, but this is
not unique about going to the other side of the world. Go eat specialty food, go
travelling > cultural expenditures!
 Please outline your approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange:
 Housing
∫120 euro
 Food
350 euro
 Transport
50/300
 Books
100 euro university books which is very cheap compared to Tilburg. This is the
total amount for the semester.
 Miscellaneous
Individual spending is not important, because it is unstable and differs per
person.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date & introductory week
Weekend before the first of of the semester, see below.
 First day of the semester?
1 september
 Last day of classes?
10 december
 Mid-term break?
You get a final break of one week.
 Examination period?
Around two weeks, but beware: this really depends on what courses you take.
 Any special events?
Yes there are some Chinese holidays at which you will not have class. These
events often change date, but I had around three free days off school.
The International Office
 Is there an international office?
Yes there is. You will already contact them before you go to Hong Kong. My
coordinator was Wendy Cheung. I really nice lady that helped you very swiftly.
 Who is responsible for incoming exchange students?
Wendy Cheung
 How does the international office function?
When you send them an e-mail they will response very fast. There is an office
where you can make an appointment and your problems will solved in most cases.
 Are you satisfied with the information provided to you by the international office?
Yes I did not have any diffulculties whatsoever.
Social Activities
 Which social activities are organized by the university/students for exchange students?
Almost every section. Sport clubs, theatre, movie, arts, study associated et cetera.
In the first weeks there will be stands at the Atrium with all the information
provided.
 Is there a student organization for international student?
Yes there is one, but not really used. There will be a facebook for exchange
students which is far more important if you want to meet exchange students.
 Did you have contact with local students?
Yes. My buddies and the students living in my hall. I recommend this if you want to
learn something about the Chinese culture and have the feeling that you are really
somewhere else.
 Did you have contact with other exchange students?
Yes. My best friends were also exchange students. From Norway and the United
States.
 Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
Yes. Mainland China, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Culture and Language
 Did you experience culture shock while on exchange?
Not really. Hong Kong is a big financial centre. A western city for sure.
 How would you compare your host culture to your own culture?
In China you are part of a group. It is less about the individual, which is sometimes
hard to understand. People live by the rules and you are not going to change that.
Rules are rules, no bargains.
 What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange?
We often have too many prejudices. For most things and habits there is always a
reason.
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What was different about your host culture than you expected?
Very, very kind and helpful. Something I did not expect. The Chinese culture has
far more respect than the western culture.
Do you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to
learn more?
I thought the western culture was great, but there are really some things that could
change and are always very ethical. The Chinese culture also had his downsides,
but you should use both cultures and make a perfect mix of cultures!
If you travelled to other cities/countries during your exchange, were they different than
your host city/country, and how?
Hong Kong is very rich and modern. You will see that this is not the case in most
cities in China. Also the capital cities of China are less western than Hong Kong.
Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
Not at all. Hong Kong civils are good English speakers and the university is
English managed.
Did you follow language courses during your exchange?
No.
Did you follow the Erasmus Intensive Language Course?
No
Personal Development
 How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point
of view?
Think more before you act. I met many intellectual people with a lot of different
opinions about almost every object. Try to talk as much as possible. I learned more
from this than going to lectures.
How do you think the exchange experience will influence your future career possibilities?
The financial district really inspired me. After this exchange I chose the banking
life, which is very exciting.
 What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange?
It really does not matter from what country ore religeon you are from. Everybody
can go together and have a great time. Keep in mind that everyone is a student, so
you already have great shared interests.
 Would you do things differently if you had the chance, and what would you do differently?
I have no regrets at all. I had a great time. I met many great people, seen beautiful
landscapes and I got all my ECTS the way I wanted them.
 What was your best experience, and what was your worst experience?
See the mountains in Guilin. Got my wallet pickpocketed.
 What will you never forget about your exchange period?
The amazing people I met.
 What was the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange
period?
I think I can have a good time with almost every kind of people. My friends were
really different from each other, but I never had a fight with them and was able to
keep them together pretty well.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
 In what language(s) are the courses offered at a partner university?
English
 Did you follow any courses taught in the language of the host country?
No
 Which courses did you take and why?
Microeconomics II, Derivatives, Financial markets, Portfolio management. This
subjects are all about finance and microeconomics is decent for your mathematical
skills. I wlll major in Finance, so this was the best package available.
 Which courses would you recommend?
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All of them except Microeconomics II. Takes a lot of time and is very hard. Lost too
much time on this course, because you want your time for other things on an
exchange.
How would compare the academic level at your host university to the academic level at
Tilburg University (e.g.: level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English,
workload, etc.)?
I would say the same, but keep in mind that the students are far smarter than in
Tilburg. Everyone, even the exchange students, pay attention and score high
grades on exams. Sometimes the average of an exam is 8.5 and because you are
graded with a class distribution you have to get really high scores for good marks.
Is the teaching style primarily practical or theoretical?
Almost the same as in Tilburg. Classes are far smaller though.
What teaching method is practiced by the host university: case studies, group work,
seminars or lectures (or a mix)?
I would say a mix. Most of it are lectures, but you get group work, presentations,
case studies et cetera.
How would you describe the relationship between the students and the teaching staff?
Teachers have the authority, but they are really in to help you and are faster and
better on answering e-mails than Tilburg professors.
In general, were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange?
Yes. I still managed to get decent/high grades while doing a lot of other things. This
is how exactly how I wanted it.
Exams
 What types of exams did you have to sit?
Written exams, all of them.
Other
 Can students easily access the library and its resources?
Yes. The library countains many books, a lot more than in Tilburg and there is
enough space to study if you get there before 11 am!
 Were there public computers available on campus/in university buildings?
Yes, but not so many. Bring your own laptop if this is possible. You are really going
to need it, because you cannot rely on computers of the university.
Description of Courses
Please list all courses you have taken at a partner university in the form below:
 Course title and code
FINA3104 Investment analysis and Portfolio Management
FINA3204 Derivatives
FINA3304 Financial Markets
ECON3133 Microeconomics II
 Course level (BA/MA)
BA
 Prerequisites, if any
Finance 1, Finance 2 and Microeconmics I.
 Form of exam
Everthing was written, except for FINA3304 there were also some presentations
and quizzes.
 ECTS credits you have obtained in total:
32
 Comments: Relevance, Difficult/easy, Practical/theoretical, Enrolment problems
Example:
Course name:
1234 finance
FINA3104
FINA3204
FINA3304
Prereq.
None
finance 1&2
finance 1&2
none
Exam
Major at TiU
Approved as
(Common/elective/extra)
Written
Finance Elective
written
FinanceElective
written
FinanceElective
written & oral FinanceElective
ECON3133
microeconomics 1
written
Please fill in all the courses you have taken
free choice
Tips for the future students:
 Would you recommend an exchange period?
Yes definitely, but only if you are prepared and willing to go on a real adventure.
Ofcourse, study is very important ( I also take my study very serious), but this is
not the main learning point of an exchange. Do you want to broad your vision on
the world and maybe even more important: on people? Yes? Apply! I really have to
say it was a one life experience.
 Would you recommend your host university?
I would recommend my home university, because first of all it is one of the highest
ranked out of the list of host universities. Hong Kong is really a multiculti city and
you have many opportunities to learn a lot about all kinds of cultures.
 What should prospective students absolutely not forget before going on exchange?
A semester may seem like a long period, but before you know it is over. Make the
best out of it. Try to look up the exam dates to make a planning if you want to
travel.
 How can they better prepare before going on exchange to this destination?
I just did everything that was asked from me and I took a look at the tips at
blackboard. I did not have any problems, so I think you should just stick to this as
well.
 Was there anything you should have arranged before departure that you haven’t?
No, I did not have major problems that I can remember.
Contact details:
Students can always contact me on the following e-mail address:
e.j.s.poelen@tilburguniversity.edu