Experience report
ANR: 207903
Name: Bobby Lindhout
E-mail: b.g.lindhout@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Fall
Academic year: 2015-2016
Host University: The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
Country: Hong Kong
Admission, arrival, housing
It might take a while before you receive an official letter of admission because of the large number of
applicants. This is not unusual and I would advise future exchange students not to worry too much
about the application status once all the documents have been sent.
I took a flight from Amsterdam to Hong Kong International Airport with a brief stop at Dubai International
Airport. HKU appointed a ‘’buddy’’ to pick me up from the airport and to guide me through my first days
of the exchange. The buddy system is very helpful for those who might experience problems,
homesickness etc during their studies abroad. A buddy is usually a local Cantonese HKU student who
can answer every question regarding culture, housing, academics etc.
Once I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport I took the Skytrain, which takes you to the stop ‘Hong
Kong’ on Hong Kong Island. The stop Hong Kong is very near (walking distance) your next stop Central.
When you enter the Central station you can take the island line, which takes you to the stops HKU,
Kennedy Town, etc. depending on the location of your accommodation. Make sure that you get an
Octupus card on the day of your arrival to use the public transportation. You can recharge the card at
any time and the card can also be used for small payments, such as drinks in your local 7 Eleven.
I was living in Jockey Club Student Village III, Lap-Chee located in Kennedy Town. It is safe to say that
JCSV III is the best housing HKU has to offer. JCSV III opened a few years ago and is modern, clean
and fun. Every college has its own media room and is accessible 24/7. All the colleges in JCSV III are
equipped with a music room and multiple studying facilities. Every floor has its own mix of local and
exchange students so it is easy to make new foreign friends as well as local friends. My roommate for
example was a local student and he was studying Biology. The rooms are not very spacious but well
above average for Hong Kong-standards. I paid approximately EUR 850,- for the whole fall semester,
which is surprisingly cheap for Kennedy Town. I would definitely recommend JCSV III for your housing.
I had friends living in other residential colleges (e.g. Pokfield Rd.) and they all wished they had picked
JCSV III for their stay abroad.
Location of university/city
Hong Kong is a beautiful city and a great place for studying abroad. Hong Kong is immensely
diversified and is therefore frequently called the city where ‘’East meets West’’. Hong Kong can be
best divided into four parts; Kowloon, Hong Kong island, New Territories and the surrounding islands.
Kowloon is the more traditional part of Hong Kong whereas Hong Kong island is more western and
modern. HKU is located on Hong Kong island as well as the accommodation provided by the
university. For bars, partying, shopping and academics, Hong Kong island is the place to be and is
most likely the part where you will spent the most of your time. Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) and Mid-levels,
located near Central station, are often packed with people looking to party at the bars and clubs
during the night time. I noticed very quickly that drinking on the street is not prohibited in Hong Kong.
You will notice that many people will buy their (alcoholic) drinks at a local 7 Eleven and stay outside
the store before they enter a bar or club. Drinks inside bars and clubs are relatively expensive
compared to the retail price and explain this phenomenon. Unlike the Netherlands, almost every day
in Hong Kong is a good day to go out with your friends. For example, Wednesday evening is ladies
night at LKF and Thursday night is ladies night at Wan Chai.
Kennedy Town is a relatively new part of Hong Kong and has lots to offer. The MTR-station was only
recently completed, which made Kennedy Town a lot more popular amongst locals and foreigners. As
an exchange student at HKU, you will be most likely located here. Kennedy Town has a lot of cheap
places to grab breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most students don’t cook that often and will go for a quick
meal to one of the many restaurants in Kennedy Town or on the HKU campus. KFC, McDonalds and
other different western restaurants as well as supermarkets are located nearby so there are always
plenty of options to fulfill your needs. As an exchange student, you should definitely try 3 AM Dim
Sum located near McDonalds. The Dim Sum restaurant is very famous in Hong Kong and is a perfect
place to stop by after a night out with your friends.
Academics
As an International Business Law student, Hong Kong was the perfect place exchange destination for
me. Hong Kong is a leading financial center and HKU offers the highest level of education in Asia.
You can pick your courses using an online enrollment system once you have arrived. The first two
weeks of the semester are the ‘’add/drop period’’ in which you can switch courses if you do not find
them satisfying. Once the add/drop period ends, you cannot change your courses anymore. I picked
the courses: Regulation of financial markets, Corruption in China, Securities regulation and Economic
analysis of the law. Once my courses started I immediately noticed that the level of education is very
high compared to my home university. All the students are very competitive and speak English
fluently. Class participation is very much appreciated and students are not afraid to ask any
questions. As opposed to courses at Tilburg University, I noticed that discussions in the classroom
frequently take place.
Most of my exams were take-home exams or papers instead of the in-hall exams I was used to in
Tilburg. Usually a limited period of time will given (3-4 weeks) to students to answer 3-4 open
questions (8000 words). This system has its advantages as well as its downsides. The more work you
put into your take-home exam, the better it will be of course. As I had mentioned before, the level of
education is very high. If you are contemplating studying abroad at HKU please be aware that exams
are not easy to pass and your fellow (exchange) students will expect a proactive attitude from you in
group assignments, presentations etc. If you are not willing to put any effort into studying during your
exchange period, HKU is not the place for you. My experience is that an exchange to HKU is very
academically satisfying while there is plenty of room for travelling, partying and cultural activities.
The HKU campus was recently renovated and even has its own MTR-stop (‘’HKU’’) now, which is
perfect since Kennedy Town is only one stop away. The HKU campus is a perfect mix of old cultural
and new high-tech buildings. The HKU campus has some amazing views, which overlook Victoria
Harbour and the skyline of Shim Tsa Tsui. The new part of the HKU campus, Centennial Campus,
has all the new facilities you could wish for such as a gym, a Starbucks and multiple canteens. The
learning center can hold up to 2000 students at the same time. However, make sure to make a
reservation in advance to guarantee yourself a spot since studying is a way of life in Asia. Overall the
HKU campus is the nicest campus I have seen in my life.
Social life
Social life at HKU is great. The great thing about studying abroad is that you are not alone. Every
exchange student is open to make new friends, just like you. The day I arrived in Hong Kong I already
met a lot of new and fun people. Some of those people have become friends for life and we still keep
in touch.
The local and incoming exchange students on my floor were both very friendly and welcoming. I
arrived the last week of August just like most exchange students. The local students usually return to
their university housing when the first week of the semester approaches. A floor meeting will be
planned in the first week of the semester when all your floor mates have checked in.
HKU organizes a party on the campus for the incoming exchange students in the first week of
September. This is a great way to meet all the exchange students at once. I noticed that a lot of
activities between exchange students were planned using WhatsApp. The idea was that exchange
students added other exchange students to the group. This is an easy way to stay in touch with
everyone and you can easily pick the planned activities you like the most. A lot of ideas,
recommendations, dos & don’ts and trips are shared using this form of media.
Every semester at HKU has a ‘’reading week/field trip’’. This is a week with no planned courses so
that all students can revise their course materials. As opposed to local students, exchange students
use the reading week to do some travelling/exploring. For example, I went to Thailand for a week with
a close group of friends whom I’ve met during my stay in Hong Kong.
Living costs
Future exchange students should keep in mind that Hong Kong is not a cheap city to live in. Luckily I
received the Holland Scholarship to further finance my study abroad. As I had mentioned before, the
housing costs for a semester (fall) was about EUR 850. Most exchange students didn’t cook
themselves so you will be likely to eat most of your meals out of the door. An average meal is about 3
– 4 EUR in Kennedy Town. HKU campus also has a lot of restaurants/canteens where you can find a
very cheap meal. Another very cheap alternative is the take-out sushi shop located near the
McDonalds in Kennedy Town.
(Alcoholic) drinks at the 7 Eleven are very reasonably priced and is a relatively cheap way to save
some money before entering one of the many clubs and bars in the LKF area. A night out in Hong
Kong can be very cheap, but can also be very expensive depending on your taste. Some clubs might
charge an entry fee depending on the night and the diversification of your company (male/female –
ratio).
Luckily I didn’t have to buy any textbooks. The course materials for all my courses were uploaded
weekly on Moodle, which is very similar to Blackboard. Additional reading materials can be bought in
the bookstore on campus.
I would say that I’ve spent most of my monthly budget on food and drinks. I would recommend a
minimum budget of EUR 750 a month.
Culture
I have been to Hong Kong twice before so I didn’t expect or experience any kind of culture shock
while in Hong Kong. Neither did my friends or any other exchange students that I am aware of. Hong
Kong is very western for an Asian city and it makes you feel familiar with the environment quite
quickly. Hence, they call it the city where ‘’East meets West’’. The nice thing about Hong Kong is that
you can experience and explore all the Asian sensations the city has to offer while you don’t have to
miss your Western ‘’habits’’ if you don’t want to. Hong Kong has a lot to offer cultural wise. You can
explore the Big Buddha, the Peak, the Ten Thousand Buddha Monastery, food markets and many
more.
In addition, all the students speak English very well and fluently, which makes it easy to ask questions
and to establish new relationships. The local Cantonese people are very open and easy to talk too.
The Chinese people from Mainland China are in my opinion more conservative and less social, but
they are less numerous than the local Cantonese people. I think that the local Cantonese people are
more familiar with foreigners and international students, which makes Hong Kong a great place for an
exchange destination.
Personally, going on an exchange to Hong Kong was one of the best decisions I have made in my
life. The city has so much to offer and I wish I could go back. I think this exchange has also played a
crucial part in my personal development. I have made a lot of new friends and had a lot of awesome
experiences during my studies abroad. I can really recommend Hong Kong as an exchange
destination and I am sure a lot of my fellow exchange students would agree. But I would definitely
recommend studying abroad in general. This is an awesome experience for personal development
and a chance to explore the world while it is a unique selling point on your curriculum vitae.