STUDENT REPORT - HKUST Spring Semester 2010
Name of the University: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Names of the students:
Jørgen Bråten Nordby
Audun Aarnes Breder
Ole Andreas Lågøen
Anders Strand
Håkon Hafskjær
Exchange semester: Spring, 2010
Introduction
Our experience in Hong Kong can’t really be described in a few sentences. It has simply been a
fantastic journey. Pretty much all the exchange students had a great time, and us Norwegians
from BI all agreed that the semester in Hong Kong has been the best 6 months of our lifes.
If you are considering applying for HKUST as your exchange venue, then we can promise that
you will not regret your decision. If you have already been accepted at HKUST, then
congratulations, you have a lot to look forward to.
This report will provide you with some practical information that is good to know. At times we
encountered some difficulties, but everything always worked out fine in end.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is on a hillside with a stunning view
overlooking Port Shelter on the Clear Water Bay peninsula. The university was built eleven years
ago and is situated about forty minutes by car from Hong Kong Island. As of January 2009 there
are over 9000 students enrolled, 6000 undergraduate and 3000 graduate, with approximately 150
exchange business students. The institution also has engineering-IT- and science programs. The
library is comprised of a large, five story edifice which includes individual study spaces, group
study rooms. The study structure is different from what you are used to at BI. It is similar to high
school in that there is a class structure which incorporates 20 to 100 students per class, and
attendance as well as participation in each class is vital to the success of the programs.
Sporting facilities
A very nice thing about HKUST is the wonderful sports facilities at the school. A couple of years
ago, a very rich Chinese business man donated 800 million HKD so the school could invest in
sporting areas for the students.
These sporting facilities include:
Tennis courts
There are a total of 5 tennis courses as of June 2010. They are building more which hopefully will
be ready by early 2011. If the tennis courts are available you can use them as much as you want.
You might want to book online a week in advance, but we rarely did this. There is most pressure
on the courts in the afternoon so playing in the morning or the middle of the day might be a good
idea.
There is not possible to borrow rackets at the school so we all bought rackets in Hong Kong.
There are plenty of sport stores and rackets are cheaper than in Norway.
The Gym
The gym is a little smaller then at BI and the equipment is a little old, but you have the most
common machines and free weights so it should not be a problem if you like to work out a lot. The
gym is also free for students, and open from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm.
You must always bring your student card when you use the gym and you might be asked to
provide a “weight lifting certificate”, none of us where ever asked to provide this, but we heard
people who did.
The Gym also has 4 squash courts and a table tennis area. Challenging an Asian student at ping
pong is not a good idea.
The Swimming pools
The school has one indoor swimming pool which is open the whole year and an outdoor one
which is open in the summer when the weather is good. They usually open the gym in the middle
of April. Tanning at the outdoor pool is recommended.
Just like the gym, you must bring your student card when you go swimming. The pool might be a
little crowded during peak hours.
Football
There is a very nice football field which can be used as long as they are not booked by teams.
We played a lot with other exchange students and this is a great way to get to know other people.
We recommend that you try to organize some games in the beginning as a way of getting to know
people faster.
Other sports possibilities
A nice running track located at the football field.
Basketball court behind the football field
Golf: If you fancy a round of golf, this is possible but might be expensive if you need to rent clubs.
There are several driving ranges and a couple of courses within 30 minutes from the school.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before we left Norway we received two information packages containing all the necessary
documents and information we needed to register for the courses. Registration must be done by
a set date (IMPORTANT) and that includes insurance forms (we used Ansa and Europeiske),
passport visa applications as well as accommodation forms.
It is not difficult to go through the procedures but it does take some time filling out the forms. The
international student officer at HKUST is Ms. Wendy Cheung. She is extremely helpful and will
respond to any inquiries.
We recommend that you apply for a travel visa as soon as you get the package because the
process can be a long one. Your flight ticket should be booked early, and make sure you have a
flexible return ticket so that you can travel around Asia with your new friends.
Academic Calendar
 The spring semester 2010 begun 01.02.
 Last day of classes is in the beginning of May
 Examination period is the last to weeks of May
 Year ends 31.05
 Spring break is sometime during April (subject to change)
We arrived 15 days before the school started and definitely recommend this. It is nice to have
some extra time to meet all the new people and have a look around the city. If you arrive earlier,
the semester start will be easier because you get the knowledge you need before the first days
with classes.
Reception
The reception committee was friendly and the staff was well prepared for our arrival. The
introduction seminar for the exchange students is very informative, and there are numerous
opportunities to meet new friends. There is also a “buddy program” in place and if you sign up,
they have a full day arranged where each exchange student gets a Hong Kong buddy, and you
venture out to explore Hong Kong.
The buddies can be very helpful if you have any inquires. It is smart to spend some time with
them in the beginning. Some people have buddies who don’t care and others have buddies who
want to hang with you all the time.
Housing
During our semester we stayed on campus in a double room. While living on campus, you really
begin to understand the difference in cultures, as well as opportunities to get to know an
extremely diverse group of people. Most students choose to live on campus. This is definitely
recommended because it is very cheap, practical and you meet more people. The rooms at
campus might be a bit shabby, but the advantages of staying on campus certainly outweigh the
negative parts. We stayed in Hall Six which we highly recommend, because the hall is quiet and
quite new. Hall 7 is the newest hall and the nicest. Getting a room here would be optimal, but this
hall is popular so apply very early for this.
The campus beds are a little uncomfortable, a quick stop at Ikea is recommended to get sheets,
towels etc. For one semester the cost of living on campus is about 6000 NOK. There are no extra
charges (other than the extra cost for air conditioning). There are common rooms on every floor
where students meet, study and play games. There are fridges in the common room. Storing food
and drinks here is usually okay, although it can be stolen. We stored beer there all semester and
this was left alone. If you prefer to have a fridge in the room this can be bought in Hang Hau for
around a 1000HKD.
Campus rules
According to the campus rules; drinking is not allowed on campus. This is a rule that was broken
pretty much every day and no one ever got in trouble for it. As long as you behave nice and act
normally you should be fine. They even sell booze at the schools super market so they are pretty
chill when it comes to alcohol. They are however very strict about smoking. If you get caught you
will likely get a warning, but they may fine you or in worst case kick you out of the dorm rooms.
Costs
Compared to Norwegian prices Hong Kong is very inexpensive, but in relation to the rest of Asia,
it is one of the more costly cities. Having said that, food and necessities are really cheap, as are
public transportation and taxis. Shopping, “western dining” and partying cost more than in other
Asian countries, but the standards are pretty high. Textbooks cost about half of what we pay in
Norway, and can be bought at any of the university book shops. Travelling around Asia is also
very cheap and this is an opportunity that should be taken advantage of.
Some spending advice:
Even though things may appear cheap at first glance compared to Norway, it is easy to
overspend a little because of this. All the cheap taxi rides, cheap dinners and cheap beer will
eventually add up, so keeping a budget might be a good idea.
Transportation
When you need to use a taxi you should always call Taxi-Dennis. Then you can order taxis to
school and he gives a discount to students. All the students use him and he operates a small
army of drivers. Taxi-Dennis actually has his own Facebook group. His phone number is 937 913
63. Call him when you get to the airport. It saves you a lot of money and his drivers speak
English.
Using the subway is very easy and you must buy a card called the Octopus card. This card is
very practical and can be used not only for public transportation but also in a lot of shops at
school and around Hong Kong. Having a couple of hundred HKD stored on your Octopus card at
all times is good so you won’t have to deal with all the coins you get in change.
You should also apply for a student version of the octopus card, this gives you half price on the
metro (MTR). Ask a local student about this process.
The International Office
There is an International Office on campus. The contact person is Wendy Cheung
bmwendy@ust.hk. Her telephone number is (852) 2358-8047. Wendy’s assistant is Olive Tsang
(bmolive@ust.hk). Wendy and Olive can be found in the office for Business Department, and are
happy to help with any inquiries.
Exchange promotion
We participated in the Exchange fair at the University where all the exchange students represent
and promote their own school. We were provided with all the necessary materials. It was nice to
participate in this. We got the impression that the local students actually didn’t care so much
about this, but you should still do your best to promote BI and Norway as a destination. Since
Norway is known as an expensive country, you should try to get them to focus on other things,
but it is difficult.
Social Activities
The partying
There is an insane amount of partying going on among the exchange students and Hong Kong is
an amazing party venue. Here follows some advice that should be useful.
The place to be is a party street called Lan Kwai Fong, people just say LKF. This is a collection of
over 30 bars and clubs all located in the same street. On Thursdays there is ladies night in LKF,
Saturdays and Fridays is also good in LKF. On Wednesdays however, it is ladies night at a place
called Wan Chai, a lot of fun bars and clubs can be found here as well. We recommend Typhoon
and Carnegie. On every Wednesday, there is horse races in happy valley, this is nice for betting
and a must see. If you don’t have classes on Wednesday you might want to head out on
Tuesdays as well. If you are partying on Tuesday, then TST at the Kowloon side is the best place
to go. Sundays and Mondays are not as fun to go out, some recovering is recommended on this
days.
The University Bar
The place is just called the Unibar among students. This is a great place to chill. They have a
very cool bartender named Edmund. His is super cool and if you stay late he sometimes gives out
a lot of free drinks. The Unibar also serves food during the day. This food is better (and a little bit
more expensive) than the other restaurants at school.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
This student exchange experience has been valuable for many reasons. To start with, we have
improved our oral and written English. We have also experienced extremely different teaching
and learning techniques and an academic system which has been challenging but worthwhile.
For example in Norway we are very much responsible for our own learning. For the most part,
showing up for the final exam is all that is required. At HKUST, however, attendance is
mandatory, participation is required, and there are assignments to be handed in almost every
week. The required work through the semester will lead to a good structure of your studies and
the exam period don’t have to be that intense.
We have increased our view of the world, learned to know many different people which serves as
a great international network, and had lots of fun and adventures.
In our view and from our adventures at HKUST, an exchange experience has nothing but a good
influence on your future career. By actually living in another culture as opposed to a short visit
opens ones attitudes and challenges ones preconceptions. It is also a great move if you want to
work in international offices, because one can gain a linguistic advantage, as well as valuable
“people” experience. It can also help open ones eyes to all the marvelous opportunities that exist
in the world.
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The level of study is high because of the intense competition in the classes. The local students
nickname for the school is Hong Kong University of stress and tension. Don’t let this scare you
though. You must probably work a bit more than at BI, but the learning experience is worth it and
you still have enough time for partying and traveling.
The grades are distributed based on the curve, that is, your grades are based on how well you do
compared to the other students in your class. You have to put in a good workload to do
good/pass the courses. The content of the courses are similar to BI, but at HKUST they hold 7.5
credits (in relation to BI's 6 credits) so they are somewhat more extensive. The professors expect
every student to give an effort to the schoolwork, and we recommend you participate in as many
classes as you can. It is an intensive semester, so it is important to keep up and begin your
studies from the start of the semester. Your grade is based on two exams (midterm and final
exam), case studies, home work, group projects, presentations and participation points. It really
depends on which courses you take. Many of the exchange students have easy, elective courses,
but BI requires us to take certain courses.
Required Literature
The textbooks are of high academic quality and are generally very well written and easy to
understand. The textbooks are usually pretty detailed, so if there are questions not answered in
lectures, they are available in the books. Also, for those interested, the school book shop has a
great selection of well known business books which are much cheaper than in Norway. I think we
each bought 5-10 extra books that was not required reading for the courses.
Exams
The exams are based mainly on lectures, but textbooks are also necessary. The professors are
very good in preparing the students on what topics are tested. Take a look at the learning
objectives presented in the syllabus in each class, and use these for your exam preparations. We
had Multiple Choice and written exams, both short- and long answers. The time is often very
limited, and you must be well prepared before the exams, because you won't have much time
contemplating the answers. We felt that the questions were okay, but the time pressure was just
beyond imagination. It is easy to get stressed out by this so be mentally prepared for this.
The level of knowledge required to pass the classes varies, but about 60 to 70 percent will give
you a passing grade. The mean in the classes is generally somewhere between 70 to 90 percent
with standard deviations of 7-15 percent.
Description of Courses
Course name:
Exam
Major at BI (Approved as)
FINA111 Financial Management
Written
Finans I (com)
MGMT235 Negotiation
Written
Engelsk muntlig
MGMT231 Human Resources Management
Written
Ledelse og HRM (com)
ISOM162 Operations Management
Written
Logistikk (com)
ACCT221 Management Accounting II
Written
Operativ Okonomistyring (com)
(We choose ACCT 221, which is more difficult than ACCT 220, so that made us struggling a bit,
but still we learnt a lot from that course)
MGMT222 Business, Society and the Individual None
(Engelsk muntlig)
Comments:
Negotiation was the absolute best course ever. You will probably learn more in this course than
any other class you will ever take in your entire life. The class is taught by Stephen Nason, a
MBA professor who is ranked as one of the schools best teachers. This course is one of the most
popular courses so apply for this as early as you can and don’t give up if you don’t get it at first.
Don’t giving up means: mail professor Nason and beg if you don’t get the course, tell him how
important it is for you. (he is a cool guy so it might work) The course is also relatively easy in
terms of grading.
The ISOM class is very comprehensive, and the workload could be heavy. It is an introductory
course so be aware that there are many topics to be covered. The final exam is usually difficult.
Work hard and spend time on doing exercises and solving problems. It is recommended to attend
class, but we were not happy with our professor, so we chose to study by our self and not attend
class that much.
The accounting class is also very difficult. This is due to the fact that it is mainly in place for the
accounting majors. This was the class most Norwegian students struggled with. Our advice is to
establish a good relationship with the professor, show up for class, and do all the homework.
Spite it being a very difficult course; we learned a lot from taking it.
The Human Resource Management class is very boring, and sometimes we questioned its
usefulness. The workload is rather easy so this might be an okay pick if you want more time for
other courses.
The finance course is very good. They have a great system called My Finance Lab where you
can do practice questions. A lot of work in MFL = a better grade!
Quite a bit of work required for this class but definitely worth it to put down some effort here. If
you are interested in stock trading, try to get to know the Indian finance professor Vasavan
Somanath. He trades stocks when he does not teach and he was very friendly answering
different questions before and after class.
The business, society and the individual course is only useful if you need the extra credit. The
course is more or less just oral and you write some reflection logs. So if you want to practice
written and oral English, this course can be helpful. The workload was really easy.