Until the early 1990′s there were three main “old” Universities in Hong Kong. This year, Hong Kong University is celebrating its centenary. There were also some polytechnic colleges. In the 1990′s the government responded to the need for more University demand. It took up the option of giving the polytechnics a full University status. City University is one of these former polytechnic institutions, formed in 1994. There is still much development and growth occurring in the Hong Kong university system. The University has a links with many different international Universities and the Hong Kong education system still places significant importance on international experience for its students.

At City University of Hong Kong, the academic year starts at the end of August. There are two semesters and then also a summer term. The first semester is a 13 week period followed by a revision week and then two weeks of examinations. After the three week Christmas break, the 15 week second semester starts. This is also followed by a revision week then three weeks of examinations.

After the two semesters there is another three week break (end of May/early June) then there is the summer term which is seven weeks, one revision week and one examinations week. It seems that this term is not compulsory and the courses run in this term are optional and additional course. The University is a lot quieter at this time but there are still undergraduates around, attending classes.

The class schedule at CityU starts at 0830 and finishes at 2230, Monday-Friday. There are also Saturday lectures running from 0930 to 1820. Each lecture slot is the standard 50 minutes but certainly the students I deal with have a lot of double slots of basically a two hour lecture.

The module system here seems very different to the UK. The students are expected to have a certain level of English language before they get to University. As I have mentioned before, the courses are taught and examined in English and there is a strong emphasis put on English for business.

A student leaving high school with a good level of English is required to accrue at least 95 credits over the course of a three year degree programme. This is a brief breakdown of compulsory areas:

6 credits: English

6 credits: Chinese culture and civilization

9 credits: Out of discipline studies (3 of which are “General Education” modules e.g. rational thinking)

Although the Chinese culture may seem odd, I think it is mostly due to the fact that during the time that Hong Kong was under British control, the school children probably had a limited history education in relation to Chinese history. Since the handover back to mainland China this has become an important feature.

The grading of a module follows a letter system of A (excellent), B (good), C (adequate), D (marginal) and F (failure). The grades A-D also have a + and – factor (e.g. A+, A or A-). Some modules may only have a pass or fail situation in which case the grade P means “pass”. The letter grades are associated to a grade point from which the grade point average (GPA) is calculated. A+ (4.3), A (4.0), A- (3.7), B (3.3-2.7), C (2.3-1.7), D (1.0) and F (0.0). If a module is failed or a D grade obtained then the student is allowed to repeat it twice. Retake is not permitted for a dissertation type course.

As a scientist, in the UK most Universities give the students at least one day a week, every week in the laboratory. The practical laboratory work is a separate module and is typically worth 30-40% of the yearly credits. It is compulsory and as the saying goes, “failure is not an option”. The laboratory classes also use postgraduate students as demonstrators.

In Hong Kong, there is no separate laboratory classes. Each module will have one or possibly two practicals associated with it and these will be less than a day. They are overseen by technicians and there are no demonstrators. Maybe it is because of this structure that they do not cover many things but they certainly get significantly less exposure to practical chemistry and in general there are several areas which are not covered in the lectures that would be core to a UK chemistry degree.

The final year undergraduate practical research project is also optional! In the UK this may be 50% of the final year mark, working in a research lab alongside PhD students and postdocs. The final year project (FYP) for students at CityU is worth 6 credits. Since they have less practical experience they do need more supervision and guidance (this include the standard safety and good lab practice). They are also not allowed to use certain equipment. For any chemist reading this, they are not allowed to use the NMR – so I have to run their samples for them. This means it is quite a lot of work for me. I admit it can be frustrating but I work hard to teach them what it means to do research.

Since my experience is in a science department I can give an insight into the workings of this curriculum but I am certainly not able to comment on other faculties. I admit I sometimes find it worrying that the students have gaps in their core skills (e.g. critical thinking), knowledge and practical experience but I have to accept (no matter how hard) that this is a different culture with a different education system.

Schools… where it all starts! This year it seems that many schools returned at the end of August and the summer holiday commences in July. Some schools seem to have a no homework policy whereas others give lots of homework. I know everyone has an opinion on education but based on my personal opinion I think it is a little odd that some high school age students are given no homework. From reading some resources and talking to people I have got to know, even primary school children will routinely be given two hours of homework per night.

There are many different international schools offering a UK curriculum, the international baccalaureate or other options. The fees for these vary considerably but many have good extra-curricular opportunities for the students. In terms of non-international schools, there are the government funded, privately-funded and charity type funded schools. In the New Territories (where I live) I see quite a few Christian schools which appear to be have originated from the missionaries that arrived in Hong Kong when it was established under British rule. Many wealthy families send their children over the border every day to Hong Kong to attend some of the international or private schools.

It has been confusing to try and determine the school system because I see children in school uniform on every day of the week and at all times of the day. Since the handover in 1997 there has been a gradual shift and now many schools seem to be moving towards the Chinese school qualifications and away from the UK system. This is just based on what some undergraduates have mentioned. English is taught as a second language but is mostly rote learning from a book.

Middle class families and others that can afford it put a lot of emphasis of extra classes and tutoring. School children routinely have extra tutoring or classes in the evenings or weekends (if the parents can afford it). There seems to be a competitive nature and a perception that more study makes better students. While there may be an element of truth in this, I worry that quantity is valued more highly than quality.

In the summer vacation periods many school children attend additional school courses. Some of these cover additional subjects and there are expat teachers who give the students the chance to practice conversational English. Since Hong Kong is a small place, most students still live with family while at University so cooking classes are also taught. This definitely helps the students (that can afford this extra education) but I sometimes worry about those less fortunate. Unlike the UK education system, even in school, the school does not provide books – these must be purchased by the students (i.e. by the parents). There were sensational headlines in the media this year when some key textbook publishers increased the prices by 20-35%! It is noteworthy that secondhand bookshops or charity shops do not exist in Hong Kong like in the UK! Education is an expensive business but some businesses make a lot of money out of it.

A lot of learning seems to be rote learning. Without wishing to offend, my experience of students in Hong Kong is that they seem to be spoon-fed are generally lacking in the critical thinking. I think this is not just in terms of education but also a cultural quirk. They seem to question things a lot less than we do in the UK. As a scientist this is obviously absolutely essential and it has taken considerable effort to get them to start thinking and questioning things. Even questioning why they make observations in a chemical reaction.

We are all used to undergraduates sat in the classroom and not speaking even when asked if they have questions, but I think due to the culture this is much more apparent in Hong Kong. Again, it is related to the lack of questioning but also a culture trend; one of the explanations many expats are given of why people don’t talk to us is because they are embarrassed that their English is not good enough. As a British person I am acutely aware that my Cantonese is dreadful and I try and get the students to teach me words so they should not worry! The culture of learning by real-life practice is something they seem uncomfortable with. I enjoy interacting with students and the mentoring part of my job so it sometimes saddens me that they don’t want to interact.

It seems that most Universities in Hong Kong operate using English as the main language. Here at City University of Hong Kong all courses are taught in English and the essays and exams are also in English. Students are therefore required to have a certain level of English in order to gain entry to the University. Cantonese is the main language of Hong Kong (and Southern China) but increasingly there is an emphasis on Mandarin and this is taught in schools too. From what I have heard that other Universities in Hong Kong are the same although there is the odd occasion where faculty member from mainland China did not speak English so the course was taught and examined in Mandarin.

Despite being small and not necessarily hosting lots of international conferences Hong Kong is a busy location for transfers and stopovers when people travel long distances. A lot of academics therefore are willing and able to pop in and visit us so researchers get a good opportunity to be exposed to international research.

For the postgraduate symposia where final year students presenting their work and second year students normally present a poster, the different Chemistry departments in Hong Kong have all joined forces and run the symposia together. Sadly this means that only one or two students from each University present a lecture but it is really interesting to be able to mix with people from the other Universities and look at student research however we don’t really see visiting speakers from other Hong Kong universities.

This is a personal viewpoint and some people may not agree with me, however, like the UK there is some mostly friendly rivalry between the universities. To a lesser extent the older institutions look down a bit on the younger institutions – but in my experience that happens everywhere and most of the time it is not a problem. Human beings are fickle creatures!

Another personal observation, which is where I think the cultural differences really become apparent is people’s willingness to talk to me. In the UK, restaurants, lifts etc. are usually quite quiet…. here they are really quite noisy as everyone talks to everyone else. The difference comes when it involves talking to someone you don’t know and most of all if they are foreign. This topic has come up several times when people ask me about living and working in Hong Kong. Outside the tourist haunts barely anyone speaks to me (apart from other expats). Generally it seems to be because I am foreign and apparently they are quite embarrassed and don’t want to talk to me because they are frightened in case their English is not good enough! I think most of us English speakers aren’t too offended or worried by this…. I speak barely any Cantonese! It is a shame because it leaves me feeling very isolated but also, most people at the University speak good English (and the best way to improve is to practice). It is very much a cultural thing and I guess us native English speakers take it for granted very often.

The lack of space almost certainly exacerbates this. The population density of Hong Kong puts all space at a premium – residential and business places are all squeezed in. There is no formal common room so the opportunities to chat to staff and students over a tea/coffee doesn’t happen. Each research group does their own thing. In the case of my department, the academic offices are on the sixth floor (rooms with a view) and the labs are on the ground and first floor (with no windows) there is less interaction between academics and research staff/students. My supervisor comes to the lab most days but we don’t really have any interaction with any other faculty which I think is a shame.

In terms of maintaining networks, I try and stay in touch with people in the UK who I have worked with – the age of e-mail and other social media makes that a lot easier. I use Twitter to keep up to date with information on science funding, policy and key bits of information. I still receive e-mail newsletters etc.

Anyway, I digress… I live in Sha Tin in the New Territories and barely see any Western faces. People seldom talk to me and it can be quite difficult.

Despite most people at the University speaking English I am acutely aware that people rarely speak to me (apart from the people in my lab). Officially, it is an English language University and courses and exams are done in English. Part of this may be shyness and I’m “foreign”.  It is probably is not aided by there being a lack of a common room facility to encourage people to interact with each other. Again, this is a problem of the lack of space in Hong Kong.  My British colleague commented that he found it the same when he arrived and it can actually be quite depressing.

Before coming to Hong Kong, in the UK I had various interests which often provided the social aspect of life too. This included sports. The one thing I have noticed here is a different attitude to sport and I have found it almost impossible to meet people this way. While the sport in the UK was friendly and people would talk to you even if they weren’t in your club/team, here there is nothing like that – in fact it is a very stark contrast.

I recently had a breakthrough and I actually had the chance to socialise! A colleague of mine in Hong Kong (also British) does quite a bit of running and recently one of his fellow runners sent an e-mail to try and recruit some help! Dragon boating is popular in Hong Kong and there are lots of companies that have corporate teams as well as other organisations. One of these teams were due compete in a day of races but they were desparately short of paddlers. So an e-mail went out and my colleague asked if I fancied giving it a go. I’m always up for trying a new sport so why not.

Talk about being thrown in at the deep end – I had a five minute talk about paddling technique and my first time in a dragon boat was for a race! There were five other novices so I think we’re excused for the poor performance! However, the biggest success of the day was I had people to chat to! The team was mostly comprised of expats – British, American and a couple of others but there were a few Hong Kong and mainland Chinese. Being from a corporate (finance) team, they all spoke excellent English and it was really nice to have company and people to chat to. This was the chatter and friendliness that I had missed since leaving the UK.

I also really enjoyed the sport so for the next few weeks I did some more races and went to all the training sessions. Sadly the sport isn’t really a year round sport. Most of the teams start training in March or April and the season culminates in the Dragon Boat festival which is a public holiday (Tuen Ng festival). There are a couple of events after this but most teams only work towards this bit day. There have also been a couple of nights out which have been fun too. One, similar sport is outrigging which does go on all year round so I might try and track that down!

So, sadly the dragon boating lasted four weeks and now I am trying to find other options for sport and meeting people. While talking to people I was told there is a website www.meetup.com where you can select countries and regions and find groups of people who have similar interests. For example there is a hiking group which I might try and get involved with. I was hoping to find a cycling group but sadly there isn’t one in Hong Kong. I wasn’t familiar with this website but it has information for sites all over the world – so whether you’re planning on moving to Hong Kong or somewhere else it could be a useful resource.

When you don’t get much interaction with people life can be quite miserable sometimes so this was a much needed boost. I think you definitely have to be proactive finding people. While I am not the kind of person who feels comfortable walking into a random bar on my own (there are people who do) I am trying to get out and meet people. Most socialising happens in areas on Hong Kong island but even from Sha Tin, it takes about 40 minutes on the MTR (underground) and costs less than £1 to get there.

Central is the main area, but there are restaurants/bars in the Wan Chai, Admiralty and Causeway Bay areas too. One of the most busy areas for bars is Lan Kwai Fong. At night, there are probably fairly similar numbers of foreigners (expats and tourists) as there are Hong Kong Chinese. The bars aren’t particularly cheap but its good fun.

I could have chosen to live in these kinds of areas but I had to consider the cost of living and that my commute to work would be longer and far busier. These areas are also considerably more built up and busy – therefore noise, air and light pollution are far greater. If you’re the kind of person who could happily live in the centre of New York or London when it seems activity goes on all night then you would be fine. For me… that’s not me!

I’m still trying to figure out the academic calendar here but there is very little interaction between researchers and undergraduates that I’m not sure. Just like the UK, there seem to be either two semesters or three terms and the academic year typically running from late September/October until late May/June. Just like the UK, it is common that final year undergraduate students will do a research project in a research lab but the students often spend the summer in the lab too… so ten days ago I met our four project students. They will get paid for the work they do over the summer and thankfully they seem interested and willing to ask questions.

One thing that struck me as odd – is that there seems to be a summer term and two of the students are doing courses this summer (although not chemistry). So, not everyone does the summer term courses. I must admit I’m not sure if they are additional credits or not. Although I am not familiar with the US style University system, there definitely seems to be a style of majors and minor subjects in the degree system.

The students here do not do as much practical chemistry courses as our students do in the UK, therefore there is a lot they have to learn – firstly to ensure they are safe in the lab and secondly that they have the necessary skills for working in the research environment. In my personal opinion, training chemistry students with the correct practical skills and awareness of safety and the importance of accuracy is paramount. It is essential that these lessons are learned early. Just like it is essential that the key techniques and hygiene issues are learned early by a chef. These are fundamental and basic principles.

Particularly early on in their projects, the students require a lot of supervision and guidance and I have been struggling to stay on top of the three projects I have to work on myself, however I find it very rewarding when they are clearly interested and learning. As I sit here typing this, I am having a break from writing the project outlines/plans of what they will be doing for the next eight months.

One of the things that I struggle with here is a culture that is far more authoritarian than I am used to in the UK (both in everyday life and at work). Also, while in the UK, the status of a postdoc has often been grey – we are staff but are often not treated as such – it is the same here but maybe further behind. Postdocs are still referred to as students! While as a researcher I spend my life learning, this is something that irks me a little.

I spent several, very intense days looking at various apartments.  In general this was after work since the agents are open from 10.00 am until 10.00 pm.  I viewed some on the Saturday and had an agreed price on the one I wanted by 8.00 pm on the Saturday when I’d been in Hong Kong for only nine days.  I had to get quite a lot of money together including getting some transferred from the UK so I paid HK$2000 to “secure” the apartment and had to fill in a “preliminary tenancy agreement” with the landlord present at the agency.

One thing that is quite useful about Hong Kong, well certainly City University, is that you can apply for an advance on your salary when you start.  They offer up to HK$15,000 – I must admit, I asked for HK$18,000 and they gave me HK$16,000 as a cheque which I then cashed at the bank.  Another good thing is that they don’t just take this out of your first pay packet (when you’ll have additional “start up” costs), they deduct HK$ 4000 per month from my salary for the first four months.  A well thought out system!

For a tenancy agreement and getting your apartment you will need money to cover the following:

• First months deposit upfront
• Two months deposit
• Commission to agency (you typically pay half a month’s rent and the landlord pays half a months rent)
• Stamp duty (paid by the tenant) – this is about 2.5% of a months rent (i.e. HK$200-250)

This is over three months rent.  You will get receipts for all of this but it is worth considering when sorting out finances before arriving.  When signing contracts I had to show my passport, National Identity card and a copy of my contract.  Various pieces of information (passport number etc.) are written on the contract.  One quirk of the system, is that the landlord will typically give you 5-7 days “free” in the apartment.  So, I moved in on the Monday and the Friday after this was 14^th January….. my rent is now due on the 14^th of every month and they term that as I lived in the apartment for “free” from Monday 10^th January until the Friday.

There is a standard government tenancy agreement that all agencies use – they just have their logo on it.  Renting in Hong Kong is done on a twelve month contract after which you can serve a one month notice – this means, even if you are on a twelve month contract and leaving Hong Kong after twelve months you have to pay/are tied into a 13 month contract.  It is useful to consider this when deciding how much you can afford/want to pay for rent.

So, on the Monday I sorted out money and after work I went to sign my tenancy agreement.  The agent was helpful in setting up utilities and arranged for me to have the gas people come and reconnect the gas on the Tuesday evening so I would have hot water!  This gave me time on the Monday evening to dash to IKEA to buy a duvet, bedding other household essentials (cutlery, crockery, detergents etc.) and also buy a kettle!  By the time I went to bed I was shattered…. less than two weeks in Hong Kong and yet so much had happened!

When I started here, there was a British postdoc who gave me an insight into a few bits of information.  He had a Hong Kong Chinese girlfriend to help with the language so they were two very useful people and I’m grateful for their help.  In all the agencies we went into there was at least one person who spoke fairly good English but it always helps to have someone who can communicate more directly in Cantonese.  It also helps to have someone who knows the system and can help you through it; it’s not difficult but when you’re new to a place it helps a lot and if nothing else you can have a little “good cop, bad cop” when negotiating.

Kowloon itself is very busy and very noisy.  The Southern parts are more up market and have more tourists so the prices are higher.  In general though Kowloon is very, very busy and very noisy.  I’m a country girl at heart, I like quiet places and not too much street light…. Why on Earth did I come to Hong Kong?!  The traffic never stops.

I was recommended to look at a place not far from Kowloon, in the New Territories called Sha Tin.  It’s quieter and a bit greener but less than 15 minutes on the train to get to University every day and only about 35 minutes from Hong Kong Island (where you’ll hear lots of English from the business guys and tourists).

When I arrived in Hong Kong I was told, if it’s not profitable, it doesn’t exist!  So, in terms of apartments, there are, what can only be described as “shoe boxes” or bigger apartments.  What you want is done by square feet not bedrooms and it is unusual to find furnished apartments.  A lot of the high rise blocks are situated above a shopping centre.  In Sha Tin there is street level, then a parking level, then a single floor of shops, a “garden” level above that and then the apartments start!  They seem to be a fairly uniform set up of two bedroom flats, some are a little bigger than others.  It was not uncommon to see only six inches between the side of the bed and the wardrobe.  The bathroom and kitchens are quite small and I’ve not seen a bath tub since I’ve been here…. showers only.

The Hong Kong culture is that people eat out a lot so kitchens are small and basic.  Of all the apartments I looked at there was only ever provision of a two ring gas stove.  A bit like the large gas camping stoves.

If you’re worried about furnished versus unfurnished then you need to think about how long you will be here.  There is an IKEA and you can buy electrical appliances in many places.  The gas stoves are about £25 but the fridge freezers are almost identical prices to those in the UK.  In terms of washing machines, there are many laundrettes (all provide a service – I’ve

not seen any that you sit and wait and do it yourself) and it seems to be quite cheap.  I must admit, I have a washing machine in my apartment so I don’t have to worry about that.  There’s not much of a “second hand” market in Hong Kong so selling things afterwards may not be easier but you can donate to charity.

So, currently, a two-bedroom apartment (with kitchen, living room and bathroom) is between 350 and 450 square feet and will cost between HK$8000 and HK$10,000 per month in Sha Tin.  You may find a bit cheaper, but it might be a little dingy!  I saw some ones that looked really tatty.  Typically in these flats, you can fit a double bed but neither of the bedrooms are particularly large.  I’m sure the beds are a little shorter and narrower than British ones to if you’re tall then consider how you will fit in!

Make sure you check the air con – make sure it works!  You’ll need it in the summer.  As you’d expect, you’ll pay more for a view.  I’d never really thought about it, but I can tell you that an apartment on the 27^th floor is just as noisy as the same apartment (facing the same way, same layout etc.) on the 4^th floor!

After seeing about fifteen or so I had narrowed it down to two…. Sha Tin is a good place for me.  One was nice but was more expensive – be prepared to haggle, you’ll probably be able to get about 10% off.  All property is done through agents… they will negotiate for you.  The agency I got the apartment with had a nice lady who was very helpful.  I just went to lots of agents and said what I wanted and viewed them.  They make a note and you have to fill in a form and sign it to confirm that they have shown you the properties and they note down what properties they have shown you (so it’s easier if you want a second viewing) – they will want to see your passport and your Hong Kong Identity card – they have to make a note of the numbers.

It was a busy waiting room (a bit like a hospital) where you got given a number (like the delicatessen counter in a busy supermarket) and you had to wait your turn.  It didn’t take too long, they check the form, take your photo and scan your thumb prints.  I had to put an address on the form, they said just to use the hotel address where I was staying – this does not need to be updated when you move apparently.  Initially I was issued with a “temporary identity card” in the form of an A5 certificate with my information on.  It takes two weeks for the card to be processed.  You are given an appointment time when you can go and collect it.

The proper identity card is like the UK drivers licence but it has the metal chip like your credit card.  I must admit I was quite surprised that they use certain data but you’re not required to have a current address on the system.  Although I had to use my passport too, when you sort out accommodation, open a bank account, set up utilities (gas, water, electric, internet etc.) you will need you identity card.  It is also a legal obligation to carry it on you at all times.  If you lose it, you have to pay for a new one!

For anyone who is curious, you can find more information here:

http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/idcard/hkic/smartid.htm

My first instructions were to report to the HR department at 9.00 am.  I was given forms to sign and I had to go and open a bank account immediately.  There’s a Hang Seng branch on campus so that was the easiest option, especially since I was told to open a bank account and then to go back to HR to complete the paperwork for payroll.  To open a standard account I only needed my passport and two official proof of address.  Drivers licence and other official letters.  They had my UK permanent address so that was ok but I could change it later.  I also needed a bank account for sorting out accommodation.  It only took about 15 minutes, then I walked out of the branch with an account, a card for getting cash and the PIN for using it (six digits unlike the UK four digit system).  To open the account I needed a deposit of HK$500 (just over £40) which I got using my UK card at the ATM.

I also had to provide the HR department with passport style photos for my personnel record and for my University ID card.  This was ready to collect later that day.  One thing I did note; I took a few passport photos with me which turned out to be useful.  I struggled to find a passport photo booth.  A lot of the admin staff said just to take one of myself using a normal camera and crop it.  I had a camera and laptop but no facility for printing colour photos in high quality.

After reporting back to HR I went to the departmental office.  The City University of Hong Kong is quite a small University so it wasn’t too bad finding my way around.  I was given more forms to fill in and since I work in a Biology and Chemistry Department there were stacks of health and safety business to deal with!  I was required to read lots of safety information, complete an online health and safety test (which despite being sceptical about, it was pretty rigorous), then attend a two hour safety induction before my University card would even be added to the electronic swipe card system to let me in the lab!

Once I got to Hong Kong, immigration was relatively quick and easy.  I had a map printed off and I got a hotel to Mong Kok (in Kowloon).  It was only a short walk (5 minutes) so it wasn’t too bad. Taxi was the other option but more expensive (but still cheaper than UK taxis).

I arrived on New Years eve and wasn’t starting work until Monday 3^rd January – although this meant a lonely New Year, it meant I had a few days to get some sleep and get my bearings.  There were lots of people out for the celebrations so I went for a walk – shops were still open (in general big shops stay open till 10pm) so I soaked up a bit of the culture too.

Over the weekend I walked around a lot, I didn’t really see any of the “tourist sights” I was more interested in getting a feel for the place and getting an idea of shops – what can I find where. I’m in a hotel now, but soon I’ll need to get food and things for an apartment.