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I must confess for my first five years in Hong Kong, I never knew I was celebrating Chinese New Year. It wasn’t until I learnt about the festival during Chinese classes in school as it was a mandatory topic.
If there’s one word that describes the hall life of any student at the University of Hong Kong, but to greater extent that of non locals, is frustration.
Upon checking the very first assignment of my very first university class, I was in disbelief. 88 pages of reading? For one class? In one week?
FlowBooks x LilyBookshop. Situated in Sheung Wan, the bookstore (originally just FlowBooks) has been running since 1997, braving the many challenges that have been hurled its way – and the metalllic mace that is COVID has now flown smack into its face. But what has given it immense strength is the philosophy that buttresses the store.
From September 22nd, all courses with ‘face-to-face’ or ‘mixed’ or ‘hybrid’ or ‘half and half’ (they can’t seem to settle on a name) delivery modes will be providing a face-to-face option.
Under the sweeping National Security Law, the academia faces unprecedented challenges. Will academic freedom become a figment of the past, or is there something we can still do about it?
"But I’m looking out for you too, and together we can birth a generation that doesn’t panic a week before add/drop, because we’ll have fought in the trenches for them."
Typically, people fulfilled these credits by undertaking 12 credits of approved courses during their exchange, or by doing a non-local internship – but clearly that’s going to be impossible for the time being.
The pandemic has left many international students baffled as to whether they should stay or leave. “It wasn’t an easy decision coming back to Hong Kong,” says Sun Woo, a 19 year old sophomore at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania from Hong Kong. “I was worried about transferring the virus to my family members if I did have it and at the same time about not being able to go back to school this fall.”
The outbreak of the Coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS 2.0... has forced the cancellation of classes and relegated people to having to attend (some) lectures and tutorials through zoom. This just following the protests towards the end of 2019, which similarly caused the closure of the University.
HKU Vice Chancellor is reportedly a part of the Hong Kong Coalition, a seemingly pro-Beijing organization. With his previous remarks of not bringing politics into the University, this is quite a controversial move. See how has the HKUSU responded.
Because of COVID-19’s rapid spread from China across the world, many students have had to cut their exchanges short – only three months into their program.
“I am sad about leaving here but it is inevitable I guess,” said Ryan Li, a year three student who went to Denmark for his exchange.
Quintfus Kwong
With more than 30% of international students in the Dentistry Class of 2024, the Faculty’s decision to insist on conducting face-to-face lessons has caused much controversy.