James O’Hare

University of Queensland, Australia
Exchange to The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Studying at the University of Hong Kong as a recipient of the Cheung Kong Scholarship has been a truly wonderful experience. Hong Kong has been the ideal location for an exchange – offering me a valuable experience that has broadened my perspective of the world and also given me a valuable insight into Chinese culture.

The city of Hong Kong is amazing, whilst geographically small, there is no shortage of things to do and see. The pace of the city is awe-inspiring, with the residents perpetually busy and on the move. As a young person, the selection of restaurants and bars and other entertainment was much larger and more diverse than anything I had witnessed back in my home city of Brisbane, Australia.

Hong Kong seems to attract young, ambitious individuals from all parts of the world and from all walks of life. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, it is important to have an awareness and understanding of cultures other than your own. Living in Hong Kong not only gave me an insight into Chinese culture, but it also put me in touch with individuals from all parts of the world.

One of the main benefits of Hong Kong has been its close proximity to other countries. Due to its location it is an ideal base to explore not only Mainland China, but also other Southeast Asian countries. From Hong Kong, I was able to visit a great deal of China as well as parts of Japan and Thailand during my exchange.

Studying at the University of Hong Kong for the 2006-07 academic year gave me the opportunity to see what it is like to study at a premier university. I was very impressed by the intensity and engaging materials covered through my courses. In particular, the courses with a focus on China proved to be very informative and the lecturers discussed issues and topics that were relevant and topical.

During my time in Hong Kong, I resided at Ricci Hall. This proved to be an excellent place of residence – as it is one thing to see the locals operate from day to day, but to see how they spend the time at home is just as fascinating.

All in all, my time spent in Hong Kong has been an experience that I will recall with great enthusiasm.

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