Chi Ki Elsa Lai

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Exchange to Murdoch University, Australia

Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Scholarship Programme for giving me financial support for my exchange trip to Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. Studying abroad has always been my dream, but the cost has also been a great concern. The Programme has realized my dream and given me a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Compared with Hong Kong, Perth is a totally different city. On one hand, Perth is metropolitan. As the biggest city in Western Australia, many international and multinational corporations have set up their offices in the city of Perth. Whether its professional services, shopping or night life, you can find it all here. On the other hand, you can enjoy beautiful beaches, bush land and natural landscape. You can even visit farms directly to buy fresh fruits and flowers. My first impression of Perth is that it has the perfect balance between social development and environmental protection.

The academic environment has also made a lasting impression on me. As most people know, western students tend to be more active in class discussion. But what I found to be even better is the teaching attitude of professors. The first line I heard during a tutorial class was, “There are no stupid questions”. Professors are friendly and helpful and welcome any questions. Their casual teaching style encourages more communication between them and students.

In Hong Kong, people live in a well-developed city, surrounded by pollution. For me, it is pretty hard to imagine that any city can strike a good balance between development and the environment. Perth could be a good case study for us to think about future development in Hong Kong.

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