James LAU

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

My choice to go to Hong Kong for exchange stemmed from my curiosity to find out about the blend of Eastern and Western cultures in a well-renowned metropolis and to meet people from around the world. What followed my curiosity was my astonishment at the highly efficient and diversified transport network of Hong Kong and the huge variety of food available. To elaborate, I could almost travel to anywhere in Hong Kong within half and hour, assuming not at peak hours, either by taxi, minibus, bus, train or MTR. In terms of food, I enjoyed the egg tart and milk tea in Hong Kong.

Thanks to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards, not only was I able to have enough financial support to explore Hong Kong, but also travel to Tokyo and Taipei to explore other parts of East Asia.

During my study at the University of Hong Kong I particularly enjoyed the courses on electric vehicle technologies and building services. When I was selecting my exchange courses I knew Hong Kong was a leading research centre in electric vehicles and I was excited to learn more about the development of such vehicles that potentially would make our environment more sustainable.

My anticipation was met and I was amazed at the completeness of the curriculum in that both the technical aspects and associated challenges were covered. The course on building services was very practical and I believe provides a solid foundation for engineers who want to work in the construction industry. The most memorable experience I had with this course was a site tour at the COSCO Tower in Sheung Wan for an assignment. There I had the special opportunity to look at the water pump plant room and lifts motor room which are only accessible to certified staff.

The huge variety of clubs available at the university gave me chances to try out new activities I have never tried before and to make friends with both local and other exchange students. For example, I joined the archery club and kendo club as I have never tried those two activities before.

In between the weekly sessions and dinners I developed deeper friendships with local students, exchange students from China, USA and Europe. Moreover, I had the opportunity to talk to some of the lead research professors when I attended the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Association's annual dinner.

I strongly encourage students to choose Hong Kong as their destination of exchange as it is full of wonders for a new visitor to explore. In addition, travelling to other parts of Asia is very convenient from Hong Kong.

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