Philippa DORE

Student of The University of Adelaide, Australia
Exchange to The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Exchanges bring with them so many fantastic experiences. When I think of my time at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), many wonderful memories come to mind. One aspect of my trip that will always stand out for me, were the wonderful opportunities I received to participate in campus initiatives and engage with the local community.

To begin with, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the CUHK Office of Student Affairs for allowing me to participate in the ‘Creative Minds Think Alike Training Programme’ as part of the university’s multi-layered International Festival. Attending the training with local students allowed me to not only learn about cross-cultural theory and event planning/implementation, but also provided me with insight into how issues of campus integration affect different institutions. This was particularly interesting as university life in Hong Kong and Australia are quite different, both culturally as well as demographically, and the methods and goals regarding cross-cultural communication are very diverse. Since returning home, I have been able to draw on my invaluable experiences in order to improve my contribution to two fantastic campus integration initiatives provided at my home university through the International Student Centre’s Peer Mentor Program and the Language and Cultural Exchange Program.

Through the CUHK Training Programme, I was introduced to the lovely Jay and Till from Inter- Cultural Education Hong Kong (ICE HK), who offered me the opportunity to travel with them to a local school to give a presentation on life in Australia. I was able to engage with the children through language activities and even learnt some Cantonese! It was such a privilege to showcase my country while overseas, and it was especially enjoyable to witness the animated student reactions to the true mating calls of koala’s during my presentation. In addition to this, I was very lucky to visit more schools through the Rural School Service Project run by the university’s Office of Academic Links, where we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival – a large Chinese festival, also celebrated in Hong Kong – with the children, and guided them through the English-language treasure hunt for the English Day Camp. I will never forget sitting with a group of middle-school students during the lunch break, talking about their recent exams and discussing with them all the things that they could study at university, while encouraging them to pursue their dream careers. It really touched my heart to see their smiling faces as we discussed the possibilities, and it was particularly encouraging to be involved in creating positive experiences around second language learning, which, as a French major, I know can be difficult.

My advice to other exchange participants is to embrace the opportunities presented to you. A great deal of learning and personal fulfillment can be found outside the classroom, and it is always wonderful to engage with the local community! These experiences are definitely some of the memories I cherish the most.

Finally, thank you to the Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Awards Program for such a wonderful opportunity.

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