The Review 2002

Oscar Berger is a pol i t ical science undergraduate from Lund Universi ty in Sweden. He is an exchange student at the University. “I came here because it is close to the Mainland, the courses are conducted in English and Hong Kong University has a good reputation. The teaching is very good. I’ve learned a lot in a short period of time and I’m satisfied in that way. The University is well-organised and I really appreciate how they have made i t easy for overseas students. “The general academic scene is very active. A lot of famous and not-so-famous people give lectures here. I have a teacher who brings speakers into the class, like government off icials and journal ists. Sometimes we have lunch with them. That would never happen in Sweden.” Pun Kwok Hung is Associate Professor of Computer Science and Information Systems, as well as being a barrister. He has been named a Teaching Fellow. “The presence of overseas students in class has definitely had a positive impact in the Engineering Faculty. In my experience, overseas students are more wi l l ing and spontaneous in raising and answer ing questions in class. This has helped to create a more relaxed atmosphere which encourages local engineering students to actively participate. Outside the classroom, I’ve also noticed there are more and more local students chatt ing and making fr iends wi th those from overseas. These interactions not only improve students’ English language skills, but also help them to understand the different values and approaches to life that overseas students often have.” Gwyn Edwards has been named a Teaching Fellow of the University. He is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and has knowledge of British universities. “The staff at The University of Hong Kong is far more international than it would be in a university in the UK. I think that’s a very positive thing. You have people coming from different backgrounds and systems. It challenges one’s assumptions. This is an advantage Hong Kong might have over universities elsewhere in the world. “One of the things that probably students would value in my teaching is I use a lot of discussion and a lot of groupwork activities. Students are very active in my sessions. My approach is to keep students involved in their learning, within a structure.” Cora Chan is in her second year of a double Bachelor of Arts degree in government and laws. “I chose to study at Hong Kong University because I ’m interested in law and the Universi ty is renowned for i ts law programme. The international atmosphere also appealed to me. “There are infinite opportunities to try new things here. I have participated in sports, dance and bridge. I have also enhanced my abilities in areas I had previous experience in, such as debat ing, publ ic speaking and writing. It’s important to make the best of the many opportunities here and add value to ourselves, in order to compete with the world’s elite.” 11 The Review 2002 Research The Review 2002 Teaching and Learning 10