HKUST Grad Report 1



Study Abroad Report

Tim Casio

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Spring 2004

timcasio@

Academic experiences at the partner school

General academic structure

The structure of HKUST’s MBA program is different then at CSOM. Full-time students generally finish the program in 3 semesters, with one of those semester spent doing a mandatory student abroad. In addition, it seems very few students do an internship between their first and second year. Another thing to note is that the full-time class has about 50 students, though it seems the part-time program is larger. Lastly, courses are a half semester in length (about 8 weeks), and they met once a week for 3 hours a session.

Classes taken/ how they compare to courses here

Since there seems to be a lack of previous professional experience amongst the students, classroom discussions are not as rich as they tend to be at CSOM. There is more lecturing and less discussion. In addition, even though cases are used as a teaching tool, the tendency is towards summary and not analysis of the issues presented in the case. The workload of the courses I took was very light in comparison to courses at CSOM. For example, I had a class with one paper and a presentation as the final deliverables. Another issue is that some of the professors and students lack a proficiency in spoken English. This sometimes detracts from classroom discussions.

Advising

I did not attempt to use any of the schools advising services while at the school, but I was disappointed in the lack of communication from HKUST before I arrived. For example, I did not receive course information until almost the beginning of the semester, and information on housing was extremely limited.

Surprises/comparison with academic environment in the U.S

While I feel I benefited from attending the program in Hong Kong, I do not think the program compares to the rigors and professionalism of the academic environment at CSOM. In general, I feel that the professors and students are not at the same level as those at CSOM. I think the main problem with the students is that they have not had the professional background that most students at CSOM have. The students here generally have previous work experience, but this experience does not seem to at the level of the experiences CSOM students have had.

Logistics at the partner school:

Orientation/Arrival

As I mentioned above, I was disappointed by the lack of information from the school before I started the program. As for the arrival process, it also was lacking. There no information on how to purchase the things I would need for my room, such as blankets. In addition, the lack of English speaking ability amongst the people doing the check in made it difficult to ask questions. The program did offer a social orientation with other exchange students, but it was not worth the price they charged for it. The only benefit of the orientation was it gave you a chance to meet the other exchange students. The school orientation was also underwhelming, since a large part of it was devoted to a library tour and how to use library resources.

Housing

While the school does have on campus housing it is significantly below what I, and I expect other CSOM students expect. You share an apartment with three other students, but have your own private bedroom. The furnishings of the individual rooms are very limited (very thin mattress on a wood platform and a counter with an uncomfortable wooden chair that serves as a work area). In addition, the shared bathroom is a difficultly. There is one toilet and shower for four people. Cockroaches and bedbugs are a problem that many students suffered, however it should be noted that cockroaches are commonplace in Hong Kong, and in only very nice places can you expect to avoid them when the weather gets warm. Another issue with the on-campus housing is that the school is located about 45-60 minutes (using public transportation) from the central area of Hong Kong Island. Due to the poor quality of the housing and its distance from the city, after one month I moved off-campus to an apartment on Hong Kong Island.

Meals

The campus does have a few eating establishments, including a McDonald’s, but in general they are disappointing. As a point of reference, the quality is much worse than the cafeteria in the lower level of CSOM. To compound the food problem, the closest restaurants are located 15-30 minutes away by bus (though you can get pizza delivered). Lastly, there is a grocery store on-campus, and since the dorms have kitchens, cooking your meals is a possibility.

Transportation

Public transportation in Hong Kong is very good and cheap. A trip from campus to the central area of Hong Kong Island will cost around US$2. This trip is a 30 minute subway ride and a 15 minute bus ride. A cab for the same trip will be about US$16 if you negotiate with the driver. The meter rate will be slightly more. One thing to note is that the subway stops running around 1am, so if you go out on Hong Kong Island taking a cab back to school is a necessity, but since you can put five people in the cab it is not too expensive.

Student activity groups

While the school seems to have many student groups there does not seem to be many MBA only groups, though it is not something I investigated in-depth. There are weekly MBA lunch gatherings where they sometimes have a speaker or some other activity. In addition, a social committee planned a few events.

Host Country Culture

What were some surprises or insights you had into the culture of your host country/school?

Hong Kong is a multi-cultural city, but it is predominately Chinese in character. The first language spoken is Cantonese, and English is a distance second. Even in shops and restaurants selling western items it is sometimes difficult to communicate in English. However, if you use only English you will get by just fine. Another difference from the US is the expected level of customer service is lower. The best example of this is when working in a group with a local student who had visited the US, she told me that she was amazed when a server in the US asked how her meal was. The lower level of service can be frustrating at times, but for me it helped to just be patience, and realize that things would get done. In addition, I realized the lower level of service is not the server trying to be rude, instead it is just the expected level service.

What are your recommendations for ways that other exchange students to learn about and become immersed in the culture?

The Chinese influence on Hong Kong culture makes it very different from the US. Due to this, it is hard to think of a good way to learn about the culture. Visiting Chinatown in New York or San Francisco would be a start. Coming from New York my experiences visiting Chinatown helped me better understand the culture in Hong Kong.

Did you have the chance to learn a second language? Why or why not?

I did not learn Cantonese while in Hong Kong. The language is much different than English and those that did attempt to study it all agreed that four months only allowed the learning of the most basic aspects of the language. In addition, since you can get by with English there was less of a motivation for me to learn Cantonese. However, if you are interested in learning languages I was told by other exchange students that the university’s language center is very good.

Social life

How would you rate your integration with other students from the host university?

There was not a large amount of socializing between the local students and myself. I mostly socialized with other exchange students. I am not exactly sure why it worked out this way. However, all the local students I encountered where always friendly and willing to talk.

With other international students?

There was a large amount of socializing amongst exchange students. Mostly it involved sightseeing and nighttime socializing activities like dinner and drinks.

What were some of the best ways you found to make friends and meet people at the host university?

The best way to meet local students was to attend the weekly lunches planned by the MBA program.

What kinds of after-hours and weekend activities would you recommend for other students?

I would definitely recommend traveling in Asia if your budget permits. Most exchange students traveled extensively while here. Since most people only had class a few times a week, there were many opportunities to take trips to other countries. Day trips to Macau and other outlying islands were also common. As for after-hours activities, Hong Kong has restaurants, bars, and clubs to suit everyone’s tastes and budget. In addition, there are plenty of Starbucks and movies are cheap and in English (expect for locally made movies, which have subtitles in English)

If you traveled with your family, how was their integration into the host community? Did you find any particularly helpful resources for them?

N.A.

Other

How much would you recommend students take with them? How much would you say would be the monthly living expenses in the city you lived in including rent/food/misc. expenses?

It is important to note that Hong Kong is not a cheap place to live. Pricing is more similar to New York City than it is to Minneapolis, especially for western things. Below are some prices that you can expect.

• Rent on-campus was around $450, while off-campus rents can be that price and up.

• Restaurant meals are similarly priced to the US (except for McDonald’s, which is insanely cheap). If you are willing to navigate the language barrier, local restaurants can be cheaper. Groceries are also similar in price to the US, but if you want imported products from the US, they will be more.

• Transportation is cheap as I mentioned above

• Movies, with a student discount are around US$5

• Drinks at a nicer club/bar will be about US$10, while beer will be about US$7. In cheaper places, beer can be around US$3 on special.

• Coffee will cost US$2-3 a cup at Starbucks, while on-campus, it is about US$1.25.

Do you have suggestions on the types of students who would be well suited to this program?

This program is well suited for students wanting to learn about China specific business issues, as well as for students who want to work in Hong Kong.

Did you need a visa to enter the country? If so, how did you apply for one and how long did it take to receive?

You do need a student visa, which did not take that long to get. The school does the processing for you. One visa issue to note is that even with a Hong Kong visa you will need another visa to enter mainland China if you want to visit there.

What recommendations would you give to other CSOM students going on this program (to bring, to wear, etc.)?

You can buy anything you might need in Hong Kong. The weather in February was around 30-40 degrees, but I was told this was the coldest it has been in years. Keep in mind no buildings in Hong Kong have heat. Some students bought personal space heaters to get through the cold. With the exception of February, most of the time the weather was very nice. I mostly wore jeans and thinner shirts, and sometimes shorts.

General recommendations for study abroad:

I think studying abroad was a great experience for me. It helped that I already I accepted my post-MBA job so I did not have to worry about recruiting while I was here. I think that trying to be involved in any recruiting process in the US would be difficult if you are studying abroad.

Preferred e-mail (for student contacts), and address/phone (for our office)

I can always be reached at timcasio@. When I return to the US I will be living in the Minneapolis area, but I do not have an address or phone number yet.

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