August 9, 2016

Hong Kong students get a taste of Wollongong

Lectures, English classes, an Indigenous experience along with visits to the local attractions were all on the agenda for a group of students visiting from Hong Kong’s Community College of City University (CCCU).

The students visited UOW, Wollongong and Sydney as part of a two-week exposure program, with 33 associate degree students and two staff members from CCCU participating in the academic and cultural tour.

UOW assumed stewardship and governance of CCCU in 2015, strengthening UOW’s position as a global higher education provider in North-East Asia.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Strategy), Professor Alex Frino, officially welcomed the group to UOW’s Wollongong campus.

“This exposure program is an important part of UOW’s strategic alliance with CCCU, which aims to leverage greater educational opportunities for students via student mobility and global experiences,” Professor Frino said.

“UOW has a long history of successful transnational education delivery in Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and China. UOW’s alliance with CCCU will strengthen the universities existing ties to Hong Kong that span over 15 years.”

While at UOW, the students attended introductory lectures offered by Dr Sukhmani Khorana of the Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, Professor Willy Susilo and Dr Guomin Yang from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences and Professor Charles Areni, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business. Students also undertook a series of English for academic purposes classes and English conversation classes.

In addition to their academic pursuits, the group was treated to an introduction to Aboriginal culture at Woolyungah Indigenous Centre and trips to key tourist attractions including Symbio Animal Park, Sea Cliff Bridge, Minnamurra Rainforest, Kiama Blowhole, Wollongong Botanical Gardens and Sydney.

Students also gained a full Australian experience by being hosted by local families for the duration of the tour.

UOW is set to offer top-up degrees at CCCU in Business, Computer Science and Communication and Media Studies with the first students to begin their UOW programs in Hong Kong in late August.