As part of the 'Agreement on Inter-University Student Exchange's Short-Term Student Exchange Program'* (also known as the East Asia Short-Term Student Exchange Program), there was a summer school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in which 7 students participated. Students came from many fields in both science and humanities, from first year undergraduates to master program students. All together there were almost 40 international students, who were split into 4 levels for classes in Chinese with the aim of improving their vocabulary, grammar and speaking skills.
Through visiting such places as Macao, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, participating students were able to visit World Heritage sites, experience culture mixing that of China and the West, learn about economic growth, and have the great opportunity to talk directly to student-guides from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They hope to use these important experiences in their futures.
Report from a Participating Student
Chinese University of Hong Kong Summer School Group Leader
Keisuke Sagarifuji, 4th year student of the Fuculty Faculty of Economics
The Chinese language classes were split into four levels based on the abilities of students, with the highest level being just right for students who have studied Chinese hard for a year. The Chinese language course at Chinese University of Hong Kong is said to be the best in Hong Kong, with some teachers even appearing on Chinese language TV programs for those studying Cantonese. Classes were of about 5 hours a day, starting at 9 and finishing at 4 with a lunch break in between.
Hong Kong is in the Cantonese-speaking area and most students have conversation in Cantonese, so it takes a bit of courage to use the language you just learned (normal Chinese/Mandarin). However, most young people in Hong Kong can understand normal Chinese. I realized that in Hong Kong, normal Chinese is the common language of China. In this program, the tour by the Chinese University of Hong Kong was held every Saturday, and we were able to visit Macao, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. We were able to feel the dynamism of the south of China by visiting many places, all the while communicating with Chinese students.
The culture of Hong Kong comes from a complicated historical background and is unlike any other city in China, with the power to attract people from all over the globe. I was very lucky to have been able to spend time in Hong Kong. The 3 weeks of this program, which enabled me to experience the splendor of Hong Kong and polish up on my Chinese, went by really quickly.
Improving my English was another great point about this program. As my room-mate was a British university student, I was able to use my English every day. Many of the participants in the program are English speakers, and through communicating with them, including in the city, I was often able to use English, one of the official languages of Hong Kong.
Through participating in the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Summer School, I was able to meet many interesting people, learn, experience many things, and get great motivation for improving my Chinese and English. Thank you to all who helped out members of the Kyoto University Student group.
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*About the 'Short-Term Student Exchange Program for Inter-University Student Exchange' (also known as the East Asia Short-Term Student Exchange Program)
At Kyoto University, we have been running the 'Short-Term Student Exchange Program for Inter-University Student Exchange' for 7 years in order to increase inter-university exchange, cultivate an international spirit and increase working language skills of students. In this program, based on agreements between Kyoto University and the destination university, school fees are waivered, and university students are treated as of the same status as exchange students. In 2013 we ran the program on the support of the 'Development of Globally Cooperative Human Resources Centered on the University Project for Strengthening World Development ? Supporting the Formation of Inter-University Exchange with ASEAN Countries: Open ASEAN+6 and Re-Discovering Japan-SEND ', the JASSO Scholarship (Important Policy section) and the 'John Man Program for Sending Young Kyoto University Researchers Abroad.'
