Hong Kong
Hong Kong, with a population of over 7 million, is among the most visited destinations in the world and one of Asia's most diverse and cosmopolitan cities. The Lingnan University campus is located in Tuen Mun, a new town in the Northwest of the New Territories. Parks, recreational and sports facilities, and many shopping and dining options can be found in town. An excellent public transportation system connects Tuen Mun with the central districts of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula located about 40 minutes away.
About the Program
Hobart and William Smith Colleges maintain an exchange program with Lingnan University in Hong Kong, an institution that seeks to provide its students with a quality education distinguished by the best liberal arts traditions from both East and West. It adopts a whole-person approach to education, teaching students to think, judge, care and act responsibly in the constantly changing circumstances of life in Hong Kong, the region, and the world.
The university is officially “bilingual” with the majority of classes offered in English to both its international and Chinese students. The Lingnan student body comprises approximately 4,500 students—half undergraduates and half Master’s students.
International students have many clubs and activities from which to choose and they can enjoy the amenities offered by Hong Kong, a dynamic city where English is widely spoken. Information about the program can be found at: http://www.ln.edu.hk/omip/. A student handbook for incoming exchange students can be found at: http://www.ln.edu.hk/omip/download/#incoming
Students who participate in this program can select courses from a variety of disciplines (see Academic Focus below.) The standard course load at Lingnan is four courses. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, classes are taught in English. Course descriptions can be found here.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
Due to the wide range of courses offered at Lingnan University, this program can accommodate students from a variety of disciplines. The university offers courses in economics, IR, politics, cultural studies, history, media and film, art history, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and Asian studies (including Chinese language).
This program is open to all juniors and seniors (second semester sophomores may be considered in exceptional cases) in good academic and social standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Exchange opportunities depend on the availability of slots at the host institution. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
Students live in residence halls on campus in double rooms with wireless internet access. Restrooms and showers are shared by all the floor occupants. Other facilities include a common lounge, a pantry on each floor, a game room, a committee room, a television room, and a laundry area.
There is a student canteen and a full-service Chinese restaurant on campus where students can purchase meals. The student canteen serves fast food, snacks, and set meals, with both Chinese and Western cuisine.
The Hong Kong program is not a "study abroad program" in the traditional sense in that HWS students will be directly enrolled at the university. While there will not be excursions designed specifically for HWS students, there will be a multi-day orientation for visiting students. A wide range of activities and tours will be included where you will get to know fellow students, learn a bit of the local language, and become familiar with the campus. There will be some visits to allow students to explore Hong Kong.
For the fall students, the cultural orientation will be followed by an academic orientation for new students (international and Chinese nationals alike) about the university itself. For spring students, you will go right into classes but the international orientation staff will make sure you know what you need to know to start classes. The university also offers a “buddy program” that matches new incoming exchange students with Lingnan University students, to help newly arrived students settle in and make the transition to life in Hong Kong.
Students are encouraged to seek out opportunities to immerse themselves in campus life and the local culture, including student clubs and organizations, athletic programs and sporting events, and the President´s breakfasts with students. A full-service travel agency adjacent to campus can facilitate independent travel to mainland China and throughout Asia.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and fees and a $600 administrative fee. This will cover tuition for a four-course semester, health insurance, and an orientation program. No room or board charge is included. Students will pay room fees directly to Lingnan University and should plan to bring their board fee to cover meal expenses throughout the program. We estimate room fees at $2000-$2500 for the semester. While meal expenses will vary according to individual tastes, we estimate $2400-$2600 should be sufficient for most students.
Additional expenses not covered include airfare, books, and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $1400-$1600 from the East Coast and books at $225. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of personal expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1250 above and beyond meal and accommodation expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances, we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
HWS students must complete all components of the Global Education application in order to be considered for admission to this program.
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This program is offered every semester.
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All components of the application must be submitted online by the published deadline. Specific deadline dates are set each semester and typically will be in late September/early October (for Fall programs) and late February/early March (for Spring programs).
Program Handbook
IMPORTANT: The handbook(s) below is/are the most recent handbook(s) published for this program. A new version, with updated information, will be made available each semester. Program participants will receive their updated handbook approximately 2-3 months prior to their program’s start date.
FALL HANDBOOK / SPRING HANDBOOK
Please DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS until you have received final confirmation of the program start/finish dates for the specific semester you are attending. Dates included in versions of the program handbook intended for previous semesters do not necessarily apply to future programs.
NOTE: The information above is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
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