Source: CCTV.com

06-21-2007 16:28

Special Report:   HK 10 Years

The last few years one of the biggest changes in Hong Kong has taken place on campus – at the city's universities. Not long ago Hong Kong local residents filled these classrooms and dormitories. Now these schools are attracting greater numbers of students from around the world.

George Payne: "It's a lot of fun. Like the university Hong Kong has so much to do. There so many restaurants, so many cultural things going on. So many places to visit. There's everything. I can't think of anything that Hong Kong doesn't have."

George Payne is a 2nd year student majoring in economics and finance at the University of Hong Kong. George came here for the first time at the age of 17 to attend an international school. After finishing high school here, he went back to England for college. But one year later, George returned to finish his degree in Hong Kong.

George Payne: "In the UK the degree structure is very rigid. For example I studied in the UK for one year. I had no choice of the courses I had to study. I had to do those particular courses. Whereas in Hong Kong you have a lot more options. You can choose a lot more courses, you can do a lot more inter-faculty electives. So I did a science course, and now I'm doing a European culture course in addition to my economics courses. So that is very good. You get some breadth. You get some extra stimulation, as opposed to as opposed to just reading economics textbooks all the time."

HKU is the oldest university in Hong Kong, and its coat of arms includes a phrase from Confucius and a Latin motto, which both mean: "wisdom and virtue." The school's history dates back to 1911 and more than 100,000 people have graduated since, including Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, who described this school as the birthplace of his knowledge. HKU was founded to provide a college education to Chinese students. Now it provides education for people from around the world. 2,000 international students are enrolled in the university's undergraduate, postgraduate and exchange programs, and the student body reflects Hong Kong's distinctive blend of east and west.

George Payne: "We have a lot of students from mainland, a lot of students from elsewhere. So we have a good mix. And it's been a fantastic experience. I've learned more about Hong Kong and what it's like to live in Hong Kong, Hong Kong life, Hong Kong culture. Learned more about China and also learned more about other places in the world."