Bulletin Number One 1984

lASP The In te rna tiona l As ian Studies Programme Every year, in the heat and hum idity o f late summer, thirty-five or fo rty foreign students from U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia arrived on The Chinese University campus. For most o f them it is their first encounter w ith Chinese culture. For many it is their first time living abroad. They come to broaden their education by learning about another culture and to deepen their knowledge o f China. A handful are overseas Chinese who come to discover or rediscover their 'roots'. Unlike many study-abroad programmes where foreign students live together, they all live w ith CUHK students at each o f the three Colleges. The majority are undergraduates but there are also graduate students and, occasionally research scholars pursuing specialized topics. Many are interested in China and a growing number studies Hong Kong and the question o f its future. The curriculum for most students is a combina tion o f language study and course work. Almost all o f the lASP students study Cantonese or Mandarin for ten or twelve hours per week at the University's Chinese Language Centre. This is complemented by lASP courses in Chinese politics, history and literature as well as a variety o f University courses which are offered in English. While an increasing number of foreign students have studied some Chinese before coming to Hong Kong, most o f them still lack the ability to take courses which are taught in Chinese. The International Asian Studies Programme was established in 1977 in cooperation w ith the Yale-China Association, To start the Programme, the Yale-China Association made a special grant to provide hostel accommodations for IASP participants. In addition, the Association's New Haven office continues to be responsible for recruiting students from North America. The lASP office, now located in the T.C. Cheng Building at United College, has expanded its role in recent years to serve all foreign students on campus, including those on the University o f California exchange, the International Student Exchange Programme, Tsukuba University and Soka University in Japan, and other exchanges w ith Chung Chi and New Asia Colleges. Directed by Dr. Thomas H.C. Lee, the lASP also receives a number o f foreign visitors who visit the University each year. Special lectures, social gatherings, and extracurricular activities are also organized through the IASP office. Some students also participate on University sports teams. Living in a foreign culture far from home can be a d ifficu lt experience: the food is different, hostel life is often more restrictive, and friendships are formed in different ways. Language, o f course, is the source o f much confusion and at first it may seem that everything seems funny except for the jokes. ‘Culture shock', as one foreign student wrote, ‘can be frustrating, painful, and yes, even rewarding, as one learns to understand the basis for others' feelings. But unfortunately, it seems that no sooner do you have a grasp o f your situation than the cycle turns to another phase, and confusion can reign supreme.' But recog nizing cultural differences and learning to cope w ith them is a central reason for participation in the lASP Programme. CUHK roommates, most o f whom volunteer to live w ith a foreign student, help participants in many ways to make the adjustment. A survey conducted last year indicated that the great majority o f Chinese roommates found it a very positive experience. The very strong response to a new host family programme, which includes over th irty families on the University campus who help and entertain foreign students from time to time, is also encouraging. Studying Mandarin in a Cantonese-speaking environment can be frustrating, but Hong Kong offers the advantage o f being less restrictive than either China or Taiwan, providing access to a wider range o f materials. Hong Kong's proxim ity to China, Japan and Southeast Asia offers another attraction to foreign students, almost all o fwhom travel extensively in Asia during vacations. Vice-Chancellor Ma Lin recently described the University's goals in these terms: ‘It is to become a 4 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS